‘Indigenous People Are Not A Monolith’: Social Worker Lucia Salas Uses TikTok To Stay Connected To Her Mexican Heritage

Lucia Salas, 33, is a social worker who was born and raised in Houston, Texas, US, to a proud indigenous Ñuu Savi (Mixtec) Mexican working-class family.

Ñuu Savi translates to ‘people of the rain’ and is a phrase used to describe the people and region of the same name in Mexico.

The Mixtec culture dates back to pre-Hispanic times in 1100BC, during the Mesoamerican Middle Preclassic period.

There are around 726, 601 Mixtecs living in Mexico today according to the latest research from the government of Mexico. A large-scale migration from Mexico in the 1990s to California and New York has meant that many live in diaspora.

Lucia’s family included.

Her grandmother’s relatives live in New York City, in an area called Puebla York.

Living in the diaspora, she has often struggled to stay attached to her heritage but there are many ways that have helped including using her platform (@Life Skills By Lucia) on TikTok.

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“I love how resilient my community and people are. We value nature and understand we are connected through the environment,” Lucia said.

“Living in the United States forces many indigenous people to assimilate into the dominant Western subculture.

“If they don’t have close connections to their elders, it’s hard to be attached to your indigenous culture.

“I was lucky my family always encouraged us to explore our history by reading Mexican history books and to question the Texas education system.

“I wish people would understand indigenous people are not a monolith, we still exist in your communities but often face many barriers rooted in anti-indigenous beliefs.

“Living in the digital age, I have connected with many indigenous people from Latin America through TikTok, and I have also volunteered with the American Indian Center of Houston to connect with other Native American Houstonians.

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“I have made it my mission to stay connected to my culture, as my elders would want me to continue passing down my knowledge and traditions.

“My childhood and passion for service to humanity led me to choose a career in social work.

“I’m a Licensed Master Social Worker/Mental Health Therapist and content creator on TikTok.

“I [also] create a resource and education card on my website, completely free and available to others.”

Lucia has faced many barriers and challenges throughout her childhood but her connection with nature has helped her through it.

“I grew up in Texas in a working-class family, and my childhood was difficult at times, often hearing so much anti-indigenous sentiment from others,” Lucia said.

“From colorist jokes from many Latine community members and the dehumanisation of indigenous people.

“I was lucky to have grown up close to my elders (mi Abuelita), who taught us the value of nature and the environment.

“One of my Abuelita said, ‘Green is life’, or in Spanish, ‘Lo Verde es Vida’.”

A major holiday for Mixtecs is Dia De Los Muertos, which translates to ‘Day of the Dead’. The event is traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2 every year.

It is a day for communities to honour friends and members of family who have died and falls on the Christian period of Allhallowtide.

The celebration is also a way for indigenous communities to remember their forebears of Mexican culture.

Traditions linked with the holiday include honouring those who have died by building home altars called ofrendas using calaveras (‘skull’) and marigold flowers known as cempazuchitl and displaying the favourite food and drink of the departed. They also visit graves with these items as gifts for the deceased.

The event is not only centred around the dead, as it is also common to give gifts to friends such as candy sugar skulls, share traditional pan de muerto, a sweet bread, with family and friends, and to write spirited and often teasing verses in the form of epitaphs dedicated to living friends and acquaintances. This is a literary form known as calaveras literarias.

There are many traditions that Lucia has been brought up to love and appreciate, from food and fashion to music and dance.

“Guajes, pan de muerto, and Mole Pueblano were food staples of our family traditions,” she said.

“Cumbia music is very popular in my community and used in my celebrations including weddings and Bautismos.

“In terms of fashion, vibrant colors are celebrated and the art of braiding your hair is an important tradition in our community.

“Mixtec is widely spoken in our communities; however, I am trying to reconnect more with my language by learning directly from those elders in the community who still have a strong connection with our native language.

“As a plant mum, I still have a close connection to the environment. I enjoy going to parks with my dog and am grateful for being able to breathe clean air.

“Dia De Los Muertos is a huge holiday in our culture. I set my altar to honour my relatives and raise awareness of its history.”

Lucia’s family have always challenged the education system in Texas to make sure their indigenous history is not erased and her mum brought her up to take pride in her heritage.

“I’m very proud of my family, even through standardised education in Texas and deep indoctrination of the erasure of Indigenous history,” she said.

“My mum was always a very vocal and unapologetically indigenous woman and taught us the importance of embracing your heritage.

“Growing up, my family bonded over Mexican history, and reading books was a normal occurrence.

“My youngest sister Lilian has even been published while in college at Cal State Los Angeles for literary work of indigenous storytelling.

“My mother always taught us to be proud of our indigenous culture, and we never grew up with ideologies such as colorism, racism, anti-LGBTQ+ beliefs, or oppression against others.

“Understanding the history of colonisation and imperialism helped me stay connected to my indigenous roots.

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“Many indigenous nations in Latin America survive by integrated practices such as Catholicism and learning Spanish.

“Historians believe the Ñuu Savi People or Mixtec People are in Oaxaca, Puebla, and Guerrero, Mexico, where many pueblos are known by names that describe our history.

“My mother would always tell us our small town was secluded to protect our community from strangers.”

The Ñuu Savi developed their own writing system which is a valuable source to learn all about the pre-Hispanic culture of the Oaxacan region.

Before the Spanish conquered the region, the Ñuu Savi royals created pictorial manuscripts which recorded the history of their dynasties and kingdoms.

However, many of their relics were destroyed after the Spanish colonised the region in 1522.

In a world that tries to erase the identities and histories of indigenous communities, stories such as Lucia’s are a crucial piece of the puzzle.