Film screening of 'Mom' brings Indigenous voices to campus on Oct. 13
The award-winning film Mamá (Mom) by Maya-Tsotsil filmmaker Xun Sero begins as a son’s search to understand his mother, and unfolds into an intimate dialogue and look into the challenges and violence she and other women face through the lens of daily life.
On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Monday, Oct. 13, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Norlin Library, N345, the University Libraries will host Sero for Mamá: A Mother and Son Tsotsil Journey—Film Moments & Conversation With the Director, a screening and conversation that highlights not only the film’s themes but also the Libraries’ growing commitment to showcasing Indigenous voices and stories in collections.
In addition to Sero, panelists will include Assistant Professor of Spanish and Portuguese John Kennedy, Professor of Women and Gender Studies Leila Gomez and Libraries Events Coordinator and Mexican American/Mescalero Apache member Sarah Lizarraga who will invite the audience to engage in this conversation. This film is available for streaming for the month of October. Watch online.
This event is open to students, staff, faculty and community members. Refreshments will be served.
Expanding the Indigenous collection on campus
Since Romance Languages Librarian Kathia Ibacache started working at the University Libraries in 2018, she has grown the Libraries’ collection to include hundreds of items by/with Indigenous peoples from different regions in the Americas, from Chile to Mexico. This collective effort supports scholarship and research for programs like the Quechua Language Program. Thanks to a President's Fund for the Humanities grant awarded in 2024, Ibacache has added approximately 10 more films, including Mom.
Ibacache, together with Professor Leila Gómez and Assistant Professor of Spanish at Farmingdale State College Javier Muñoz-Díaz, have co-authored a book on how faculty and librarians can collaborate to develop inclusive library collections and curricula, entitled Indigenous Materials in Libraries and the Curriculum Latin American and Latinx Sources.
The book, said Ibacache, “emphasizes the value of multilingual materials in collections, especially those with English translations that may open a window for students to learn about the literary traditions, cultures and expressions connected to the creative output of Indigenous authors and those who offer works addressing Indigenous agency.”
Indigenous materials can be incorporated into various disciplines, especially those that consider language, culture, perspectives, expression and agency.
Faculty interested in incorporating these materials into their coursework can contact Kathia Ibacache.