Coahuiltecan Indian Blessing of Dia de los Muertos Altars, Mission San Jose, San Antonio TX

Franciscan Friar and Coahuiltecan Indians at San Jose Mission, San Antonio

October 17, 2015 was the Inscription Ceremony of the San Antonio Missions as a Unesco World Heritage Site; this photo was taken during the celebration.  The Coahuiltecan Indians above are descendants of the inhabitants of the four Franciscan Missions that were established in San Antonio during colonial times.  The Franciscan friar shown above is the spiritual descendant of the Friars who built these missions.

In one of Mission San Jose's  buildings, the Coahuiltecans had built Mexican-style Dia de los Muertos Altars to commemorate their ancestors and performed the blessing rites of their people over these altars.  These short videos demonstrate the melding of Hispanic and indigenous elements that occurred throughout the Spanish colonies, as the two worlds struggled to accommodate each other.