The connection between Aztec dancing and the environment might not be immediately apparent, but Lizbeth “Xochipapalo” Amador will tell you why they’re linked. Liz is a longtime member of San Jose Aztec dance group Calpulli Tonalehqueh and is also a 2021 graduate of the Green Foothills Leadership Program.

She explains that nature and Aztec culture are closely interwoven. “Eleven years ago when I got into Aztec dancing,” she said, “I realized the importance that we see in nature and how important it was to our ancestors, and that we have to carry on this legacy for our children. Aztec dancing brings home the importance of why we need to protect what we call Mother Earth. In our cosmovision, everything comes from the four elements of fire, water, wind, and earth. If anything happens to Earth, we know it will eventually affect us. The trees are our ancestors, the butterflies are our guardians, the hummingbirds are the spirits of those who passed on, the hawks and the falcons bring strength… even the wind when you go on a hike brings healing.”

Liz approached the Green Foothills Leadership Program in a spirit of curiosity. She was impressed by the amount of land Green Foothills had protected and wanted to learn how that was done, and find a way to apply it in her own life and within her own circle. “I went in not knowing what to expect,” she said. “I went in without high expectations and I was super surprised [by how helpful it was]…The most helpful thing I learned was not to feel afraid. There are others that are out there fighting for the same things you are, advocating for the same things. You’re not alone… I realized there are more people like me who want to do things for the environment… It was like I had found another family outside of my dance group. And as the program goes on you make connections with other people and you can look up to some of them as mentors.”

“The [training in] project planning was very helpful,” she added. “Identifying something you want to work on, the brainstorming part of it. I’ve used it for a lot of little campaigns I’ve started in my dance group, not just environmental campaigns… We want to be protectors of the earth. We’ve done projects to learn about urban farming, native plants… because of what I learned in the Leadership Program I have been successful in initializing projects and I was able to get people to participate in small campaigns, five people, 10 people at a time. Had it not been for the program, I sometimes wouldn’t know where to begin.”

Because of Liz’s advocacy, Calpulli Tonalehqueh has started doing outdoor activities in addition to dancing. “We did a few hikes, we volunteered at the native plant garden at Cunningham Park, we did some volunteering with the Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County. We also did a project around white sage, encouraging the Indigenous community not to purchase white sage [for environmental reasons]. It has changed my responsibilities within the dance group, and it has helped the members come closer together. …We talk about environmental issues. For example, at Lake Cunningham we talked about Reid-Hillview Airport, Lake Cunningham’s water quality issues, and the redevelopment of the former Pleasant Hills Golf Course,” which are three local environmental issues that Green Foothills is working on.

As part of her newfound approach to environmental advocacy, she has stayed involved with Green Foothills, serving on the Advisory Board. She has joined some of the Healing in Nature hikes, invited Green Foothills staff to the Mexica New Year celebration in San Jose, and shares about Green Foothills on social media. “I’ve noticed if people see someone they trust doing something, they’ll try it, so I like and share Green Foothills’ information on Facebook and I try to bring my friends along to Green Foothills events,” she said. “Right now I feel like the most important thing I can do is bring awareness to my community of what Green Foothills does, and help them start becoming aware of environmental issues. I want to bring more people in to do the things that I do.” After she invited them, some members of Calpulli Tonalehqueh have even joined the Leadership Program themselves.

“Anyone who has the opportunity to participate in the Leadership Program should do it,” she said. “It’s a very important tool, you get to meet amazing people, and you can count on them….I’m so excited about the program and everything that they do, I want to tell everybody. I want everybody to join and learn what I’ve learned and how they can make a difference.”