From: Kimi Scheerer (ksche@bosqueschool.org)
Sent: Thu 3/31/11 11:31 AM
To: ecoed@lists.nm.org
Voices from the American Land presents:
Río del Corazón: A Free Festival Celebrating the Rio Grande, April 1-3, 2011
at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, Domenici Education Center
1701 4th Street SW, Albuquerque, NM (505) 246-2261
Here in New Mexico, we live astride a great vein in the earth. The Rio Grande collects life-giving water from the mountains, delivers it to our fields and bosques and pueblos and cities, and carries it at last to the sea.
For those of us who call this landscape home, what place does the Rio Grande hold in our hearts, in our history, in our poems and stories, in our relations with others?
Voices from the American Land has organized a festival to celebrate and explore the meaning of the Rio Grande. We’ve got readings and workshops, discussions and lectures – even stuff for kids. It’s open to everybody, and it’s all FREE.
Please join us!
Friday, April 1, 7:00 pm
Opening celebration of El Río del Corazón. Beloved Albuquerque poet E.A. ‘Tony’ Mares reads from and discusses his new chapbook of poems addressing the physical and cultural landscape of the Rio Grande Corridor. With music from Frank McCulloch y Sus Amigos, a special presentation by young poets of the Rio Grande, and a display of art focused on the river. Free chapbooks for all attendees.
Saturday, April 2
10:00 am–11:15 am, two concurrent sessions
The Story of An Acequia: Estevan Arellano. The acequia system is a vital part of New Mexico’s past and present, reflecting not just land-use practices but also local customs, social structures, and community values. This presentation will focus on the Acequia Junta y Ciénega in Embudo, which dates back to the late 1770s. Approximately 2.5 miles in length from the presa to the desague, where it empties into the Río Grande, the Acequia Junta y Ciénega serves 37 parciantes and irrigates 80 acres of orchards, alfalfa and gardens. This presentation will be conducted in traditional resolana format, encouraging dialogue among all participants.
The Young Naturalist: Friends of the Rio Grande Nature Center. Hands-on workshop for kids age 6 and up, exploring the ecology of the cottonwood bosque. Conducted by The Friends of the Rio Grande Nature Center.
11:30 am–12:45 pm, two concurrent sessions
Watersheds as Commons: Jack Loeffler. Although originally forwarded to the U.S. Congress by John Wesley Powell, the concept of “watersheds as commons” is embedded in virtually every Native American traditional point of view regarding the relationship of culture to homeland. Powell’s idea was to organize the arid West beyond the hundredth meridian as a mosaic of commonwealths based on watersheds governed from within, rather than the hodgepodge of geopolitical boundaries that currently prevails. Included in Loeffler’s presentation will be excerpts from recorded interviews he has conducted, including the voices of Garrett Hardin, Elinor Ostrom, William deBuys, Rina Swentzell, Gary Snyder and others.
Restoring the Rio Grande Bosque: Cyndie Abeyta. Since the early 1990’s, grave concern for the Rio Grande and its riparian forest, the bosque, in New Mexico’s central Rio Grande valley initiated Congressional support for interagency ecosystem management efforts to coordinate activities related to the ecological restoration and management of the Middle Rio Grande. This presentation will focus on how natural resources management agencies, stakeholders and the general public have worked together to protect, enhance, and restore biological values within the Middle Rio Grande. Included in Abeyta’s presentation will be the showing of the short film Restoring a Legacy: The Rio Grande Bosque.
1:30 pm–2:45 pm, two concurrent sessions
An Environmental History of the Rio Grande: Steve Harris. The speaker will explore the evolution of Rio Grande hydrology, ecology and the historical institutions of control and governance that have transformed the river from a life support system to an economic engine, and suggest its trajectory for the future.
Writing the Rio: A Poetry Writing Workshop with Sawnie Morris. For those of us who live in the Río Grande watershed, our life — like the river — is formed and informed by a collage of elements: community and culture, the riparian zone and the uplands. Poems, too, are shaped by influences and confluences. As Octavio Paz said, “The poem is a shell that echoes the music of the world.” In this workshop we will go to the imaginative banks of the Rio Grande — and some of us may even choose to visit the nearby river itself (dress accordingly). Bring pen & paper. Space limited to 15 participants. Please note: this workshop runs until 4:15.
