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America is a melting pot of culture, and as time goes by the mix of customs and traditions becomes more diverse - and controversial.

The Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos is one of those traditions that’s now widely celebrated in the states, but it can push the envelope of cultural appropriation if not done in a respectful way.

So how do you do that? Well, in this LoCO Video Report we take you to Redwood Coast Montessori’s new high school in Arcata where they’re teaching more about Day of the Dead than sugar skulls and dancing skeletons; they teach its spiritual and cultural significance.

The students had a meaningful past few weeks learning about the holiday and expanding their Spanish vocabulary, all while gathering and creating items to assemble a traditional ofrenda, which is an altar with a collection of offerings for loved ones who have passed.

Spanish teacher Marcia Bilderback says the emphasis was “to help the students understand it’s more than speaking a language; it’s understanding the experience of the people whose language we’re learning.”