July/August 2020 Can We Create a More Sustainable World?

JULY/AUGUST 2020 CAN WE CREATE A MORE SUSTAINABLE WORLD?

• Native Americans Can Help Heal America • Building Immunity for Strong Communities • Resilient Design and Planning • Original Politics: Making America Sacred Again

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VOLUME 12 NO. 3 JULY/AUGUST 2020

CONTENTS

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE – SETH ROFFMAN / 4 OP-ED: MACEO CARILLO MARTINET / PANDEMIC – MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE / 5 CAN WE CREATE A MORE SUSTAINABLE WORLD IN THE AFTERMATH OF COVID-19? – KATHERINE MORTIMER / 6 THE FUTURE OF TOURISM MOVEMENT / 7 INDIGENOUS GROUPS CALL FOR REMOVAL OF SANTA FE MONUMENTS AND STATUE – SETH ROFFMAN / 9 NATIVE AMERICANS FEEL ALL SIDES OF AMERICA’S ANGST. THEY CAN ALSO HELP HEAL AMERICA. – HILARY C. TOMPKINS / 10 CORONA VIRUS AND ORIGINAL INSTRUCTIONS – CHILI YAZZIE / 11 EVERYDAY GREEN: BUILDING IMMUNITY FOR STRONG COMMUNITIES – SUSAN GUYETTE / 12 SOY NORTEÑA – MARGARET CAMPOS / 15 LOCAL FOOD SECURITY FOR COMMUNITIES / 17 RESILIENT DESIGN AND PLANNING – ANTHONY GUIDA AND NICKY RHODES / 19 SANTA FE RECOGNIZED AS GLOBAL LEADER WITH LEED GOLD CERTIFICATION / 21 WATER NEWSBITES / 23 ENERGY NEWSBITES / 24 BOOK PROFILE: ORIGINAL POLITICS – MAKING AMERICAN SACRED AGAIN / 27 WHAT’S GOING ON / 30

PUBLISHER GREEN EARTH PUBLISHING, LLC EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SETH ROFFMAN / [email protected] DESIGN WITCREATIVE COPY EDITOR STEPHEN KLINGER

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS MARGARET CAMPOS, ANTHONY GUIDA, SUSAN GUYETTE, MACEO CARRILLO MARTINET, KATHERINE MORTIMER, NICKY RHODES, SETH ROFFMAN, HILARY C. TOMPKINS, CHILI YAZZIE

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS JOAN COSTA, SETH ROFFMAN, KATE RUSSELL

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GREEN FIRE TIMES © 2020 GREEN EARTH PUBLISHING, LLC C/O SOUTHWEST LEARNING CENTERS, INC. A NON-PROFIT EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION (EST.1972) 505-989-8898, P.O. BOX 8627, SANTA FE, NM 87504-8627 greenfiretimes.com

COVER

MEMBERS OF THREE SISTERS COLLECTIVE, ORGANIZERS OF THE PLAZA RALLY IN SANTA FE, CELEBRATING REMOVAL OF MONUMENTS THEY CONSIDER RACIST, ONSTAGE IN FRONT OF A SUPPORTIVE CROWD. JUNE 18, 2020. PHOTO © SETH ROFFMAN

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 3 policies compel us to come up with solutions that we couldn’t even conceive of twenty years ago. But are these reliable long-term answers or merely quick fixes to our present dilemmas? Albert Einstein said that the solution to challenges facing humanity can’t effectively be achieved by addressing them with the same level of consciousness that created the problems.

Indigenous cultures have always respectfully accommodated their visionaries, who have felt free to share visions with their people. These visions, once taken to heart, determined policies and directions that enhanced lives and relationships, and in some cases, averted disasters. We offer Green Fire Times as a forum for these sorts of valuable insights. Come out of the closet, visionaries! Your visions may be important tools we can use to set new intentions and directions to establish a more harmonious way of life for the good of our communities.

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As massive protests COVID-19 and the erupted across the world decrying structural racism coinciding crises have and police brutality, at the same time as an ongoing global pandemic, tottering been a wakeup call for a economies and devastating climate changes, Native world out of balance. American protesters in New Mexico posed a question: Is our society’s obsessive worship at the altar of a patriarchal, colonial-era socio-economic system worth the destruction of our planet?

We are living in a time of both great pain and great potential for change. For the first time, joining the millions of people of color, there has been a cho- rus of white people’s voices—people who have also grown tired of oppres- sion, injustice and the relentless drive toward collective annihilation.

COVID-19 and the coinciding crises have been a wakeup call for a world out of balance—a “Great Shaking,” as Hopi elders have said. Indigenous leaders say that this pandemic is directly related to climate change, deforestation, the loss of biodiversity and the exploitation of cultures grounded in sustainability. A growing body of scientific research supports those claims.

The pandemic shakeup gives us a chance to imagine and build a much better world. We are seeing a profound shift—socially, economically, health-wise, climate-wise, food-system-wise. What we do over the next 10 years will determine the fate of our species. Nothing should go back to “normal.” Normal wasn’t working. Corporations need to recalibrate. Harmful social structures that led to poor health outcomes can be dismantled or reorganized Native woman adds hand prints to art in order to build new structures that promote health and healing. project at the obelisk on Santa Fe’s plaza © Seth Roffman The crises have exposed deep inequities based on ethnicity and socio-economic status, and have highlighted just how vulnerable many people are. We may be in the sharpest recession in our nation’s history. Many who are unemployed are going to have to deal with increased debt. It’s going to be up to everyone to help each other. A positive aspect has been the way in which many have been stepping up to provide mutual aid and create a fabric of reciprocity that is sup- LOOKING TO THE porting our communities and enabling people to get through it.

We can rebuild businesses, think about worker retraining, and look at supply chains and FUTURE consumption in order to foster an economy that exchanges goods and services among In the very first issue of this publication in 2009, the introductory article communities. We need to be conscious about preserving small businesses and encour- was titled, “Green Fire Times: Visionaries Wanted.” Here is an excerpt: aging new ones. It is incumbent on us to strategically invest in people and in creative ideas that support communities. We need to fuel a new wave of innovation while also We live in an unprecedented time of change. Deterioration of considering the wisdom of low-tech management strategies that have been passed down our environment, health, relationships and established economic through generations.

4 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JULY/AUGUST 2020 New Mexico has the potential to Human encroachment into tropical forests sets the stage for the spread of zoonotic diseases. become a model for redevelopment.

New Mexico has the potential to become a model for redevelopment. We can get young people involved in helping solve the problems of the day. We can prioritize those climate and sustainability projects, both short- and long-term, which best address historic injustices here in our state and in our country.

An emergency network has emerged around food and hunger. COVID-19 has exposed how vulnerable our food system is. Policies and practices that favor corporate agribusiness, putting OP-ED: Maceo Carrillo Martinet rural families at risk, should be dismantled. Funding and technical assistance should be prioritized for family and community farms. This will require the release of economic development PANDEMIC – MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE funding to rural communities, as well as regaining local control of water rights. If communities are free to develop their own assets and capacities, millions will not need to be spent on reme- Invisible Enemy dial and compensatory programs. When New Mexico’s governor issued a stay-at-home order, my daughter came home from school on what would unexpectedly be her last day of 5th grade. She asked me, “Do Chinese If we go back to the way things were, we will have lost the people really eat bats and dogs?” She had heard this from another student. Nothing is quite lessons. It may be that we can now collectively uncover what it as ground-truthing as the questioning of a young person trying to weed through the thorny means to be a human being and bring to the surface our perhaps and tangled branches of racism. In considering the origin of the coronavirus, there has been truer nature as beings with a vast potential to love, nurture, care a recycling of the history of blaming and punishing others, mainly non-Europeans, for all th for, celebrate and sustain the gift of life. ¢ the evils and sins of society. In the 19 century, Chinese immigrants brought to the U.S. and Europe to work on the railroad were accused of bringing in disease and denigrated as the SETH ROFFMAN, JULY, 2020 “yellow peril.” Similarly, in the 1930s, the Nazi state blamed Jews for bringing typhus and SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO social ills to Germany.

