Juanita was a guest speaker at college

Our staff member participated in a talk about indigenous women.

Juanita was a guest speaker at college. She was invited to talk about being a Indigenous woman in our society. We are so proud of Juanita. She has evolved in many ways. She is a fighter, and a leader. Juanita reminds us of Bartolina Sisa.

Bartolina Sisa was betrayed. She was handed over to the authorities in the city of La Paz, Bolivia, and imprisoned. In 1781, she was one of the leaders of the Aymara rebellion. Bartolina was an Indigenous woman who led her people in the fight for independence from the Spanish Crown. She was a warrior. She was angry about how the conquerors were treating her people.

After one year in prison, she was sentenced to death and publicly humiliated in front of the entire city—to discourage others from following her example or embracing her ideals.

Many years later, we observe the International Day of Indigenous Women because of Bartolina. Today, many women are not only following Bartolina’s lead and ideals, but also honoring her life and legacy—because more than 200 years later, Indigenous women are still being marginalized in our society. We betray them every time we show no interest in their rights. They are still fighting for freedom—whether that means choosing to start a family, getting married, or attending school. They are still fighting for their land, which outsiders take from them, only to treat them as cheap labor—if they’re lucky. They are still fighting for the right to choose their leaders, or even to have a say in who governs them.

It’s no different here in Maneadero. The mothers of our students face these, and many more challenges—simply because they are women, and because they are Indigenous. They are our Bartolinas, fighting against the odds, against the system, and against the people who try to silence them. They live in a state of vulnerability every single day.

Yet still, they rise—just like Bartolina.

Today, we want to honor our Indigenous mothers and friends. There is no way to put into words how deeply their resilience inspires us. How can we surrender, when they haven’t?

I am sure they will continue to fight until the very end.

And their legacy will live on—just like Bartolina’s. Just like Juanita.