May 19, 2019

Next month, my daughter and I are heading on a trip to spend time with family and visit heritage sites in Latvia, where my mother is from. The more I learn about my mother's culture, the more I feel something dislodge within me, that helps me understand who I am a bit more and the people and land that I come from. I hope with our trip, that we will be able to find out more about our lineage and the traditions of this family line.

My name, Maija, is the name of the Latvia Goddess of Hearth and Home. My aunt shares the same name. When I was younger, and those of you who knew me then can confirm this, I had no interest in anything hearth nor home. I was a bit of a transient with a cropped head of hair and having a family was the furthest from my mind.

Now, my name seems to be becoming my calling. That it is my obligation to maintain my family's cultural traditions, even as I found myself being raised in and living in the US, far from my ancestors. And, that it is my obligation to speak to the complexities of "blood memory" or our genetic inheritance of coming from a people who are both capable of causing harm and also of being harmed. So, I am sharing here with you, for anyone who is interested, a bit about my mother's people.

Latvians have consistently lived in the same territory for many millennia. The Latvians are an ancient Baltic people, who, along with their fellow Baltic nationalities, speak what are considered to be among the most archaic Indo-European languages (i.e. they are among the languages most similar to the original proto-Indo-European language, from which most of Europe's languages and many of India's languages are descended). Latvia has been occupied much of the last century, and had an especially difficult go during WWII, via both German and Russian occupations. This terrible time led my mother's family to flee to the US.

In 1990, Latvia restored its independence, and in 1991, during the Soviet coup, it reaffirmed this declaration.

By law there are two indigenous nationalities in Latvia. These are the Latvians, and a tiny ethnic minority, named the Livonians. The Livonians are a Finno-Ugric people, which means that they and their language are related to that of the Finns and Estonians.

The Latvian government established a special cultural region for them, in their historic home, in the northwest part of Latvia. This region is called "Livod Randa," or the "Livonian Coast [or Shore]" in Livonian.

Currently, the Livonians are still trying to establish certain systems, so that they might be able to save their language and culture. Their language is in dire need of revival.

*I am sharing some photos of Latvians doing their thing, from the website linked here. I hope I can learn more about the celebrations and traditions and hopefully, more detail about they symbolism of the dress and holidays that are still celebrated today.

**I am also linking to the Latvian Song and Dance Festival, an UNESCO Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity event that occurs every five years in Riga, Latvia, the next one taking place in 2023.

The songs, celebrating pride for Latvia – a country not only rich in heritage but with a troubled past where unity and freedom of expression has been broken many times over. Choir singing has always been seen as part of the National Awakening. Since 1873, the Celebrations were part of nonviolent resistance at all times.

Thank you for your interest as I learn more about my heritage. :)

https://www.indigenouspeople.net/latvia.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkp0H6QmfHs