MANKATO — For Echocce Mendoza, locally planting the marigolds that will be used in Mankato’s Day of the Dead celebrations is a long time coming.
“Just because, we are on stolen land, and we as human beings should remember to make that connection to Earth,” she said.
Mendoza was among community members to participate in a ceremony to bless the Earth before planting the flowers Saturday at the Living Earth Center.
The flowers, which are typically associated with the Day of the Dead, will be harvested later this year to be used in celebrations this fall.
Day of the Dead, or Dia De Los Muertos, honors lost loved ones and is typically celebrated at the beginning of November.
Those who celebrate put the marigolds on their altars for their loved ones; the aroma is said to draw them back to their families.
Saturday’s planting ceremony was based in Mesoamerican tradition, according to Day of the Dead Committee Founder and Organizer Justin Ek, and represents people throughout Mexico and their Indigenous routes.
Before the ceremony began, participants set an altar to represent the four directions and arranged it with flowers, food and other offerings.
This is the first year the marigolds are being planted in Mankato. The committee previously sourced them from the Twin Cities.
The opportunity came from a collaboration between the Day of the Dead Committee and the Living Earth Center, Ek said.
“They said we can try to grow them here, so they offered us space, and we’ve just kind of started to try to infuse some Indigenous roots with that,” he said.
Living Earth Center Finance Manager Melissa Martensen said the conversation stemmed from a discussion about a separate project.
She said it was an honor to be able to host the space.
“It’s beautiful for us as Minnesotans to be a part of this cultural ceremony and to be able to witness the generosity of another group sharing their culture with us,” she said.
Day of the Dead Volunteer Luis Orozco also feels it’s important that the flowers are planted locally.
“I was born and raised in Mexico, so when I was younger after school during Day of the Dead, we used to make altars for school, so that’s the way I connected with honoring our ancestors and kind of celebrating life when people pass on,” he said.
“Knowing that I came to Mankato and now we have this locally, to have them grown here for an event that means so much to the Hispanic community, I think it’s great.”
Ek said the ceremony is partly gratitude for the people involved.
“And then also, we’re asking the Earth for permission to grow,” he said.
“We do everything under the protection and guidance of the Earth, so we’re just asking (for) permission to have this harvest.”
The Living Earth Center will look after the marigolds until they’re ready to be harvested in October.