Xóchitl Flores-Marcial explains that Día de los Muertos is an Indigenous tradition, not a Chicano invention, tracing its roots to Nahuatl and Zapotec communities. She notes that colonial violence suppressed these practices, but their origins remain clear in historical documents. In El Árbol de la Muerte, European symbols like devils appear, contrasting with Indigenous art’s typical focus on birds, fish, flowers, and corn. The piece tells a painful, modern story, unlike traditional Indigenous celebrations that honor life through community and nature.