Dear Taosenos,
Water is Life
Is it time that we respect our ancestors and those that are the original caregivers of these lands and Water…Taos Pueblo.... Hmmm, Taos Pueblo for some reason agreed to the recent Abeyta Settlement "plan". Is it time that we hear from Elders and children about our Water of Life, "progress" and deals being made on behalf of the next seven generations? Is it time for us all to be included in decisions about Water, and the perceived notion that Water can be owned and privatized, is contrary to Water being a birth-right we all share ~
for without water, there is no life.
This article may foretell what will happen here if we are not active participants in matters regarding land and water. Are the wells the El Prado Water Association wants to drill any different than the dams talked about in this article? Not really when you innerstand that with the drought, the aquifer is not recharging as it once did, and more wells further disrupt the natural water cycle. http://waterandpeace.wordpress.com/2014/06/04/jon-m-fox-hiak-vatwe-yaqui-river-rio-yaqui/ And why is the El Prado Water Association on the County water advisory board, when they are the ones who will profit from the privatization of water? This is not a conflict of interest for the EPWA financial pockets, however it is to the poor gentes that will be paying for the privatization, for generations to come.
Or maybe with wells that will run dry, we will have a mass exodus of people…and to keep the Town and Casino afloat, the new airport runway can be subsidized by the military's northern New Mexico training grounds, and the rich and famous visiting Taos Ski Valley… ? Ugh! What else is possible?
"Progress": We now have 30+K people who live in Taos Pueblo, the Town of Taos and County. We are no longer food and energy sovran. Without food, water and energy sovranty we are not free. Please read the prior sentence again. Some of our best agricultural lands lay fallow. Instead of leasing the lands ( for a nominal cost or barter trade ) to those that would care and grow food, horses, sheep or cattle, for the health of our community, these lands may loose their water rights ( under the use it or loose it water clause ) and be subject to higher taxes, or sold off to developers.
Why don't we have a moratorium on building until we are food, water and energy sovran again? Progress as usual is a capitalist idea that no longer serves the greater good of All People or Mother Earth….Those that have and continue to get rich off of selling water, development, gated communities, buying and selling real-estate, building more homes, business complexes, etc … could be solarizing wells and converting current homes and building greenhouses throughout the county… starting with those that are the least able to do so. Would that be too much generosity? have we forgotten that we are only as healthy as the least fortunate…and what it means for a village to raise a child?
If we are willing to go in debt to the County for a new Jail House, you'd think that food, water, energy and educational cultural sovranty would also be at the top of the list…
Is the village memory of being able to ride our horses and hitch them in town fading in the sunset of the metered rental spaces to park our cars? Is it fading with the Taos Ski Valley's fantasy to become a little Vail catering to the rich and this Vail Dream will somehow trickle down to the Town? Seriously, we have not seen great tourism sales in a long time. Is the cultura cura fading with progress and the government corprotocracy, treaties, laws and regs of the capitalist mentality that comes with it? Please innerstand this, treaties have been broken time and time again by the US government and it's corporations. And their agency laws and regulations are continually manipulated to serve profits over people … until the People rise again ~ and get the spirit like Mora has.
All this said… this is an opportunity for Taosenos to stand up in unity for our water of life and lifeways we love, or loose them. Or maybe the current sub-urbanite sprawl that is taking over the county will run dry, leaving only the few along the Rios to survive.
What else is possible?
Maybe it's time we ALL learn to Rain Dance.
Am seriously praying for a miracle here ~
That we re-member the sacred nature of water, and to Rain Dance again …
this just may bring UNITY, healing and a sense of cultural gratitude for everyone who has chosen Taos as their Home and community.
… thanks for listening.
Here is a compilation of recent articles of interest:
La Jicarita has some of the best writers regarding the Abeyta and Aamodt Settlements: http://lajicarita.wordpress.com/
Taos News My Turn, Taos contributors:
Taos County reshapes water advisory board
Who will and will not benefit from the airport
Our land is worth more than that
Loosing Ag status
LaLama water supply o thin Ice
Meanwhile frackers circle Chaco Canyon.
Is nothing sacred? have you ever heard of the mysterious sink holes?
Here take a look at this http://boingboing.net/2014/05/22/hellish-desert-crater-has-been.html
