Heritage

"I don't sketch my butterflies anymore because I don't even like seeing the sun. Besides, manman says that butterflies can bring news. The bright ones bring happy news and the black ones warn us of deaths. We have our whole lives ahead of us. You used to say that, remember? But then again things were so very different then."

"Today I said thank you. I said thank you, papa, because you saved my life. He groaned and just touched my shoulder, moving his hand quickly away like a butterfly. And then there it was, the black butterfly floating around us. I began to run and run so it wouldn't land on me, but it had already carried its news. I know what must have happened."

-Edwidge Danticat, Krik? Krak!

"The brown of frijoles was our favorite color as steam wavered in our faces. Grandfather, who came home for lunch, left his shoes near the door, smothered his beans with a river of chile and scooped them with big rips of tortilla... Grandfather, patting his stomach, smiled at me and turned on the radio to the Spanish station."

- Gary Soto, A Summer Life

Directions

1 Soak pinto beans overnight in 1 quart of water.
2 Place beans into a large saucepan, and add water to cover. Add onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium-low heat until beans are tender, about 1 to 2 hours. Add additional water to the pan as needed to prevent burning.
3 Mash the beans with a potato masher, and mix in the butter. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and the butter is absorbed. Adjust seasonings to taste.
4 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread the bean mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish, and sprinkle shredded cheese over the top. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

"Look out there, Cassie girl. All that belongs to you. You ain't never had to live on nobody's place but your own and long as I live and the family survives, you'll never have to. That's important. You may not understand that now, but one day you will. Then you'll see."

-Mildred D. Taylor, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

"The white missionaries have always tried to suppress the ceremony, saying it was Indian hocus-pocus and that the yuwipi men simply were mountebanks after the manner of circus magicians. They tried to "expose" our medicine men, but the attempt backfired..."

"The weather was fine throughout, with the sun shining all the time. We had a great many dancers...About a dozen dancers got into the power and received visions. One young Navajo with a red blanket wrapped around him suddenly began to dance with the movements of a bird. It seemed almost as if an eagle had taken possession of his body. The best thing that happened was the appearance of a flight of eagles toward the end of the dance. Nobody had ever seen so many of these sacred birds together at one time."
- Mary Crow Dog, Lakota Woman