Live Blog Post 1 - Karen Velderrain-Lopez

During the unconference, the two speakers Rosana and Ofelia were going through the altars and at the end of presenting them and talking about them, the speakers mentioned that the presence of an altar is the presence of a sacred space and that it is important to acknowledge that. They also mentioned that an altar and an ofrenda is not a decoration, but a form of healing. It really resonated with me to hear them say that because cultures have so often been appropriated without understanding the roots or the intention behind certain practices and traditions. The altar is a sacred tradition, as lively as it seems, the altar is a serious thing meant to be a space of spiritual healing, remembrance, and empowerment.