Racist and homophobic pundits of the 1980s used the AIDS epidemic to stigmatize Af- rican-American and gay/lesbian communities. A few months ago, India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, accused a Muslim religious gathering of unleashing coronavirus, calling it “covid-jihad.” The pandemic of hatred keeps going. Today it demonizes Asians and Muslims; THE REEMERGENCE tomorrow, Central Americans, and black people every day. Author Arundhati Roy has de- OF GREEN FIRE TIMES scribed this pandemic as a portal that can take us from one state of being to another. It is up to each of us to decide what luggage—ideas, dead or alive—to bring or leave behind. Will we leave the luggage of racism behind, along with the fear that nourishes it? Will we emerge from After having to suspend publication for a cou- this portal wanting more dialogue, understanding and solidarity with one another? ple of months due to the ripple effects of the While intensifying an already unjust world, this pandemic also illuminates possibilities of a pandemic, this issue marks Green Fire Times’ better one. Communities across the world have rapidly developed mutual aid coalitions to reemergence. We are, of course, returning to a distribute food, seeds, medical treatment and supplies. Workers that provide health care and greatly changed world. Now more than ever, it food, and those who clean rooms have been recognized as “essential,” which they have always seems, local/regional media offering multicultural been. More people are recognizing that saving nature is tantamount to saving ourselves. We perspectives, useful information and uplifting are biking and enjoying our rivers more. The pandemic is the best evidence for a Medicare- wisdom are needed. GFT will continue to high- for-All program, because clearly our collective health is only as good as the health of our most light community-based stories of success and vulnerable. We are decrying the evils of a system that can still evict people from their homes self-determination. during a crisis. An electrician told me that the pandemic “means we spend more time with our families and see our kids more.” But because of the crisis, business activity and advertising have been dramatically reduced, adding more challenges to an already challenging The prospect of a worse future, however, is also a real possibility. The administration has enterprise. If you value the unique contribution guaranteed that no company will face punishment by the EPA if its pollution of the environ- GFT offers, and want to support this free, inde- ment worsens, as long as it blames it on the virus. The message is clear: if you profit from pendent publication, please consider a tax-de- polluting the Earth, the government has your back, but if you are working to save everyday ductible donation or consider advertising. The working peoples’ lives, you are on your own. If these sorts of moves continue, 2020 will be print edition—widely distributed from Albuquer- another terrible chapter when truth became the “invisible enemy.” que to Taos and beyond—is currently published every other month, while our website and online Invisible Ingredient presence are updated more frequently. The bat species involved in COVID-19 lives throughout the tropical forests of Asia. This is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, but it is also the world’s epicenter of deforestation, mining and dam construction (Clemens, Mark, Markus, & Markus, 2018). ... continued on page 28

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 5 Can We Create a More Sustainable World in the After- math of COVID-19?

BY KATHERINE MORTIMER

The pandemic’s shakeup of our lives from the stay home order due to Covid-19 has had some interesting silver linings. We’ve seen a decline in smog-producing greenhouse gas emissions, cleaner air and water due to the sharp decline in driving and reduced manufacturing operations. As the economy begins to recover and reorganize, how can we keep the positive things moving forward without entirely reverting to our old ways?

It’s not sustainable for all of us to stay home most of the time. Staying home has curbed our social interactions to that point where it’s affecting our well- being. We’re social by nature and psychologically need to be in each other’s company from time to time to feed our souls. Networking is how we come up with new ideas for advancement of our society, including those that advance sustainability and address historic inequities.

There are three areas in particular where I see the potential to achieve real progress as we recover from this pandemic. The first is in addressing inequities. Covid-19 has inequitably affected communities of color and poverty. Recovery efforts, if not done thoughtfully, could further disadvantage those people. It is imperative that we design recovery investments and policies to intentionally address both historic and COVID-19-related inequities. condos and create a 24-hour presence The second area is to catalyze actions that create greater resilience to “shock with life and eyes on the street. These Empty stores could be events” that will happen in the future. It’s not a matter of if we will have new are just some of the benefits that shocks to our society; they will happen. Climate change has exacerbated the could result from this strategy. turned into apartments frequency and intensity of historic natural disasters and added sea level rise to the list. It’s only a matter of what the next shock will be and when and where I think we can call this time we’re in or condos to create that it will occur. Prior to COVID-19, the risk of a pandemic seemed extremely the “New Depression” because it is remote. The last time was 100 year ago. But now it feels very real. People are at least as large as the last big Depres- now sensitized and are probably more open to investment in creating resil- sion. The proposed Green New Deal 24-hour presence and ience for future shocks so we can be better prepared. (GND) is modeled after the original New Deal, which helped get us out life on the streets. The third area we can focus on is to shape our economy for jobs that are of the 1929 Depression. It has a lot emerging rather than the jobs that we have had. Now that employers have of forward-thinking things in it that are necessary to accomplish goals for sustain- seen that, in many cases, working from home is feasible, hopefully, they will ability. All of that takes skills, jobs and people. In light of what we’ve learned from continue to allow their employees to limit the number of trips they have COVID-19, I think that the GND is something we need to take a look at. It has the to make to an office or group setting. Even before the pandemic, retail in potential to be a guide for how we can get out of the situation we now find ourselves particular was hit hard by online sales. It is now even more vulnerable. Many in. In light of the pandemic, however, some things in the GND such as urban density, retail stores in the nation won’t reopen. Locally, in Santa Fe and New Mexico public transportation and public health infrastucture will need to be modified. in general, I believe that we are likely to see a lot of empty retail storefronts. When cities and towns have faced a loss of the local economy, such as rust There are other areas where we could invest, such as making access to the internet belt towns that were hit by closing factories and mills, it created dead down- universal so everyone can be connected. Another investment could be in electric towns and shopping areas with boarded-up windows. vehicle infrastructure so as we become more mobile, we keep the benefits of better air quality and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Electric vehicles have a much lower Before the pandemic we had a lack of affordable housing, nationally and cost of ownership. However, to advance EVs equitably we need to be strategic to locally. What if we decide to prioritize and incentivize repurposing some retail ensure everyone in the community benefits equitably. This might look like affordable spaces in shopping centers or shopping areas for housing? We could create EV-sharing services, as it is being tried in Austin and Los Angeles, or may look quite neighborhoods where, all of a sudden, new residents will be able to walk to different here in Santa Fe, which is less urban. The key is to elevate the voices of the existing retail outlets that survived and create demand for new local-serv- people with the greatest transportation insecurity in our community, allowing them to ing retail and service businesses. Santa Fe’s downtown has very few residential guide the design and implementation of the solutions we pursue that best meet units. Imagine if some empty retail stores could be turned into apartments or their needs.

6 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JULY/AUGUST 2020 THE FUTURE OF TOURISM MOVEMENT Travel and tourism industries face an uncertain future due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with international tourist numbers projected to fall 60 to 80 percent in 2020. As tourism begins to recover, a newly formed coalition says that in order to achieve sustainable and equitable growth it is essential to rethink how travel works and how tourism can be reorganized to focus on the needs of destination communities.

Decades of unfettered growth in travel have put the world’s treasured places at risk—en- “I’m afraid the news isn’t good. Word has it that consumers vironmentally, culturally, socially and financially. The Future of Tourism Coalition seeks to achieve a transformation by strengthening ties with local communities and having tour- are starting to find out what actually matters.” ism agencies, travel companies, NGOs, governments and other stakeholders sign on to a strong set of guiding principles that provide a moral and business imperative for building a healthier industry while protecting the places and people on which it depends. The principles advocate for maintaining the integrity of destinations, promoting inclusivity and equality, and maximizing positive impacts for communities and environments.

