Showing posts with label native culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label native culture. Show all posts
Monday, September 6, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Monday, November 16, 2009
Civil rights groups protest at Taos hotel
TAOS, N.M. (AP) - Members of several civil rights groups protested Saturday in front of a Taos hotel where Hispanic employees have clashed with the new owner.
Whitten Inn owner Larry Whitten forbade employees to speak Spanish and ordered some to Anglicize their Hispanic names when he started making changes at the hotel in July.
Taos officials and organizers say the number of protesters ranged from 60 to 75.
Shirley Reyes is a Taos chapter president for the League of United Latin American Citizens whose son was fired by Whitten.
She says the protesters called for a national boycott of Whitten's hotels.
Taos public relations director Cathy Connelly says the protest was peaceful.
Whitten did not immediately return a phone message left with a hotel employee.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
KOB.com - Civil rights groups protest at Taos hotel
Who are these people? Some implants from the midwest or east coast?
Now, I can understand why you wouldn't want employees speaking in Spanish in front of guests. For some reason people feel uncomfortable when a language other than the one they speak is being spoken in front of them and they don't know what is being said.
However, this is New Mexico and anywhere you go in NM you are likely to be subjected to people who are speaking in Spanish rather than English. This doesn't mean they are illegals, many people in NM speak Spanish with their families or others that speak Spanish. No different than people who speak French in New Orleans.
Also, I do not believe that whoever these employers are realize that the culture is part of the attraction to NM. People visiting don't want Juan to be called John. People come here to experience the "culture" and it isn't just Native American. One of the things that makes New Mexico so special is the blending and diversity of cultures.
These idiots need to get a clue!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Fall Traditions of New Mexico
Saturday I made a special trip to start my yearly stocking up on green chile from Hatch, NM. I buy it already roasted and then bag and freeze it. I like to buy from several different places because each batch is normally slightly different. I try to buy enough to last the entire year because after harvest time it is hard to find. So that was the first of many stocking up trips to come. Also stocked up on Hatch red chile powder, though I prefer green chile there are many things that only red will do for. Most New Mexicans, myself included, are chile snobs. We know that we have the best chile in the world and nothing else will do. We also eat a lot of chile, we eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner -- snacks too. The farmer's market I went to was packed with other people stocking up on chile. BTW, you do not want to peel or touch NM chiles without gloves -- if you make that mistake you will pay for many days.
It is also Santa Fe Fiesta time. Frankly, I don't attend the fiesta normally, but it is very popular and people come from all over the world. This year is the 400th anniversary of Santa Fe, so I would hope that the fiesta is even better than normal. My favorite thing and probably the most popular part is the burning of Zozobra (or old man gloom). It isn't exactly Burning Man, but it is a 50 foot man and best of all -- he screams, moans and his arms flap about while he is burning.
Here in Albuquerque, we have the State Fair starting this weekend. It used to be the 2nd largest in the US, but I am not sure if that is still true. As you can see, it has a large midway. Aside from that, there are lots of cultural events going on in the Indian and Hispanic Villages. Tons of great food (my favorite part), lots of animals, horse shows, concerts, several art galleries and much more.
Next month, on Oct 3rd, starts the event that Albuquerque is probably most famous for - the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Once again, something that people from around the world come to see and I never go to. I never got because 1) you have to get there at the crack of dawn 2) it is cold out in Oct at the crack of dawn. However, we do often go up to Sandiago's at the tram and watch the balloon glow at night. I like that because we avoid most of the balloon glow traffic and can sit inside where it is warm sipping margaritas while we watch the glow below. We also often do that on 4th of July. Not as spectacular as being there in person, but good enough for me since I don't care much for crowds.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
A New Mexico Day
The annual Wild West Antique Show is this weekend. We went yesterday.
To be honest, I am not a big fan of most of what is sold there -- spurs, saddles and other cowboy and Indian stuff. The old jewelry is nice, but far more than I want to pay for jewelry. I used to pick up old trade beads there, but I have lots of those now and since I haven't beaded in ages it would be silly to buy more. I do still enjoy seeing the old Native American beaded moccasins and clothing though. There are lots of other things that I enjoy looking at from a historical perspective, but I wouldn't really want to own. Every few years I find that odd thing that doesn't really belong at such a show and it appeals to me and I buy it, but not this year.
This year I bought one thing - lunch. I don't know if it was because I was hungry, but it seemed to be the BEST Navajo taco that I have ever had. No meat and green chili rather than the traditional red.
Yeah, Britton talked me into getting onto a huge bull. It was fun, so I am not complaining. Getting on isn't so hard, but for some reason it took quite a lot of explaining for me to figure out how to get back down. What? Swing my right leg backwards? It sounded impossible, but I somehow managed it.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Government asks to dismiss Geronimo lawsuit
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) - The U.S. Justice Department is asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by descendants of the Apache Geronimo, whose remains were purported to be stolen by members of a secret society at Yale University.The government filed the motion June 10 to oppose a lawsuit filed in February by 20 of Geronimo’s descendants, who want to rebury the warrior near his birthplace in southern New Mexico’s Gila Wilderness.
Geronimo died in 1909. The lawsuit alleges that Skull and Bones members took some of the remains in 1918 from a burial plot in Fort Sill, Okla., to keep in its New Haven clubhouse.
Both Presidents Bush, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and many others in government and industry positions are members of the society, which is unaffiliated with the university.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
www.KOB.com - Government asks to dismiss Geronimo lawsuit
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Ancient Americans loved to gorge on Stone Age tortillas!
For some reason that doesn't surprise me.
Ancient Americans loved to gorge on Stone Age tortillas! .:. NewKerala - India 's Top Online Newspaper
Ancient Americans loved to gorge on Stone Age tortillas! .:. NewKerala - India 's Top Online Newspaper
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Buried Dogs Were Divine "Escorts" for Ancient Americans
Hundreds of prehistoric dogs found buried throughout the southwestern United States show that canines played a key role in the spiritual beliefs of ancient Americans, new research suggests.
Throughout the region, dogs have been found buried with jewelry, alongside adults and children, carefully stacked in groups, or in positions that relate to important structures, said Dody Fugate, an assistant curator at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
More at --
Buried Dogs Were Divine "Escorts" for Ancient Americans
Throughout the region, dogs have been found buried with jewelry, alongside adults and children, carefully stacked in groups, or in positions that relate to important structures, said Dody Fugate, an assistant curator at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
More at --
Buried Dogs Were Divine "Escorts" for Ancient Americans
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Visiting Pueblos
Yesterday I mentioned various Anasazi ruins to visit near Aztec NM.Today I wanted to mention something about visiting active pueblos. All pueblos have their own rules that you really should find out immediately when you arrive. Many do not allow any type of recording, no photos, videos or even drawings. Normally there are large signs posted about that.
Should you visit any type of ceremony or dance, do not ever approach the participants or try to talk to them. They are in a spiritual state to perform whatever duty they are performing and you could basically contaminate them.
If you are on a Navajo Reservation, or visiting a Navajo Pueblo and see a Tee Pee, stay away from it. They are not put there for tourists and they are not lived in, they are places where religious ceremonies take place and you are not welcome there.
Just be polite and you will enjoy your visit and probably find some delicious native food too. :-)
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