Octavio profile picture

Octavio

nosoypoeta

About Me

I have redone myspace in recognition of the Peace and Dignity Journeys. These pictures were taken in 2000. I was living in New York Manhatititlan, when I met a native woman from New Mexico and told me about the run. I had heard about it before, but being in New York, snow outside the window, I somehow imagined that if I ran and prayed, I'd find myself. I'd connect with the old ones, the spirits, with something that was more than concrete sidewalks and matchbox apartments. So I ran, and I sweated under the sun. Rested at night, slept on floors, ate what was available, prayed, until my prayer muscle hurt. These images are some of the some of those moments that can't be explained. The sky, the earth, no TV, no cell phone, no job, no hurry, other than to run, pray, eat and get along with everyone. Of course, I was a runner first and a photographer later. However, some people did get annoyed with my constant clicking. Then I ran real low on film, and I put the camera down toward the end. My mind was on the staffs and prayers. The only reason I took these pictures was to document the Journey. I share this will my people and all others. I hope you enjoy these pictures. There are many more moment's that are so sacred, so special, that only the mental camera can do. Much love, octavio de la rosas Main Staff being passed: Although it looks staged. This photo wasn't. They were running 5 mile legs and when one runner would stop the other would gentle, yet firmly recieve it.

My Interests

Lil Joe: We were staying for the night in Creel, Chihuahua which is a Raramuri community. The mestizo world is encroaching around them. Some people still lived in caves. Lil Joe gifted his hat to one of the children. I had asked him for that hat a few days before. I even offered him a coke and snickers (his favorite). But he kept it and and a few days later gave it to a boy in Creel. Laurisa: with the Main (eagle) Staff. The Eagle Staff starts out as an old broom stick. And then has three feathers put on it in Alaska. Eagle (north), Macaw (central) and Condor (south) representing the 3 parts of the 2 American continents. By this point it had at least 150 feathers on it. It was a powerful, beautiful staff, full of prayers and blessings. Some days the staff would carry me. I love that staff.

I'd like to meet:

my ancestors. my future generations; I enjoy the balance of ceremonial life and living in this waseechu world. 3 Shadows: has the main staff. Sometimes the sun was so intense, that although we enjoyed getting dark, it was too much. This picture means a lot, because it reminds me of an eagle's shadow that once accompanied me through a 5 mile strech in New Mexico. Those moments are to even talk about. Angel Running: It's hard to see the staff from this angle. At times we'd run through cities or towns, but 98% of the time we out on the open road, away from main streets. I can remember crossing over into Juarez and immediately we could all smell disel fuel and smog. We couldn't wait to get back into the open land. Bobby: Interesting teenager. Came from LA and ran. He gave me a hard time at first, but we came to respect each other. I feel that as indigenous people, we come from a civilizations that for thousands of years had warrior societies, but that in the modern gringo world, the Marine's just don't cut it for our warriors. There are warriors are out there who sometimes are fighting for good, and other times they're shallowing themselves like a serpent.Lil Joe: I just love this pic. The bandana was to protect ourselves from the sun.Manny: taking a break from being inside a van. Smoking and looking over the horizon.Paquime: Our elder, Gustavo, woke us up at 4am, when it was still night time and cold. We did a sunrise ceremony that day and ran early. We had a lot of miles to cover. Bobby carried the main staff that day. We gathered and prayed over the "ruins"/sacred site of Paquime by Casas Grandes, Chihuahua.

Music:

Chapala Circle: This is part of the circle that we had in Ajijic, Jalisco. When we came running into the narrow, cobble streets, papel picado hung from house to house, and a school full of children met us at the entrance of town and ran with us to the lake. There a Koda elder spoke about his experiences as an indigenous person repressed by mestizo culture. How the government would imprison men for wearing traditional clothing. And how happy he was to see us. In other rez's and towns some elder's told us that "the old ones" spoke about us (the runners) coming through one day.

Movies:

Tonantzin in Tonala, Jalisco: We were on a sacred site over seeing the Guadalajara. When the spaniards invaded they always built their churches over our sacred sites. And this virgen is no exception to those old manipulations. I love with her with all my heart nonetheless. Teotihuacan Elder: This man was walking around Teotihuacan selling artesania. We sat and chopped it up for a while. I asked him questions and he enjoyed telling me stories about the town. Flower Girls: This photo was taken in Cheran, Michoacan, a Purepucha community. The kid on the left was plucking all the heads on the roses in the plaza. She like to collect pedals and throw them over her head.

Television:

Washing Up: One time we came in dust dirty, sun burnt and hungry and sat in a hotel room (courtesy of the Apache Casinos). Those were great days. And yet other days, we had cold ass lakes to wash up in. Lakes were great places to let the energies of the earth enter our bodies and spirits. But the casinos with the all you can eat buffets were cool, too. Huicholos: Youngsters from LA posing while we took a 10 minute break.Kuatli: A runner I met in New York, then ran into in Arizona. Sometimes, shade and a gentle wind is all we needed to be happy.Raramuri's Run with Us: They met us at the Mexican border and ran with us for 60 kilometers that day. The Raramuri's are some of the last native men that keep the traditional clothing alive. They are known for their amazing running abilities as well as they strength to endure European and Mestizo oppression.

Books:

Teotihuacan: Sitting on the teocalli of meztli ("the moon pyramid") looking at the teocalli of the Tonatiuh.Runner and Purepucha Children: The kids were always great. Happy to run with us, their smiles fuleing our spirits.

Heroes:

Carlos Bukowski, El Sub-comandante, Cuahtemoc, mi Mother, Geronimo, ALL NATVIE RESISTANCEApache Youth: Standing in the shade of the main staff. Those Apache kids could run like the wind. Those skinny youthful teens had us eating their dust.Staffs in Cheran: Our staffs were always put to rest over blankets. We treat them like people. And they in turn take good care of us.