The coalition includes six non-governmental organizations (NGOs): Sustainable Travel In- The next big area to ternational, the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), Destination Stewardship Center, Employers have seen address, as our elec- Green Destination, Tourism Cares, and the Travel Foundation. It is guided by the Global tric grid gets ever Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). that, in many cases, more clean, is building electrification. This is In a joint statement, the CEOs of the organizations represented said, “It is imperative that a challenge for New every organization evaluates how they will actively place the needs of destinations and working from home equity within their communities at the center of tourism development, management and Mexico, where our state promotion decisions. There is no stable future for tourism if this is not done now—to- budget is so tied to ex- gether, responsibly and vigorously. This is not a short-term effort; this is the future. Long- is feasible. tractive fuels. However, term, resilient social, economic, and environmental recovery and regeneration will require COVID-19 has impact- all sectors to rethink how tourism works, who it works for, and how success is defined.” ed those operations Interested travel and tourism stakeholders are invited to visit and rather than return to them, why not restart our energy producing www.futureoftourism.org. capacity by jump-starting the transition to clean energy? We have the solar and wind capacity to replace gas and oil revenues with clean energy if we stimulate the industry by creating transmission and storage NM SAFE CERTIFIED infrastructure, with a strong equitable transition plan. According to a news release from the state tourism department, a pilot training program for owners, managers and supervisors in tourism and hospitality industries has been Having to shelter-in-place has forced the rat race to stop. All of us were launched to help New Mexico businesses establish COVID-safe practices and earn a cre- put in a position where we have had more time. That has naturally led dential to show they have been trained. As the state reopens for business and recreation, businesses want to ensure that customers, employees and families remain safe. NM Safe to reflection and connecting with our fellow “inmates.” We have had to Certified provides on-demand virtual training to assist industries in building consumer be very careful about how we interact with each other because every- confidence. The program provides a “seal” that can be used in promotion and participat- one’s been feeling a little delicate, nervous about getting sick and what ing businesses are listed in the NMSafeCertified.org business directory. that might mean. There has been a return to connecting to what’s truly important in our lives. That has also been a silver lining to this other- Participating businesses are enrolled in a Personal Protective Equipment Procurement Col- wise very grey cloud. ¢ lective and receive a resource toolkit, as well as news, revisions and updates to All Together New Mexico: COVID-Safe Practices for Individuals and Employers. The businesses can access statewide peer learning groups to share best practices, troubleshoot challenges and find additional resources. Katherine Mortimer is the founder and principal of Pax Consulting, weaving sustainability into policies, The Greater Albuquerque Hotel and Lodging plans and operations. For more of her musings, see Association has encouraged all hotel prop- erties to become NM Safe Certified. Other her blog at www.paxconsulting.biz/musings. partners include the New Mexico Restaurant Association, the New Mexico Hospitality Association and tourism agencies in Farming- ton, Las Cruces, Roswell, Ruidoso, Santa Fe and Taos.

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8 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JULY/AUGUST 2020 Indigenous Groups Call for Removal of Santa Fe Monuments and Statue

BY SETH ROFFMAN

On June 17, the Three Sisters Collective (threesisterscollective.org) delivered a letter to Mayor Alan Web- ber and the Santa Fe City Council, demanding removal of two monuments and a statue that they and their allies consider racist. 3SC asked that the obelisk on Santa Fe’s plaza “be permanently removed and replaced with something that represents the original people of this land.” They added, “We are available and willing to work with you on that process.”

After delivering the letter, 3SC met with the mayor and Removal of these City Councilor Renee Villarreal to talk about how best to protect community members at a rally scheduled for the statues and monuments next day, in light of violence instigated by armed vigilante groups in Albuquerque, when protesters attempted to remove a statue of Juan de Oñate. (That statue was later has been a demand removed by the city.) Dr. Christina M. Castro of 3SC said, “Having city leaders present would create a barrier from some in Pueblo of safety. We know from recent events that black, Indig- enous and brown folks are disproportionately targeted, and Native killed and harmed by police and vigilante groups. We call upon our white allies to use their privilege to protect their communities for decades. community members of color.” After this meeting, the Don Diego de Vargas statue in Cathedral Park was removed, and city workers unsuccessfully attempted to remove the obelisk on the plaza. The Kit Carson obelisk in front of the federal courthouse, tagged with “This sits on stolen land” in red paint, also remained standing. Days later, an online conservative news and commentary site launched a petition asking the mayor and city council to stop removing monuments and images of Span- ish colonizers.

Councilwoman Villarreal, in a statement, said, “These monuments and statues represent white supremacy, colonialism and genocide. These depictions create divisions, false narratives and misconceptions of our past and present, rather than a means to honor and celebrate our shared and connected cultural heritage and history.”

On June 18, in front of hundreds of attendees wearing masks because of the pandemic, 3SC led a celebration on the plaza, where speakers from Tewa Women United, Red Nation, Walk the Talk, Black Voic- es Albuquerque, Santa Fe While Black, and Indigenous Women Rising presented their perspectives and demands. A statement issued by 3SC said, “We are in a moment, worldwide—amidst a global pandemic and global uprising—where New Mexico has an opportunity to smash the myths we have been taught and work toward justice and liberation for black, Indigenous and people of color. We have an opportunity to tear down monuments to white supremacy and colonization and finally come to terms with our history.”

Mayor Webber spoke at the event, which went on without violence. “The future is knocking at our door,” he said, “and we are required to answer. It’s not only an obligation; it is an honor and an opportunity to answer that call. The time has come, I believe, for us to step into the moment, walk into the future and take decisive action. My intention, as mayor, is to call for the obelisk in the plaza to come down, to call for the Kit Carson obelisk in front of the courthouse to come down, and to remove the Don Diego statue. We must take these steps now because they are the right thing to do; it is a moment of moral truth. We have been called to do it by our Native American colleagues, friends and family members, and it is long overdue.” ¢

On June 16, prior to an announced protest, a statue of Don Juan de Oñate, New Mexico’s first Spanish governor, was removed from its pedestal and taken to an unknown location by Río Arriba County workers. After the protest/celebration, the pedestal was left stamped with blood-red handprints of Pueblo, Diné and other Native people who symbolically reclaimed the site. An Oñate statue was also removed in Albuquerque, but not before a protester was shot Speakers at the rally/celebration on Santa Fe’s plaza on June 18 included Mayor Alan Webber (third down on right) and Matthew and critically injured. Police took several members of a civilian militia group Martinez, Ph.D., (Ohkay Owingeh), deputy director of the Museum into custody, as well as a man suspected in the shooting. of Indian Arts and Culture (bottom right). © Seth Roffman

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 9 Celebracion de las Communidad de Fe (Celebration of Community Faith), the OP-ED: Hilary C. Tompkins 2019 ceremony that replaced the Santa Fe Fiesta’s Entrada, an annual reen- actment of the 1692 Spanish reoccupation of Santa Fe. The chairman of the All Pueblo Council of Governors, the governor of Tesuque Pueblo, the Catholic NATIVE AMERICANS FEEL ALL SIDES OF AMERICA’S ANGST. ministry Los Caballeros de Vargas, the Santa Fe Fiesta Court and Santa Fe’s mayor were among the participants. © Seth Roffman THEY CAN ALSO HELP HEAL AMERICA.

