Kurhikueri K’uinchekua (P'urhepecha Fuego Nuevo)

Name: Kurhikueri K’uinchekua (P'urhepecha Fuego Nuevo)
Start: 2026-02-01T13:00:00-06:00
End: 2026-02-01T15:00:00-06:00
Location: 788 E 7th Street, Saint Paul, MN, United States, Minnesota 55106

Schedule

Sun Feb 01 2026 at 01:00 pm to 03:00 pm

UTC-06:00

Location

788 E 7th Street, Saint Paul, MN, United States, Minnesota 55106 | St Paul, MN

Background Information on the Kurhikueri K’uinchekua
The Kurhikueri K’uinchekua has roots in a pre-Hispanic ritual, which employed fire to honorCuricaveri, the P’urhepecha principal male deity who represents the sun. The Spanish Crown forbid the ritual in 1530 after the assassination of Tangaxoan II by conquistador Nuño de Guzman. Organizers recuperated the festivity in 1983 by turning to the Tata K’eriecha [Council of Elders] for wisdom and advice about how to curate the festivity in order to bring it back.
Today, the festivity’s purpose is to replenish and strengthen the P’urhepecha people by promoting the four principles upon which, according to oral traditions passed down by the Tata K’eriecha, P’urhepecha life and culture are based upon. These include; Juchari Anchekuarhikua [our work], Juchari Kaxumbekua [our communal honor], Juchari Jakjkukua [our cosmovision],
and Juchari [our warrior spirit]. The observation of the Kurhikueri K’uinchekua takes place on the eve of the first of February. The pre-colonial P’urhepecha count and oral tradition dictates that the change of the agricultural cycle for P’urhepecha people begins when Araro Joskuecha [the Orion star constellation] completes half of its journey. This is known to
happen around midnight and so the new fire is lit right before midnight every February first.
The ceremony provides ample space and opportunity for reflection about what it means to be P’urhepecha, about the needs of our Indigenous nation, and about one’s intention for family/work/community in the upcoming year. Hosting communities incorporate other ceremonies along with the procession besides the lighting of the new fire itself. Holding a
jurhinhekua [sweatlodge] for the T’erunchitiecha (host community members), for the members of the Advisory Council of Former Hosts of the New Fire, and for the Tata K’eriecha is common
at the Kurhikueri K’uinchekua. Ceremonies to acknowledge the gifts of creation and Nana Kuerajperi [Mother Earth] are also incorporated into the Kurhikueri K’uinchekua. These
ceremonies are meant to express gratitude for the previous agricultural year’s harvest and can include the blessing of the new seeds of beans, corn, squash, and chile for the new year’s harvest. It is a time of reflection and prayer and an opportunity to pray for the replenishment of the earth, the sun, the moon, using the elements, and to set intentions for the self, the family, the community and the P’urhepecha people.
Intentions and Vision for Community Event:
For this event, Dr. Gabriela Spears-Rico, a cultural anthropologist and poet who is P’urhepecha and Pirinda from Michoacan, would want to hold a community event in early February to observe the Kurhikueri K’uinchekua. During the event, Dr. Spears-Rico would give a presentation on the history and ceremonial aspects of the Kurhikueri K’uinchekua. She would invite a P’urhepecha member of the Concilio de ExCargueros de la Festividad [Advisory Council of Former Sponsors of the New Fire] to join the presentation over Zoom or in person. This would be either Tata Pedro Victoriano Cruz from the community of San Lorenzo or Nana Claudia Pureco from the community of Santa Clara del Cobre. The symbolic lighting of the fire with medicines traditionally used by P’urhepecha people would happen with event attendants.
Prayer and intentions would be set for the new year. This would be followed by a community feast and cultural presentations by members of the Michoacan diaspora living in the Twin Cities and in greater Minnesota. Dr. Spears-Rico would invite community members from Tarimbaro, Michoacan who live in Northfield and are cultural carriers of the traditional P’urhepecha and Pirinda dances, la Danza de los Viejitos and la Danza del Torito de Petate, for a rare showcase of Indigenous Michoacan culture in Minnesota.