October 31, 2023
Dr. Ruben Arellanos
Day of the Dead
Dr. Ruben Arellano will focus on the origins of the Day of the Dead and explore the cultural phenomenon that it has become. He will briefly describe its deep indigenous origins, process of Christianization, cultural evolution, and its growth in popularity in recent years.
Dr. Arellano is an artist and scholar who has dedicated his life to advancing indigenous knowledge and to being actively involved in the Mexican American community of Dallas. He is a founding member of Kalpulli Tonalpilli (“People of the Sun” – an indigenous spiritual and cultural community) and serves on the Repatriation Committee for the Indigenous Cultures Institute of San Marcos, Texas. He is currently vice president of the Dallas Mexican American Historical League and is a founding member of The Mexican American Museum of Texas. He holds a Ph.D. in history from Southern Methodist University and is a faculty member at Dallas College–Mountain View. His academic scholarship examines the history of Mexican Americans in Dallas and explores the indigenous landscape of the Chicano community.