In the midst of the coronavirus global pandemic and the horrific image of George Floyd’s Many Americans, how- last breaths under the knee of a police officer, it is hard not to conclude that the world We must seize this ever, are not shocked. needs to heal. From the Native American perspective, Mother Nature and Father Sky are Native Americans have telling us that the world is not well and out of balance with the universe. moment to recalibrate long witnessed this country’s ability to recalibrate My tribe, the Navajo Nation, has faced a our national values. its image to avoid seeing The protests in the streets very tough fight against the coronavirus. its warts. We live with While we are located in a remote area America’s warts on a are proof positive that of New Mexico, Arizona and Utah, the daily basis, which makes us stronger, as we know what is true, what virus has found us and taken a serious is unjust and what must change. Our strength comes from never the country has unhealed toll. At last count, the Navajo Nation forgetting the dark chapters of our recent and historic past. We exist had a total of 7,080 cases and 335 in a constant, dual state of grieving while thriving, remembering our confirmed deaths, at one point reaching ancestors who suffered for us to be here today. As a result of our wounds. the highest rate of infection per capita milennia-long journey in America, we bring perspective and knowl- in the country. The advent of the virus edge that could guide America in this time of turmoil. has exposed the disparate living conditions on Indian reservations, where Native Americans suffer higher rates of underlying health conditions and a lack of basic modern amenities My Navajo culture believes that sickness strikes when the delicate, such as running water. For many in America, it has been a learning experience to witness harmonious nature of the world is out of balance. Mother Earth the tragic effect of the virus on the Navajo Nation. Common reactions I hear from friends and Father Sky are omnipotent, watching over the universe. Tradi- and colleagues are, “How can this be happening in America?” or, “I had no idea things tional Navajo teachings possess substantive knowledge about our were so bad. No running water in this day and age?” existence and livelihood. I remember in the 1990s when the deadly hantavirus needlessly took the lives of Navajos, and Western doctors At the same time, America also witnessed the tragic and unnecessary death of George could not determine the source of the disease. It was the Navajo Floyd at the hands of law enforcement, which sadly, is emblematic of what people of color medicine men who identified the cause, based on their keen obser- have had to endure in this country from its inception. Native Americans certainly have vations about the higher piñon crop that season, which attracted been no strangers to racism in all its forms, including violence. Again, there has been an increased numbers of mice that carried the disease. awakening of mainstream America to the fact that systematic racism is alive and well, along with a corresponding sense of shock that something so horrid and amoral could be part of Our traditional knowledge about achieving harmony with the uni- our society’s fabric. verse can inform America’s healing in a post-pandemic world that

10 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JULY/AUGUST 2020 strives to be more humane and just. Native Puye cliff dwellings, ancestral home Americans are often portrayed as one-di- of Santa Clara Pueblo, NM © Seth Roffman mensional environmentalists, but that is an oversimplification. For example, Navajos are very entrepreneurial and respect the art of striking a good deal. We also believe in respect for all living things in the universe, that the spoken word is sacred and that our behavior informs our level of wellness. The key in life is finding the right balance between many priorities—sustainability with economic strength, reaping benefits today but also for future generations, and not living for individual gain but rather for the gain of the universe. If others are suffering, then humanity is not well. Indian tribes are watching America go through growing pains as a young country. The protests in the streets in support of Black Lives Matter are proof positive that the country has unhealed wounds. The incongruous impact of the coronavirus on communities of color is a sign that there CORONA VIRUS are greater, foundational disparities at play. America’s past history of injustice and racism is coming home to roost, and America AND ORIGINAL INSTRUCTIONS must heed doctors’ orders and stop living an unhealthy lifestyle at the expense of others. BY CHILI YAZZIE Indian tribes are cautiously hopeful that America will not retread old, destructive The COVID 19 virus invades unsuspecting human bodies—destroying lives, families, futures. It gives no ex- ground. emption for economic status, physical strength or color of skin. It seeks life to give death. It is alive with death. It brings down the famous and powerful. The disadvantaged are easy prey. There is little refuge from the killer Native American belief systems tell us that virus. continuing on this path of disharmony is a dead end. It is time for America to get well This enemy of life exposes the vulnerabilities of the “greatest” country on the planet. It cripples the best of and avoid more imbalance and sickness. We Western science and medicine. Our frontlines to repel this enemy are becoming defenseless. They are tired and must seize this moment to recalibrate our look for relief that may not come. We thank them and pray them peace and strength. national values. America can turn to the First Americans to help guide this country’s The faithful and the faithless ask why God allows this path to healing and empowerment. Nothing The Original Instructions to happen. We seek answers, we ponder, we try to find could be more genuinely American. The reason. This must be a message that we have drifted too first lesson would be that we must listen to prescribe a life of K’é, far from the teachings of life we were set on this Earth what Mother Earth and Father Sky are tell- with. Mankind teeters on the brink of self-annihilation ing us, as we peer out from over our masked a family relation with all with the damage done to the Earth Mother. Perhaps the faces, feeling anxious, uncertain, and no virus is the discipline whip of the Earth. God cleanses longer in the driver’s seat. ¢ his creation in times of great disorder. Perhaps it life, all of creation. is that time.

Hilary C. We want things to come back to normal, but things have not been normal for Indigenous peoples. We are the Tompkins pre- most vulnerable with our diabetes due to junk foods and government commodities. We have heart and respirato- viously served as ry issues because of carbon pollution, uranium cancers and poisoned waters. Our hospitals are underfunded. We the first Native live in overcrowded housing with poverty conditions. American solic- itor for the U.S. There is a great imbalance in this modern day. Violence is perpetrated upon the Earth and her children who live Department of by the Original Instructions. The Creator gave us a certain way to live, to have the Interior from certain beliefs. We were blessed with these teachings on how to live life for hap- 2009 to 2017. piness. The Original Instructions prescribe a life of K’é, a family relation with all Her views in life, all of creation. It requires ajoobah (compassion), truth, humility, respect, hon- this op-ed are or and courage. The one hope we have is to remember and honor the lifeways her own the Creator originally intended for us.¢ and are not expressed in an official capacity. An earlier version of this article appeared Duane “Chili” Yazzie is a grandpa, farmer, Earth Protector and president of the Shiprock in Indian Country Today. Chapter of the Navajo Nation.

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 11 EVERYDAY GREEN Building Immunity for Strong Communities

BY SUSAN GUYETTE

Many Native American communities in New Mexico have been particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 virus What raises pH? pandemic. Death rates are estimated to be four times higher than the overall population. Several factors par- Greens and the other foods listed below. Super-immu- ticular to Native communities have contributed to this situation, but proactive steps can be taken to strength- nity is the body’s immune system working to its full en the immunity of individuals, which will foster overall community resilience. This information is applicable potential. Recent research estimates that nutritional to everyone. and lifestyle factors can double or triple the protective power of the immune system.3 Overcoming historic fear takes courage. Actions we can take to strengthen immunity bolster hope. We cannot rely on vaccines alone. A vaccine plus a healthy immune system is necessary to protect yourself and others. As long as our bodies have weak immune systems and our environment, Mother Earth, is ill, new Sugar causes inflammation, viruses that threaten us will continue to emerge. which fuels infections. What is the immune system? What lowers it? How do we raise it? What high-nutrient foods support immunity? Vaccines take an extended period of time to develop. The most effective response is to not wait for an out- HOW IMMUNITY IS AFFECTED side remedy. We can prepare by building strong bodies and shifting to an immune-boosting, healthy lifestyle. Lowered immunity causes multiplication of the virus The current situation also presents an opportunity to bring back traditional ways that support the immune within our bodies at the core of viral infections. Al- system. Community support can strengthen a network of healthy people, and good health leads to produc- though the following factors affect everyone, Native tive lives. Americans are often impacted to a greater extent than most American populations. EVERYTHING IS RELATED • Overuse of antibiotics: While these drugs “The nature of every part depends on how it relates to its connections and surroundings.” are lifesaving for bacterial infections (e.g. – The Condor and the Eagle by Phillip Duran1 pneumonia), they do not work for viruses. Over-prescribing antibiotics in Indian Country Healing happens on a daily basis, not just when we are sick. The immune system is a complex, interrelated is all too common. Antibiotics wipe out the network2 of organs, white blood cells and proteins that works to recognize, neutralize and remove harmful good bacteria in the intestines, leaving room substances that enter the body such as bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. for bad bacteria to multiply and create imbalance. There is a difference between inflammation and chronic inflammation. The immune system’s healing powers can address a small amount of inflammation, such as when clearing up an infection or injury. • Foods: Diets high in processed foods are deficient in nutrients needed to build immu- Large amounts of infection cause imbalances. The balance of alkaline/acid within the body (pH) is key nity, particularly vitamins and minerals. In for avoiding inflammation. Optimal pH is alkaline is 7.2. A lower number than this signals an acidic pH, an particular, sugar feeds the inflammation that environment that invites inflammation and the growth of infection. Inflammation is exacerbated by dietary makes infection spread. Consider this: a typ- habits and lifestyle factors such as stress and lack of exercise. ical 12-oz. can of soda contains a whopping 16 teaspoons of sugar. Pesticides sprayed on What lowers pH? vegetables and fruits are irritants, contributing Sugars and refined carbohydrates, such as flour, found in most processed foods, make the body’s pH acidic. to inflammation. This highlights the need to eat organic foods and to grow some of our own. An array of vegetables at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market © Seth Roffman

