ZUNI, NM — The Zuni Youth Enrichment Project announced today that preparations are under way for the 7th Annual Delapna:we Project. Made possible with support from the New Mexico Humanities Council, U.S. Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), New Mexico Behavioral Health Services Division and First Nations Development Institute, this innovative project brings the Zuni people’s traditional oral stories to life through the performing arts.
The Delapna:we Project began as a collaboration between the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project, A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center, Edaakie Arts, ShiwiSun Productions, Zuni Public Library, KSHI Radio and other Zuni community members; collectively, they are known as Ho’n A:wan Productions, and their rich partnership continues today. This fall, the partners have held four leadership meetings to reflect on previous seasons, discuss highlights and favorite memories, and plan for the new season.
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This year’s featured story is “Rabbit Prays for Snow,” which previously was showcased in February 2020. Live stage performances are scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14 and 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 16.
“We’re looking forward to exploring the themes of weather patterns and climate change, the importance of language and cultural preservation, the empowerment of our elders and the resilience of Zuni people,” said Kiara “Kiki” Zunie, ZYEP’s youth development coordinator. “We also intend to share more cultural knowledge about rabbits — how they had been a clan and how they were used for meals, clothing and fetish carvings.”
Zuni community members of all ages are invited to Ho’n A:wan Park on Wednesday, Jan. 8 to audition for roles in this year’s production. The next week, all participants and their families will come together for the eagerly anticipated Delapna:we Family Night on Wednesday, Jan. 15.
“The leadership team will provide historical context on Delapna:we,” Zunie explained. “We’ll also catch a glimpse of what the season will hold through storytelling activities. We’re looking forward to getting our families involved so they also can learn more about the tradition of Zuni storytelling and share in the fun.”
While the live showcase events are the highlights of the season, ZYEP Executive Director Tahlia Natachu-Eriacho said project leaders are exploring the possibility of reading the full script over the radio during the winter storytelling season.
“Many people who couldn’t attend the live performances a couple of years ago found out about us on the radio,” she said. “We’re hoping we also can feature past productions through a weekly on-air Delapna:we Night during the months of January and February.”
Stories like “Rabbit Prays for Snow” are priceless treasures for the Zuni people. After being shared and passed down for generations, they were in danger of being lost forever by the mid-20th century. Fortunately, the Doris Duke Foundation in New York provided necessary funding in the 1960s so the Zuni community could record 19 elders sharing more than 800 stories.
Afterward, the recordings were housed at the Library of Congress. With support from Washington, D.C., Zuni leaders brought them back to Zuni Pueblo.
Cultural educator Curtis Quam, who is curator of the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center in Zuni, digitized nearly 400 hours of those archived stories. He approached ZYEP in 2018 to see if there might be a way to bring the stories to life through the performing arts, which would bridge the learning gap between the elders from 60 years ago and today’s Zuni youth.
This is critical for Zuni language as well as culture. When participants engage in the Delapna:we Project’s theater workshops and rehearsals, they are learning about more than stagecraft; they also are learning about the cultural context around the stories, they are hearing the voices of the elders and they are learning and practicing the Zuni language in a safe, positive and encouraging space.
Post-Delapna:we Project surveys have revealed that approximately 75 percent of parents and guardians reported that their children spoke more Zuni at home during the project, and 90 percent of the youth said they believe speaking Zuni is important. All of them, 100 percent of respondents, said traditional Zuni stories are important to them.
More information about this year’s Delapna:we Project will be available in the days and weeks to come. ZYEP will share flyers and news bulletins as more details are available, and supporters also are encouraged to follow the youth project on social media for the latest updates.
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