User:Crowsarecool/Maria del Refugio Rodriguez

Maria del Refugio Rodriguez
Maria del Refugio Rodriguez (also known as Doña Cuca) (DOB - DOD) was a Caxcan land defender dedicated to the protection, care, and return of the mountain Tlachialoyantepec (El Cerro de las Ventanas).

Early Life and Career
Maria del Refugio Rodriguez (DOB - DOP) was born in Mezquital de Oro, Zacatecas into the Caxcan people, an indigenous group from western and north-central Mexico. She migrated to the neighboring town of El Remolino at the age of 7. El Remolino is known as the location of Tlachialoyantepec (El Cerro de ). Tlachialoyantepec is considered to be a sacred site by the Caxcan. It was here where she learned to gather foods on the mountain and sell them in neighboring towns such as Juchipila. It is known as a location for Caxcan to gather foods and is an important part of the family economy and traditional commerce. As a teenager, she began her advocacy for the care of Tlachialoyantepec and stood in opposition to archaeologists when they began to arrive to the mountain. Refugio Rodriguez sold pitayas as a source of income. She and her family would gather them on Tlachialoyantepec, peel them, and then sell them. She did so freely until Mexican Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) began to limit access to the mountain in the 2000s.

Activism
She dedicated her life to the care of Tlachialoyantepec. Upon the arrival of the Mexican Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) to Tlachialoyantepec in [YEAR], she was a part of a group of Caxcans in and around El Remolino that raised concerns over INAH's actions. Specifically, they pointed out that INAH does not consider the spiritual significance of the mountain to the Caxcan. She was among those who raised alarm that INAH built a visitor center, on-site exhibit, conducted archaeological excavations, and created plans for preservation without consulting the Caxcan.

Refugio Rodriguez expanded on this further in an oral interview on September 13, 2016 with historian Daisy Ocampo:

“If you want to understand the story of why we are devasted by this tourist project then you need to understand that these lands, this mountain belonged to me, to my mother and to her mother. We inherit a section for our foods, and we grow carefully. We come from nowhere else, this is where we belong. To understand that you need to understand our stories.”

She advocated for the Caxcan to regain legal access to Tlachialoyantepec and for INAH to return the mountain back to the Caxcan. INAH has not agreed to either of these requests as of December 2023.

Cultural bearer
Refugio Rodriguez had an extensive knowledge of the Caxcan creation stories and was considered a cultural bearer. She knew sites of cultural importance on Tlachialoyantepec and their connection to Caxcan ancestral stories. She knew the plants on the land and their medicinal uses.

Personal life
Refugio Rodriguez is the mother of three children. She has immediate and extended family in and around El Remolino, Juchipila, Zacatecas as well as in Southern California and the Central Valley of California.