12 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JULY/AUGUST 2020 • Overcrowding: Often when two or three generations are living in a small house, isolation during illness is nearly impossible.

• Exposure to environmental toxins: Less-expensive materials used to build houses, such as in public housing, off-gas toxic chemicals such as formalde- hyde. Pesticides, poison that kills insects by attacking their nervous system, affects the nervous system of humans as well. Other sources of environmental toxins include deodorants and perfume, cosmetics and hair color, household and cleaning products. Choose less-toxic brands, such as Seventh Generation or Biokleen. (I developed chemical sensitivity from using mothballs to protect my Pendleton blankets.)

• Stress: Recent studies have shown a connection between the nervous and immune systems and how chronic stress impacts both. Reducing stress through methods such as prayer, meditation and participation in traditional cultural activities can help raise immune function.

• Exercise: Regular exercise keeps blood flowing to cells, carrying nutrients to build immunity. Exercise is one of the best ways to detoxify, or release toxins.

CREATING BALANCE AND HARMONY “Among all tribes, illness was associated with a kind of disharmony with some key element of the natural environment.” – Native Science, Gregg Cajete4

Viruses are not necessarily an enemy. Large populations of bacteria, viruses and fungi occupy almost every surface of the human body. It is estimated that there are nearly 30 trillion bacterial cells living in or on each human. That is about one bacterium for every cell in the body! Together, these microbes are collectively known as the microbiome.5

A Native American perspective is that our bodies are sacred and part of a whole, and a part of Mother Earth, the larger microbiome. With the newly defined concept of the microbiome, Western science is just catching on to Native traditional wisdom. The microbiome of Mother Earth is comprised of an invisible world of microorgan- isms—including many species of bacteria and fungi6—that play fundamental roles in natural processes, from cycling carbon in soil to fermenting food in the mammalian gut for healthy digestion.

Respect for the body implies good self-care of our personal microbiome. Maintain- ing good gut health is essential for avoiding disease, as well as building a strong body with a high level of immune function. The balance of good and bad bacteria affects immunity. When processed foods and sugar are eaten, bad bacteria multiply, crowding out helpful bacteria. Imbalances in gut bacteria impact immunity and have been linked to diseases stemming from inflammation, including:

• Inflammatory bowel disease

• Irritable bowel syndrome

• Obesity

• Type 2 diabetes

• Cancer

In addition to digestion, microbes also support immune function, metabolism and re- production. Shifting the way we eat, growing healthy food, and reducing the production of toxic chemicals are essential steps for helping Mother Earth restore balance. How the food is grown has much to do with its nutrient content. Overuse of fertilizers de- pletes nutrients in soil—food grown in that soil has fewer nutrients to nourish the body.

Regenerative agriculture brings back the soil’s natural fertility. This is a time for awak- Youth dancers from Tesuque Pueblo performing on the plaza in Santa Fe. Indigenous ening. Ways to help revive the health of Mother Earth include reducing pollution by Peoples Day, 2019 © Seth Roffman driving less, avoiding packaged foods, using products that do not contain manmade chemicals, and wearing clothes made from natural fibers. Healthy Foods event, Zuni Pueblo © Seth Roffman

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 13 WHAT TO EMPHASIZE of antibiotics, exercising Many traditional choices are high in the anti-inflammatory nutrients need- The immune system and the more, reducing stress, im- ed to build immunity. In this list of immune-building foods,7 traditional proving sleep and limiting foods are listed first, and then readily available mainstream foods: nervous system are linked. alcohol consumption.

Herbs boost immune function. Include sage, elderberry, oregano, osha Long-term: Growing root, cilantro, parsley, astralagus root, echinacea, ginger root, ginseng and immune-building foods by interfacing with the Native Food Sovereignty Movement turmeric. (www.nativefoodsystems.org), restoring soil and natural ecosystems, providing clean water, and developing programs to teach these skills. Seeds contain antioxidants that protect against disease. Eat sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, squash seeds, piñon nuts, flax seeds, sesame seeds What is at stake? Caring and action are urgent for protecting elders, our knowledge and chia seeds. source of traditions related to health and the care of the Earth; recognizing the effect of a poor diet and pollution on DNA; and protecting the gene pool for immunity, Alliums reduce infection. Include onions and garlic in your diet. generation to generation.

Beta carotene foods boost immune function. Emphasize pumpkin, Being compassionately aware of our impacts on Mother Earth and nurturing her with squash, chile peppers, spinach, greens, carrots, sweet potatoes. every step we take individually will bring about the healthiest possible future for all of our communities. Balance and harmony are only achieved through individual and Vitamin C foods reduce infection. Eat berries, peppers, cantaloupe, community cooperation. citrus fruits (lemons, limes, oranges), tomatoes and strawberries. Mother Earth has sent an urgent message. Vitamin E foods boost immune function. Include pumpkin, red pep- Now is the time to make the old ways pers, spinach, sunflower seeds, nuts and greens. new again. ¢

Beans, corn, quinoa, and amaranth are rich in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and fiber. Susan Guyette, Ph.D., is of Métis heritage (Micmac Indian/ Acadian French). She is a planner specializing in cultural tourism, Mushrooms contain disease-fighting compounds that empower the body cultural centers, museums and native foods, as well as an Integrative to react quickly when exposed to viruses and bad bacteria. Nutrition Health Coach. Her passion is supporting the cultural retention of time- honored traditions. Cruciferous vegetables are antiviral and antibacterial. Emphasize wa- [email protected] tercress, mustard greens, cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, arugula and radishes. Footnotes Other immune-boosting available foods include jicama, seaweed, 1. Duran, Phillip. The Condor and the Eagle. Río Rancho, NM: ginger and green tea. Eaglehouse Publications, 2013. 2. Murrell, Daniel, M.D. “How the Immune System Works.” Immune system boosters also include supplements—probiotics, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320101 fermented foods, Vitamin D, zinc and iron. 3. New York Times, April 30, 2020. 4. Cajete, Gregg, Ph.D. Native Science. Clear Light Publishers, 2000. HOW TO SHIFT? 5. Fuhrman, Joel, M.D. Super Immunity.: Harper One, 2011. Eating more good foods can crowd out damaging foods in one’s diet. 6. “The Human Microbiome” www.cancerquest.org. Family member support seems to be an important factor in Indian Coun- 7. Adapted from: Blum, Susan. The Immune System Recovery Plan. NY, NY: try. Let the process evolve naturally while enjoying weight loss, increased Simon and Schuster, 2013. energy and an improved sense of well-being. 8. Zimmer, Katarina. “Researchers Catalog the Earth’s Microbiome” www.thescientist.com. 2018

MOVING AHEAD As history has proven, waiting for a governmental solution is not the long-term solution. Effective steps for moving ahead include: improving the available food supply; eating a balanced diet of whole, non-processed foods; avoiding environmental toxins; exercising; and getting adequate sleep. With the advent of the pandemic, the healing of Mother Earth started to leap ahead with less driving and consumption.

