Carrying the legacy of my ancestors

Sep 1

Written By Maze

Like many, I have complicated family lines

My maternal family line has always been fascinating to me. My Papa (my Mom’s dad) was 100% Portuguese, and although he was born in California not far from where I live today, he didn’t learn English until grade school. His parents immigrated to the US from the Island of Madeira off of Portugal, near the Canary Islands of Spain. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to visit Madeira myself a couple of years ago and place my feet back on the lands of my people. I know there is more for me to discover within that culture, within the language, within the Celtic roots of my Portuguese ancestors. That is there for me for me to explore when I am ready.

Even though my ancestry is comprised of predominantly European roots, I am part mexican, too

What has been even more mysterious and perplexing to me is my maternal lineage. My Nana (my mom’s mom) was born in New Mexico and moved to CA in her teens. She always claimed that we were French and Spanish, though her high cheekbones and dark skin indicated otherwise. I do not share or talk much about that part of myself because I do not have very much information. Through ancestry tracing and DNA tests my family has discovered that a significant portion of our ancestors are Indigenous to Mexico, too.

My ancestors resided in New Mexico since the 1600’s. My DNA tests say Northern Mexico as my indigenous place of origin, which makes sense as the border lines were blurry then. New Mexico wasn't even established until 1912, after my ancestors arrived. My french colonizer ancestor Jean l’Archiveque was a soldier and fought against the native people of the land when he came to the New World in the 1600’s. There is even written documentation of his explicit racist remarks towards the native peoples he fought against. Yet, when it came down to it, he ended up settling in what we know as New Mexico today. He built a life there, and had many children with different women.

I carry the contradiction of a mixed-race existence in my being

From Jean came my mixed-race ancestor, Augustin. Born out of wedlock, Augustin was conceived between Jean and an indigenous Mexican woman whose name might be Maria Luisa Baca. Even though Jean had several children, Augustin carried on the family name (l’Archiveque) and his estate, and from Augustin comes a long line of my relatives in NM. In fact, he is considered the progenitor of Santa Fe, NM area. However, I imagine there have been other ancestors from Mexico later on in my lineage because I am 1/16th indigenous Mexican.

I wish I knew more about my Indigenous side. Did my original indigenous ancestors, Augustin’s mother consent to procreating with Jean? What was the story there? I will never know the whole story most likely. I wish that colonization and white-body supremacy did not cut myself off from knowing more about the mysteries of my ancestor’s practices and rites of passages. And ultimately Jean, the father of Augustin was killed by the Sioux people. Seems like the natural order of things. He came to the land as a taker and he lost his life to fighting. And I know there is more nuance to everything. But that’s how I see it.

discovering similar therapeutic practices within my family line

I do not have specific knowledge that my people or ancestors did the type of rituals like Closing the Bones which also originates from Mexico. In conversations with my family members I discovered that my great-grandmother on my maternal (New Mexican) side used to wrap her female relatives in blankets while they were pregnant. Closing the Bones? Not exactly. But similarly therapeutic? I think so. It’s beautiful to see how what I am drawn to is already within my lineage.

Thanks for reading this story of my people. What contradictions exist in your family line? I would love to know.