3:00 pm–4:15 pm
Panel Discussion with Sara Marie Ortiz, Anders Lundahl, Estevan Arellano, & Jack Loeffler. Distinguished panelists will address the question, “What does the Rio Grande Mean to Our Diverse Communities?” The audience will be encouraged to contribute their own observations and experiences.
Saturday, 7:00 pm
Three Poets of the Rio Grande: Sawnie Morris, Sara Marie Ortiz, & Levi Romero celebrate this landscape in an evening of poems and stories. These accomplished poets are renowned for their knowledge of and love for the region, as well as for their dynamic performance styles. Held in the Bank of America Theater at the NHCC. Reservations recommended; email sonya@voicesfromtheamericanland.org to hold your space, or call the NHCC at 505-246-2261.
Sunday, April 3
10:00 am–11:15 am
“GREEN FIRE” screening: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time. This film examines the personal journey of Aldo Leopold, known as the father of the conservation movement, and follows the threads that connect to his legacy today. Author of A Sand County Almanac and the well-known essay “Thinking Like a Mountain,” Leopold was responsible for designating the Gila National Forest as the country’s first official Wilderness Area. The film provocatively examines Leopold’s thinking, renewing his idea of a land ethic for a population facing 21st century ecological challenges.
11:30 am–12:45 pm
Aldo Leopold in New Mexico, with Jack Loeffler. Aldo Leopold first came to the Southwest in 1909, and it was here that his notion of ecological restoration began to take hold. Loeffler, a long-time New Mexican and friend of the Leopold family, produced a one-hour radio documentary entitled “Aldo Leopold and the Emerging Land Ethic.” In this presentation he will share excerpts of interviews conducted for that program, as well as address Leopold’s enormous contribution to the conservation movement found in his essay, “The Land Ethic.” The talk will pay particular attention to Leopold’s relationship to the Rio Grande Corridor.
1:30 pm–2:45 pm, two concurrent sessions
Place Names of the Rio Grande: Bob Julyan. In a region as storied as this, the names of places can reveal as much about culture as they do about the landscape. Many places have had multiple names in various languages, revealing their long settlement history. In this talk, which uses humor and emphasizes local examples, Julyan tries to show how place names reveal the history and values of the people who have lived in an area. The talk ends with a question and answer period, and Bob will be available after the talk to speak with interested persons individually.
Young Writers Forum: El Palabra y El Rio, with Sara Marie Ortiz. This reading/presentation/discussion by and between younger New Mexican writers will address issues surrounding the relationship between the river, land, community, art, advocacy, and sustainability for the new century. Special attention will be given to the significance of the youth voice in protecting and promoting land and community via the arts/literature, and developing strategies for getting other youth inspired to participate in this vital effort. Please note: this forum will run until 4:15.
3:00 pm– 4:15 pm
Birds of the Rio Grande Bosque: Renata Golden, with live raptors from The Wildlife Center.This presentation will feature provocative essays by Renata Golden that focus on the wonders of the bird world, accompanied by a slide show of black and white photographs of birds in flight at Bosque del Apache by acclaimed Santa Fe photographer Krista Elrick. After the reading, Katherine Eagleson, Executive Director of The Wildlife Center in Espanola, will exhibit live birds that the Center has rehabilitated. These birds of prey, such as the Long-Eared Owl and Western Screech Owl, rely on Rio Grande Bosque habitat for roosting and adjacent open fields for hunting. They will be ample time for questions from the audience.
We gratefully acknowledge the funding support of the New Mexico Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities for this We the People project, sponsored by Voices from the American Land in partnership with the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
http://www.voicesfromtheamericanland.org For questions... please contact:
Summer Wood
Executive Editor, Voices from the American Land
http://www.voicesfromtheamericanland.org 575-758-5355
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