Many Native American communities in New Mexico are now operating their own farms and bringing back nutritious heritage crops. Excellent nutrition programs such as the Pueblo Food Experience, developed by Roxanne Swentzell at Santa Clara Pueblo, are teaching a return to “pre-contact,” health-supporting Indigenous foods.

Much can be done, both individually and collectively: Short-term: Eating a whole food diet to build immunity, growing family gardens, offering cooking lessons for healthy foods, avoiding overuse

14 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JULY/AUGUST 2020 Soy Norteña

BY MARGARET CAMPOS

My first memories as a child were idyllic, playing with frogs in theacequia . I loved to try to catch minnows as they shimmered, translucent, or the water spiders that skimmed the surface, but tadpoles were my favorite. I watched them closely from spawn and looked forward to when legs would sprout from their swollen bodies. Those first childhood lessons in biology never left me, yet I can’t remember any biology lesson taught in a classroom. I have been a lifelong believer in experiential learning, formally and informally, and hope to bring a bit of my history and experience as a teacher and leave a legacy of empowerment through knowledge in my new role as the executive director of the Northern Río Grande National Heritage Area.

In expectation of my somewhat-odorous childhood adventures, my grandmother would fill thecajete (tub) early in the morning, so I would willingly come take a bath at the end of the day. I loved the warm water and enjoyed bathing under the big sky, knowing dinner would be waiting as the smells wafted from my pacheca’s table. That’s what we called my grammita, even though in my mind I always called her grandma and thought of her as my grandma at that young age. Grandma was a word introduced to me by my mother, who would speak English to me in the evenings and had me watch television. She wanted me to be able to speak English when I went to school, since my days and evenings were primarily filled with thenorteño Spanish of my abuelitos (grandparents). Ancient Spanish words like tunico (woman’s dress), and trujo (she brought) mixed easily with regional made-up words hundreds of years old, like tripa (literally means intestines, used as term for a hose) and Span- glish words, like el blender, which my Pacheca called the toilet plunger. Trust me, it was a dialect all its own.

I grew up in a world full of sunshine and good food, surrounded by people who loved and supported me. When I first went to school, my teachers appreciated that I was bilingual and treated me really well for it. Even though I did not speak a word of English out loud, they knew that I understood everything they said.

It wasn’t until later in life that I started to notice that people treated my mother and me differently, sometimes. My mother was the first generation of what I can only call the explosion of single moms. I wish I could say I never felt any bias in my life, but for us it was more of a moral than a racial bias that we experienced in Santa Fe in the ‘60s. In the conservative Catholic communities of northern New Mexico, as the child of a young divorcee, I learned the tone of judgment at a young age.

We lived close to the downtown area in Santa Fe. My schools were just a couple of blocks from the state capitol. Our neighborhood was a mix of affluent Anglos and traditional Hispanic families. I walked to school with my neighbors and my best friend, Lisa. The barrio kids explored tunnels under the streets and eventually rebelled against Johnny, the local bully. I remember eating ice cream from the Dairy Queen alongside the Santa Fe River, across the street from Guadalupe Church on Sundays. The City Different was, and will always be, for me, the heart of New Mexi- co, second only to my grandparents’ farm in Embudo.

From my Santa Fe family, I Our traditions are what learned we were Ortizes and of Spanish descent, but never bind our culture together. quite understood some of the derogatory comments made about my norteño Spanish, my heathen ways, my sunburnt skin, a bit too dark. I don’t ever remember recognizing racism when called India, which, on my mother’s side was said with a sense of pride. Children often notice differences without much mind, something we can reflect on as adults. I always assumed it was a moral bias my mother always faced. Not until later in life when I was asked “Que eres India?” (Are you Indian?) did I recognize the tone, along with the words. That question is too much for some and not enough for others. I personally appreciate and savor those things that are mixed—think salted caramel, Romanesco and the Navajo taco. The latter is simply one of three sisters, Four generations. Margaret Campos with her mother, Eremita, grandmother and kids sitting atop my great grandma’s buñuelo (a flat sopaipilla) with some chile, brought (© Joan Costa); Margaret’s pacheca and tío Eloisa at the fruit stand in Embudo. from a foreign place. GREENFIRETIMES.COM 15 What I did experience and remember most as a child was the love and support of grandparents. As a single working mother, my grandparents took advantage of my mother’s absence and used their time with me to teach me their ways. I always assumed I was free labor, and that was partly true. But as I have grown older and grown to appreciate the knowledge they imparted, I see it more like it was a window into history, filled with free knowledge. Much like my little daughter knew how to do something, probably from watching someone the whole of her short years. She’d say that she just knew. And that is how we have always passed down our knowledge and traditions, knowing Ignorance breeds bias, little eyes are watching, helping. I never heard them berate me for and racism is just an- not wanting to learn, as I have often heard people say of the other form of bias— youth. They made me work, and in working I learned. whether it be color, re- So, in many respects, when my mother later retired to the farm ligion or whatever you and began to plant, she had memories from what it had been choose to hate. like to plant in Ojo Sarco. My grandparents moved to Embudo while she was in school in Albu- querque. She came home to a different farm, with the river nearby and no need to build fajinas (dams) to store water and “modern” equipment. My grandpa had purchased a 1940s Gibson, which we used to plow instead of using hors- es. The farm in Embudo was pretty foreign to her. My grandfather died the year she retired from her state job. Between the two of us, we tried to resurrect all the knowledge we had gained from him. With her, the knowledge went back to my visabeuelos, my great-grandparents. What I learned the most farming with her all those years is how closely our traditions, the celebrations of our culture, are tied to the land and cycles of agriculture. And from all of them, my grandparents and my mother, I have memories of those lessons learned.

My understanding of Native and Hispanic traditions has taught me that my grandfather’s ways were a combination of both. For us they became one. Our families worked, lived and survived together for so long that the lines have melded, both in food and tradition. Los Españoles would say you plant “para nos, para vos, y para los animalitos de Dios” (for us, for you, and for the animals of Eremita Leyba Campos © Joan Costa God). I remember when I first heard this, I was so impressed with how similar it was to what my grandfather taught me. As we would lay seed for our corn, he would tell me that we always need to plant extra for the deer, the skunk and been earned over time; those are the lessons the bear. As a child I remember being a bit put out thinking I was going to We have always we seem to not forget. Like me with biology. escardar (hoe) for the venado (deer), el zorrio (skunk) y el oso (bear)! passed down our I have learned that my genealogy bears Moros I always wondered why, but recently I was reminded by my son of the crazy (Moors), Sephardics (Sephardic Jews), Geni- rules we have about not killing crows, coyote or the uraka (magpie). It’s bad knowledge and zaros (Born Native, raised Hispanic), Indios luck to kill your family. They thieve because they are hungry. These are things (Native) and Españoles (European) or at least that I have always known, and that is how I learned to make a form to build traditions, know- Hispanos that called themselves Españoles. an horno (mud oven), to make adobes, mud plaster, to irrigate a field that’s just Españoles in New Mexico. A comical been planted, to make chicos (dry corn) in the horno, gut and clean a fish, clean ing little eyes are expression my departed neighbor, historian a pig and butcher it, roast chile and make tortillas. I watched my teachers. Like Estevan Arrellano used to say was, “En Nue- my little daughter, one day I just knew. vo México hay mas Españoles que en España, haya watching, helping. son Catalans, Bascos, no se llaman Españoles!” (In The unfortunate thing is that no one is doing these things anymore. The elders New Mexico more people call themselves find it easier to go to Center Market for the lonja (fat) to cut up the chichar- Spanish than they do in Spain. There they rones (thin, fried pork belly). We no longer need a matanza to enjoy them; no are known by the region they come from— watering and feeding the animal or sharing in the practice of harvesting and Catalan, Basque. They don’t call themselves feasting. What a shame if the only thing our children know of chicharrones Spaniards.) The sheer numbers of people of mixed descent is proof that we have is what they enjoy at Christmas at El Parasol restaurant. That’s not to say you been commingling for a long time. have to have a matanza every time you enjoy chicharrones; it’s more to say that our children are losing their connection to their food and the traditions and And, yes, unfortunately, amongst ourselves and within our families, racism still celebrations that go with it. We have an obligation to share knowledge that has exists. The travesties experienced in our history cannot be ignored; they need to be

