Hummingbird Love Songs for Consuelo Aguilar
By Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez SPECIAL LENGTH COLUMN: A condensed version of this column appears in Wednesday’s Feb 25, 2009 Tucson Citizen at: Condensed Version
tonochtin tikmati panin toyolo
mas tikazokamatilia noche nin otechitite, uan okipehualtite panin ojtli. nochipa tikilnamikizke
uan tikuikaske panin toyolo,
sihuatl kiyin aijk mikiz
nochipa tuhuan yez.” “Una gran perdida es lo que sentimos todos en el corazon, pero todos agradecemos lo que nos enseño y lo que nos dejo iniciado en este camino. Siempre lo recordaremos y lo llevaremos en nuestros corazones. Una mujer asi nunca muere, siempre estara con nosotros.” “A great loss is what we feel in our hearts, but we all appreciate what she taught us and what she initiated for us on this journey. We will always remember that and will remember it in our hearts. A woman like her never dies. She will always be with us.” Her friend Joel Garcia simply describes her as his “beloved friend Consi - a strong xicana who is now a hummingbird.” These are thoughts from other friends. Andrea Romero, one of her U of A professors wrote: Consuelo Aguilar !presente! Consuelo’s spirit and passion for educating Chicano students will continue to inspire me as a Chicana professor in Mexican American Studies. I had such respect for her intelligence and passionate commitment to her community that when I felt that I did not meet her expectations I tried to work harder to gain her respect. It has been a blessing to know her and witness her contributions of her life to our community. “Like the ripples that come from a stone thrown in the water, her impact will continue to spread beyond the limitations of the physical time she spent with us. Maria Molina Vai Sevoi of the Tucson Calpulli Teoxicalli Indigenous group also sent me these words: Overwhelmed with the tremendous experience of the birth of their baby girl, what more suitable and prophetic a name could Artemisia and Mario have chosen than Consuelo. Thank you to the Aguilar family for sharing your precious gift. Thank you, Consuelo, for giving us comfort in the knowledge that… Our seeds are strong enough to push through the weeds, find a ray of sunlight, and blossom into beautiful flowers. Families still have loving mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters, ready to fight until the end for the well-being of their children, and other people’s children. As friends, our secrets can be safe, and friendships can exist without judgments. Our daughters can be secure enough to establish their identities and nourish their unique styles with confidence. Our daughters can be brave enough to take on the world with such grace and ease as to dance and sing their way through. Our daughters can be powerful enough to influence their surroundings in such a beautiful way, leaving in those who witnessed her life a passion in their hearts and twinkles in their eyes. Our daughters can become successful and remain driven by the fire of their innocence, and the morals and values gifted them by their parents. There are people willing to dedicate themselves to creating tools and opportunities for youth and community to assist those in the struggle for justice and equality. There is hope for human kind. Thank you, Consuelo, for reminding us that self-fulfillment can only be achieved when we remember that “self” includes all those we are capable of reaching. Thank you for your generous contribution to ours and future generations. Keep walking in beauty. See you with the sunrise. Tochtli wrote: There are two different types of people in this world. There are those who are passive and then there are those who are active. Without a doubt, Consuelo was a very active person. She was always doing something. Whether she was working on a project, organizing an event or just simply helping somebody out. What ever it was, Consuelo would never do it for herself and much less for any selfish reason. I know that as she watches me type this, her humble self would not take credit for any of her work. But the truth is that without all of her effort, passion and dedication, a lot of all the wonderful things that we are proud of here in Tucson Arizona would not have happened with out her. She will be greatly missed even by those who did not know her... Darlane Santa Cruz adds: “Consuelo was very passionate about bringing in just and equitable teachings into the community that she decided to work with Raza Studies before going into law school. Consuelo always hoped that one day our movement veteranos could leave ego's aside and continue working together to accomplish the vision of self-determination and liberation of all oppressed people. I never imagined my life without her and it is very difficult to think that I will not have her as a guide that I can call up on at any moment to help me sort out the bumps in the road. I only hope that she continues to guide me in that spirit world...” Augustine F. Romero, Ph.D., Director of Student Equity at Tucson Unified had this to say: “In many ways Consuelo was the light the stoked our fires of justice and humanity. She was the voice that helped us push the envelope to the edge. She was the one with the questions that help us search for and find new answers. She was helped us develop the courage to ask ourselves how we can be better, how can we better serve our students, our parents, and our community. Consuelo is our reminder, our reminder to love who we are, love our community, to love the evolution inherent within our struggle, and to love the time we share in this service of others; for this is the work that creates meaning, this the work that creates life not only within those that we serve, but within ourselves. Que viva Consuelo! With Love, Augustine.” Human rights attorney, Isabel Garcia, wrote this: I have to say that at such a young age, she was truly an inspiration to everyone around, especially her parents. Through her illness I witnessed her strength and courage, words that really seem over-used and inadequate to describe her. Realmente fue un gran modelo para todos, de como comportarse uno en la vida, with such dignity, grace, and compassion, not to mention her stunning beauty, the kind that emanates from within. Nos deja con un Consuelo, un ejemplo de una vida llena de amor y compasion para su projimo. I will always love her.” Finally, a poem by Mixelle Rascon: Tell me about the little stories in your hair,
the secrets woven in their once, and then again,
for no one to know. White hairs I bet.
Teach me about being brief and direct but never simplistic.
Take my hand and take me to that place,
the one of romantic serenatas, ceremony, accessories, and meticulousness. Explain to me your sweet exquisite scent,
your delicateness yet natural antagonism. I forgot to ask what you thought about lace… Or simply the secret to wearing heels while carrying maiz in your veins. Ambiguous maybe,
Xikanisma was your specialty. Where there many lovers we didn't discuss?
You were a colorful woman,
moving to your inner hip-hop beats. Tell me, how should I miss you? Your strength,
rebellion,
diligence,
a character as precious as el Popul Vuh. No Xikana complex here
Only the real thing.
I will see you again.
Do not take the fruit of the warrior woman under your wing without leaving us the seed. Thank you, Consuelo,
For shooting arrows of dignity that moved humanity. Oh my struggling feather,
For you there is no heaven…
Rest at ease in the melancholic gardens where all revolutionary ones go, whisper tunes of sovereignty. Once we awaken the new people's sun, my sister, we will dance again, for all of eternity.” By the way, I did give her the recommendation. No doubt, she is nowadays somewhere organizing the hummingbirds in our midst.
Last updated on February 26, 2009