Podcast with Mrs. Judith Gomez and Mr. Andres Martinez: Episode 4

Hi Everyone,

We hope you’ve been staying both dry and warm this winter!

If you’ve been enjoying our latest podcast series with Mr. Andres Martinez and Ms. Judith Gomez, then I know you’re looking forward to the culminating episode. Isn’t this the most interesting journey into a family’s indigenous roots through storytelling? In the final segment of our 4 part podcast series, we conclude our conversation with a dialogue on “other family traditions” such as the celebration of food and time, as well as the importance of language in indigenous culture. As most of you may already know, food and time play a significant role in Native American, Aztec, and Mexicatl cultures and are ingrained in almost all activities.

In this segment, Ms. Gomez shares how family gatherings around food and time spent together as a family were central parts of her daily upbringing. Time was especially sacred in her life and simple activities that were built on moments of health, happiness, and togetherness were binding forces within the family. On a similar note, Mr. Martinez discusses how language is so closely tied to a person’s identity and how cultural heritage can be lost over time with the discontinuation of language. This has been especially true for indigenous families in America, as the essence and significance of many traditions lose their context and meaning as generations adopt new languages or abandon their native ones. In conclusion, Mr. Martinez and Ms. Gomez both emphasize the importance of language, music, and art as natural means for maintaining cultural identity, a fact that is likely true for people of all heritages, not just those with indigenous backgrounds.

We really hope you’ve enjoyed this unique podcast series centered around the real-life experiences of an indigenous household. I have personally learned a lot from this podcast, and my conversations with Mr. Martinez and Ms. Gomez have helped me gain a better understanding of the beauty, intricacies, and complexities of indigenous identities in our society.

As for the upcoming podcast, I am in the process of securing our next dynamic guest, which I hope to announce shortly! I thank you all for your viewership, and I encourage you to check back in over the next two weeks for an update.

Stay tuned and I’ll be writing again very soon!

Gabby