16 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JULY/AUGUST 2020 addressed. But I am not sure how to make the bias go away. My only answer: education. It’s been my personal experience that ignorance breeds bias, and racism is just Local Food Security another form of bias—whether it be color, religion or whatever you choose to hate. In New Mexico, the “Land of Enchantment,” where our people have always been for Communities as welcoming as my pacheca’s table, going back to when my ancestors first arrived in Las Trampas and were helped to survive by the people of Picuris, it was known in the BY SETH ROFFMAN capital and the Río Abajo that the folks up north were commingling. Thus the bias. Always something to hate. What is it our kids say? “Haters gonna hate.” Food insecurity has been growing all across the U.S. With 40 million people out of work, many have been waiting in miles-long lines to get food to feed Indios, Hispanos and Genizaros share their families. The coronavirus crisis has exposed the vulnerabilities and The travesties expe- in dances, feasts, celebrations and foods fragility of the U.S. global agribusiness supply chain, while making clear as closely as we do blood lines. Our the advantages of getting food from local sources. People who had never rienced in our history traditions make our culture. But as we bought from their area farmers suddenly started to do so. celebrate less we start to lose focus on cannot be ignored; they what is important. We trade symbols and The supply chain of CSAs (community supported agriculture) is very statutes for doing rather than practicing. short. Members buy a share of a farm’s usually organic harvest. It gets delivered weekly in a box to a pickup site or directly to homes. CSA programs need to be addressed. With the loosening hold of Catholicism have reported a surge in memberships and waiting lists. Many have scram- in our communities, new traditions have bled to find additional labor to plant, harvest and deliver, although some migrated to become a polished version have been reluctant to ramp up production because of fluctuating prices of their selves. We turn to wine and chile we can no longer afford, events held only to and the uncertainty of finding workers. A big question is whether the new satisfy the Nuevo Mexicano, who only knows a “New Mexico True,” but never could interest represents a fleeting reaction to fear or a long-term trend. understand the enchantment of history from a cradle of settle- Farms large and small that have relied on restaurant, hotel and school and ment thousands of years old. food-service contracts have been hit hard. It may be a long while before Yet, one event and tradition suppliers can command the premium prices high-end restaurants paid. at a time, we erode the authen- To survive, some farms have adapted a CSA-type model, at least for the ticity of who we are; one lumi- short-term. Others are partnering with CSAs in a pact that helps CSAs naria (small bonfire) at a time meet the growing demand while providing an outlet for produce that might our farolitos (paper bag lanterns) otherwise be turned back into the soil. Another option is for farms to enter are fading, and every time a into a partnership with a nonprofit land trust, a local food advocacy group Tesoro (treasure) dies, and a food cooperative to help secure ownership of part of a farm’s land one more memory is lost. in perpetuity.

I hope to hold on to some of CSAs still represent a small slice of America’s $100-billion farm economy. those memories for future gen- But their renaissance marks a rare bit of good economic news for an agri- erations to enjoy and use them culture industry battered by trade wars, threatened by climate change and as needed. That is my goal as dealing with the effects of a global pandemic. I begin my new role, learning and sharing as I go. I want to hear more stories, share them, build a body of knowledge of our unique traditions and share the juicy morsels of our culture. Please reach out to me if you would like to contribute to this.¢

Jim Vogel’s painting of Eremita Campos harvesting garlic was used for Northern New Mexico College’s Sostenga farm project. © Seth Roffman

Margaret Campos is executive director of the Northern Río Grande National Heritage Area. [email protected], (505) 852-0030, https://riograndenha.org

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 17 Some farmers have transformed their farms into consumer-friendly outlets or have instituted direct-to-consumer apps that have made it possible to sell directly to people. Those farmers’ revenues have reportedly been close to an all-time high. Some have adopted online ordering and home delivery. An online marketing company reported that the industry seemingly had experienced five-to-10 years of growth and change in three weeks.

As part of its coronavirus relief, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) put out a call for $3 billion in contracts for farmers to produce and deliver produce and dairy boxes to food banks, many of which have been struggling to support those in need. Some states have been trying to redirect to charities farm produce that previously would have gone to restaurants and hotels. California has expanded funding to help cover the costs of harvesting, packaging and transporting fresh fruits and vegetables to local food banks. ¢

NM GROWN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FOR SENIOR MEALS PROGRAM

Food insecurity is prevalent in New Mexico. The state’s senior population is the second-fastest-growing in the country. At the same time, there are expanding business opportunities for New Mexico farmers of all size operations.

In a time when, because of the COVIS-19 pandemic, seniors and students are no longer able to get meals at senior centers and schools, seniors are benefiting from the New Mexico Grown Fruits and Vegetables for Senior Meals Pilot Program, an initiative of the state’s Aging and Long-Term Services Department (ALTSD). Local farmers have been delivering freshly picked vegetables to senior centers in Sandoval, Socorro and San Juan counties. The program is a partnership among ALTSD, the non-profit Farm to Table, N.M. Farmers’ Marketing Association, county senior services depart- ments and the Agricultura Cooperative Network.

The program was inspired by Sen. Liz Stefanics and Rep. Gail Armstrong. Fifty-thou- sand dollars was approved by the Legislature. The three counties were able to purchase New Mexico produce through their meal programs. Since February, they have served 101,800 meals. The program was in its sixth week when COVID-19 shut down senior centers. At that point, the counties were serving 2,900 meals a week at their 15 centers and approximately 1,750 home-delivered meals. Senior centers across the state had to institute curbside pickup, and home delivery almost doubled.

The pilot program was further supported by the N.M. Department of Health’s Farm- ers’ Market Nutrition Program, Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities Program, and the N.M. Department of Agriculture and Public Education Department’s Farm to School Program. Meals have included lettuce from Silverleaf Farm (Corrales), tomatoes from Growing Opportunities (Velarde), apples from Wagner Farms (Corrales) and Cur- by Orchards (Farmington), onions from Rancho La Joya (Velarde), blue corn atole from Santa Cruz Farm (Española), chile and beans from the Rosales Farm (Socorro), vegetables from Agricultura Cooperative Network (South Valley Albuquerque), winter squash, carrots and black beans from Schwebach Farm (Moriarty) and pinto beans from Graves Farm (Roswell), among others.

The program demonstrates that even under difficult constraints, with good coordina- tion, farmers can provide produce year round. The ALTSD and its partners plan to expand the program in July. For more information, contact Pam Roy, executive director of Farm to Table, 505-660-8403 or [email protected]; or Denise King, division director, NM ALTSD, 505-469-1933 or [email protected]

18 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JULY/AUGUST 2020 Resiliency is a critical dimension of sustainable design. It is our role as designers to create a built environment that is sustainable and equitable.

