Merejildo_Ortiz_104
Merejildo Ortiz, is deeply knowledgeable about his people's, the Purepecha, history. He knows where the bodies of his people’s gods are buried from the time when they hid them from the Spanish. It is very important for him to keep that history alive. He would like to document traditions and language and to use that documentation to educate young people. Some of the young people from the community rebel against being Purepecha and they try to differentiate themselves by assimilating as fast as they can into American life. It is difficult to maintain them engaged with their past. He continues to make a super human effort to balance tradition and progress, both for himself and for his people.