New project highlights acequias' cultural significance in New Mexico

CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE. HERE’S CRISTIANA RAMOS. YOU CAN FIND THEM ALL OVER NEW MEXICO. JUST WATCH THE WATER HERE. THE WATER. RELAX THERE. SOUNDS THE WATER LOOKS BEAUTIFUL. AND SITES ENCHANTING TO ANYONE WHO’S SEEN ONE. TO ME, AS A CHILD, THAT ACEQUIA WAS JUST MAGICAL. POURING LIFE INTO THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT. IT’S BEEN USED HERE IN NEW MEXICO TO ESSENTIALLY RUN OFF OF THE RIVERS AND FEED THE CROPS, AND THEN IT RETURNS WATER TO THE RIVER SYSTEM AND ACEQUIA THE ACEQUIA IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF NEW MEXICO. WE’RE ABLE TO GROW FOOD 12 MONTHS A YEAR USING NOTHING BUT SOLAR ENERGY. IT’S A COMMUNITY OPERATED IRRIGATION DITCH OR CANAL USED TO WATER CROPS. THEY’VE BEEN IN NEW MEXICO FOR CENTURIES. IT’S IN LINE WITH THE CULTURAL NORMS AND PRACTICES AND TRADITIONS OF THE SOUTHWEST, BUT IN PARTICULAR THE CULTURAL TRADITIONS, PRACTICES OF BOTH INDIGENOUS CULTURES AND LATINO CULTURES AND HISPANIC CULTURES HERE IN THE AMERICAS. RIGHT. AND IN PARTICULAR TO NEW MEXICO. AND LIKE MANY NEW MEXICANS, LOCAL ARTIST REYES PADILLA WOULD WATCH THE ACEQUIA SNAKE THROUGH HIS GRANDFATHER’S YARD IN NAMBE. THE MORE I LEARNED THE THE MORE IMPORTANT THAT BECAME TO ME. EACH CURVE INSPIRING A PROJECT. DECADES LATER. AND FOR THE SILHOUETTE. I ACTUALLY USED MY GRANDPA STANDING OVER HIS ACEQUIA IN NAMBE. THE ACEQUIA REVITALIZATION PROJECT. PADILLA CAME UP WITH A MOSAIC DESIGN, AND WITH THE HELP OF APPRENTICESHIPS FOR LEADERS IN MOSAIC ARTS. WITHIN THIS MURAL, YOU’LL SEE IMAGES OF THE MAYORDOMO WHO’S THE DITCH BOSS AND THAT INDIVIDUAL REGULATES WHO’S GETTING THE WATER WHEN THEY’RE GETTING THE WATER. YOU’LL ALSO SEE IMAGES OF THE PIONEERS, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT THERE CLEANING THE DITCHES. THEY HANDCRAFTED HUNDREDS OF TILES. I MORE WANTED TO TELL A STORY. I WANTED TO SHARE ABOUT THE HISTORY AND JUST LIKE HISTORY, IT TOOK A VILLAGE WHERE WE HAD MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY COME AND PUT THEIR OWN FINGERPRINTS INTO THE MOSAIC, AND THEY SHARED THEIR WISHES FOR WATER IN THE FUTURE AND THEIR THOUGHTS ON WATER IN ACEQUIAS IN THE TILES TO KEEP THE MAGIC FLOWING. IT’S REALLY NICE TO SEE ALL THE WORK THAT WE PUT IN TO MAKING THE TILES. AND NOW FINALLY INSTALLING THEM, POURING LIFE BACK IN