Ruperta Bautista wins the 12th edition of the PLIA

Guadalajara, Jal. The Tzotzil writer Ruperta Bautista Vázquez (May 17, 1975, San Cristóbal de las Casas) won the 12th edition of the Prize for Indigenous Literature of the Americas (PLIA) with her collection of poems Presagio lóbrego, in which she gives voice to women from the communities of that entity in southeastern Mexico, who, upon dying – whether from old age or violence – gradually lose the customs, traditions and habits of the indigenous peoples.

“This collection of poems, Presagio lóbrego, is focused on death, of which there are two types: natural death and violent or provoked death, which happens daily in Chiapas,” said the winner, in a video link from San Cristóbal de las Casas to the press room of the University of Guadalajara, the institution that convened the PLIA, during the event in which it was announced that she won first place among the 17 women and 30 men participating in the literary contest, which comes with a prize of 300 thousand pesos.

The jury, whose representative Angélica Ortiz López (Wixárika from Jalisco) recalled that there were poetic works submitted from Peru, Guatemala, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, Bolivia and Mexico, also included the Mixtec Celedina Patricia Sánchez and the Argentine Mapuche Liliana Ancalao. The decision in favor of Ruperta Bautista was unanimous.

“Low Presage is a collection of poems based on Tzotzil thought. Each verse expresses the pain, the feeling of being orphaned, the despair, the despondency of seeing how the life of someone who says goodbye to this world disintegrates,” says part of the minutes.

The author dedicated it to mothers who, even before their time had come, had their “thread of life cut” and also “to all those women who left their legacy in different community events.”

“When we lose those who hold the wisdom and knowledge of our people, a little of us is lost, of each one of us who belong to the cultures of the indigenous peoples,” said Bautista, who stressed the importance of writing to preserve the memory of those beings who are gone but have a legacy that must be preserved.

“Being a woman and from an indigenous community in our country means being discriminated against. There is less openness to the possibility of expressing our activities, whether literary, scientific, or research. They are very limited. For a woman to be able to do this type of activity is a great effort,” added the anthropologist from the Autonomous University of Chiapas.

He said that it is now up to the authorities to provide support because those who write from indigenous communities are already making their contribution to preserving native cultures, particularly language and social memory.

“But above all, there is an urgent need for institutions to address other issues facing indigenous peoples (such as) education, to address the needs (but) based on our concepts. This would allow the possibility of finally having respect for our cultures to be built,” he said.

Among those present at the announcement of Ruperta Bautista’s victory were Alma Rosa Spíndola García, head of the General Directorate of the National Institute of Indigenous Languages, and the state government’s director of Indigenous Education, David Chino, and the director of Comprehensive Project Management of the Ministry of Culture, Mario Alberto Limón, in addition to university officials including the rector of the UdeG North campus, Uriel Nuño López.

The winner, who in 2002 received the Chiapas Pat O’tan Prize for Indigenous Poetry and in addition to being the author of five books is a translator, actress and theater director, will receive her award during the next edition of the Guadalajara International Book Fair, in early December.