Reclaiming Indigenous languages is a form of resistance!
Since the time of Mama Dolores Cacuango and her clandestine schools, our people have defended the right to learn and dream in our own language. Today, we continue that memory of struggle. The Kichwa language not only connects us with our ancestors and their ancestral wisdom, but also paves the way for a dignified and conscious future.
Sapiyay Collective, Wichana Foundation, SARUSA, and ArtsWestchester invite you to participate in the new program, Weaving Indigenous Futures: Learning in Action with the Ecuadorian Kichwa Community, which will take place from October 2025 to April 2026.
We begin with Andean Philosophy and Kichwa Poetry Workshops, where Yachachik Fabián Muenala will lead a vibrant space of words, poetry, and reflection. Learning Kichwa is sowing resistance, strengthening community, and seeing the world through new eyes.
Come learn not just a language, but a way of living and resisting!
Dates: 10/5, 10/19, 11/9, 11/23
Time: 2:00 PM–4:00 PM
Location: Greenburgh Public Library
All levels of Kichwa are welcome!
Note: Instruction in Spanish. Suggested donation: $15. Donations raised will go to emergency funds in solidarity with the Indigenous Communities of Ecuador.
Weaving Indigenous Futures: Learning in action with the Ecuadorian Kichwa community
Tarrytown, NY – With the support of ArtsWestchester, the Sapiyay Collective and Wichana
Foundation are proud to announce a new community arts program – Weaving Indigenous
Futures: Learning in action with the Ecuadorian Kichwa Community – hosted at local libraries
in Westchester, New York. We will host two series of artist-led workshops that engage
participants in Andean oral and textile traditions as a medium for cultivating cultural,
ecological, and social consciousness. Participants of all ages and backgrounds are invited to
join us at no cost. This program will culminate in a final cultural showcase and celebration – the
Local Indigenous Futures Festival set to take place in April, 2026.
Westchester County is home to an estimated 17,000 Ecuadorians and a rapidly growing
Indigenous Kichwa diaspora. Quechua is the most widely spoken Indigenous language in the
Americas. Kichwa refers to the Indigenous communities in the Andes and Amazonian regions of
Ecuador and the dialects spoken therein.
Our program aspires to offer Westchester residents an alternative vision of the future – one in
which Indigenous, Latinx, immigrant neighbors are not simple victims of this current
administration, but in fact, we are empowered protagonists of social change. Creating
sustainable spaces of intergenerational, cultural transmission not only ensures local youth
maintain connections to their heritage, but also demonstrates the modern-day value of
Indigenous resilience to the general public.
The first series of workshops on Andean Philosophy and Kichwa Poetry begins on October
5th at the Greenburgh Public Library. Please join us in this campaign to bring living, Indigenous
traditions to local communities in Westchester!
Host Organizations: Sapiyay Collective (www.sapiyay.org), Wichana Foundation
(www.wichana.org), ArtsWestchester, SARUSA
This project is made possible in part with funding from Arts Alive, a grant program of
ArtsWestchester supported by the Governor’s Office, the New York State Legislature, and the
New York State Council on the Arts.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / PARA PUBLICACIÓN INMEDIATA
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Fall Session: 10/5, 10/19, 11/9, 11/23 | 2-4PM at Greenburgh Public Library
Andean Philosophy and Kichwa Poetry Workshops
Led by Yachachik (teacher) Fabián Muenala, this course opens a vibrant space to immerse
yourself in the Kichwa language through its history, ancestral wisdom, and talking circles.
Kichwa culture will be our guide to awaken consciousness and strengthen community spirit. All
levels of Kichwa are welcome! Here you will learn not only a language, but also a way of seeing
and experiencing the world. Note: Instruction in Spanish.
Spring Session: 1/18, 2/8, 2/22, 3/22 | 1-4PM at Ossining Public Library
Weaving the Future: Community Workshop on Kichwa Textile Traditions
In the Andes, textile traditions are an invaluable repository of knowledge, philosophy, and
ancestral guidance transmitted from generation to generation. Locally, cultural bearers of the
Kichwa Ecuadorian migrant community maintain the legacy of hand-spinning, natural dyeing,
and weaving. Join us for an interactive traditional arts workshop facilitated by local Ecuadorian
artisans and knowledge keepers. We will explore textile traditions as pillars of Andean
spirituality, wellbeing, and intergenerational healing.
Indigenous Futures Festival: April 11th OR April 18th (11AM-4PM) at Venue TBD
Westchester is home to a growing Ecuadorian Indigenous community that is re-indigenizing the
local landscape. Join us for a showcase of Kichwa history, culture, and artistic expression as we
celebrate the conclusion of two seasons of community arts workshops. This event will reflect on
the Native history and future of Westchester County and the importance of Indigenous solidarity.