We are currently talking to our clients about resil- RESILIENT DESIGN AND ience and sustainable design strategies that support stronger buildings and communities and are considering PLANNING the following questions: ● How can low- and no-cost passive design strategies BY ANTHONY GUIDA AND NICKY RHODES like daylighting, controlled solar gain and natural ventila- ATKIN OLSHIN SCHADE ARCHITECTS tion not only reduce energy use and emissions but allow facilities to remain safe, operable and comfortable during Over the past few months, COVID-19 has forced a genuine reckoning about our capacity to power interruptions or pandemics? maintain essential functions at home, in the workplace and in our institutions, while we absorb the myriad of disruptions presented by the pandemic. ● How can we better design and/or adapt communal spaces to address reduced attendance or variable occu- All of us have begun to identify needs that are mission-critical, and to question those that are pancies? To facilitate interpersonal interaction without perhaps less so, such as the necessity of in-person meetings, frequent business travel and daily close contact? To accommodate events and gatherings commutes. Reliability, redundancy, flexibility and responsiveness have become increasingly import- indoors, and especially outdoors? ant measures of how our buildings and cities support our lives, livelihoods and community interactions. ● How do buildings that are part of transit-connected, walkable urban developments work to improve access Pandemics are among the unanticipated “shock events,” like natural disasters and extreme weather, and equity? How can generously designed public outdoor that resilient design and planning attempt to address. Resiliency is a critical dimension of sustain- spaces and visually transparent, welcoming buildings bet- able design and is bolstered by many of the same measures that prioritize efficient and affordable ter serve the needs of communities that include marginal- operations and reduced carbon footprints in both new buildings and major renovation projects. ized or underserved groups? The effects of climate change are also disproportionately impacting black, Native American and other minority communities, particularly those with limited resources. It is our role as designers to ● How should spaces of learning better prepare for stand in solidarity with these groups, to listen and learn, to grow their voices in the profession, and increased digitization? To accommodate a hybridization to collaborate in the work of creating a built environment that is both sustainable and equitable. of in-person and virtual gatherings? What are the conse- Resilient design strategies that anticipate and respond to uncertainty enable new and existing build- quences and opportunities of increased digitization on ings to better serve the institutions and communities they are a part of, for generations to come. staffing, technological and space needs? How can online

At Ohkay Owingeh, new and renovated homes in the pueblo incorporate locally sourced materials and traditional construction techniques like adobe and mud plaster, supporting local labor and strengthening settlement patterns and cultural activities that are centuries old. Kate Russell Photography

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 19 platforms or hybrid virtual and in-person events enhance community and The Siler Yard Arts + Creativity Center will provide much needed affordable live/work improve access to programs, collections and learning? housing for members of Santa Fe’s creative community. Designed to a net-zero standard, efficient mechanical equipment combined with onsite renewable energy production from rooftop ● In which ways can buildings be made to feel safe, accessible and reassur- photovoltaic panels will nearly eliminate electric utility costs for low-income residents. ing upon being re-occupied, while simultaneously accommodating required Visualization by Go West Projects safety checks?

● How can buildings and spaces be designed for greater flexibility in the near term and inevitable changes in use in the future? To maximize facility lifespan and minimize the carbon emissions and costs associated with repeated renovation cycles?

● How can more considered approaches to shorter supply chains and Anthony Guida, AIA, is the firmwide director of Sustainability for Atkin Olshin Schade low-carbon, renewable building materials promote resilience at the commu- Architects. He is an architect, educator and former program director for Architecture 2030. nity scale and support local labor and regional manufacturing? Nicky Rhodes has a background in ecological design and sustainable urbanism. As marketing ● How do we use predictive models to design for the impacts of climate director for AOS Architects, he is responsible for the firm’s publication change over the life of a building? To address higher temperatures and and promotional materials. more extreme weather events? How can we prepare for the unexpected? Atkin Olshin Schade Architects is celebrating 40 years of giving life and purpose to new and These critical questions will guide us as we continue to work with our clients to existing buildings. With offices in Santa Fe and Philadelphia, the firm works on a wide range design lasting places that are safe, healthy and supportive for those who use them. of project types including higher education, student and affordable housing, projects for Native We actively pursue opportunities to collaborate with communities seeking a more communities, religious institutions and museums and cultural sites. aosarchitects.com sustainable, resilient and equitable future. ¢

20 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JULY/AUGUST 2020 WATER RATING INDEX ADDED TO NATIONAL GREEN BUILDING STANDARD wouldn’t it be better to recycle the water we use?”, asked Laureen Blis- After two years of work by a task group, a way for architects, builders and sard, Green Builder®Coalition technical director. “The WRI provides developers to measure how efficiently a building uses water has been incor- the opportunity to offset water use with rainwater, greywater porated into the 2020 National Green Building Standard, published by the or blackwater.” National Association of Home Builders. The Water Rating Index (WRI) generates a score relative to a baseline home. “Water is becoming the new energy. It already constrains construction in some areas,” said Craig Conner, owner of the consulting firm Kim Shanahan, Craig Conner and Laureen Blissard spent many hours Building Quality. The WRI calculates overall water efficiency, since drafting language and meeting with the water-efficiency task group. Shana- indoor and outdoor water use is included, but is flexible in how that han, a Santa Fe-based sustainability consultant for the built environment, water efficiency is implemented. The WRI also allows programs to ® and co-creator of the Water Efficiency Rating Score (WERS ) said, “The specify water efficiency as a single number.” American West is in a millennial mega-drought, primarily human caused, with no end in sight. Like energy, we must be on a path to net-zero water WERS, which is the basis for the WRI, is now allowed in two munic- to sustain the inevitable growth of the region. The WRI is a tool that juris- ipal building codes (Santa Fe, N.M. and Santa Barbara, Calif.), cited in dictions can adopt to measure and enforce its progress on that path.” a New Mexico state-level tax credit, and is on track to be incorporated as a compliance path in Built Green Canada, the Vermont energy code “As municipalities/regions compete for water, it becomes more and more and WaterSense for Homes 2.0. apparent that sending such a precious resource down the drain is an abject travesty. Instead of seeking out new ground- or surface-water sources, To download a PDF copy, visit www.nahb.org/ngbs and click on “Free Download” in the right column.

SANTA FE RECOGNIZED AS Repair GLOBAL LEADER WITH Regenerate LEED ® GOLD CERTIFICATION The City of Santa Fe has been awarded LEED®Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC ) for fostering a Re-use sustainable, resilient city. LEED (Leadership in Energy and En- vironmental Design) is the most widely used rating system in the world recognizing sustainability achievement and leadership. Santa Fe joins a network of more than 100 LEED-certified cities and communities. It is the second city in the world to achieve LEED®- Gold under the newest, more stringent LEED v4.1 rating system.

Santa Fe was rated on its performance in key sustainability metrics that include energy, water, waste, transportation, education, health, Sustainable safety, prosperity and equitability. The rating applies to everything within city limits, not only city operations. These metrics closely non-surgical mirror the performance areas outlined in the Sustainable Santa Fe spine and joint 25-Year Plan. The analysis formed a useful framework to gather regeneration baseline data for implementing the Plan’s strategies.

“A sustainable city strives to offer its residents a higher living standard. A LEED city takes action and delivers measurable outcomes that improve overall quality of life for residents,” said Mahesh Ra- manuiam, USGBC president. “Given the extraordinary importance New Mexico of climate protection, building more resilient cities is crucial.” Santa Pain Management Fe achieved credits for resilience planning activities which strength- www.NMPM.com en its ability to respond and adapt to climate change risks, natural and manmade hazards, and extreme events including public health 800-702-NMPM crises. The importance of increasing resilience becomes apparent as communities respond to the current pandemic. © primalpictures.com

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 21 “We must address the climate emergency and ensure the burdens and benefits of that effort are shared equitably.” –Neal Denton, Sustainability Planner

The city’s Environmental Services Di- vision led an interdepartmental team of experts—mostly staff members who also helped shape the 25-Year Plan—through the certification process. The LEED for Cities and Communities program will help the city evaluate its performance on implementation of the Plan, and better enable the city to compare progress against similar jurisdictions. When the city applies for recertification in 2025, it hopes to achieve Platinum certification.

“This certification shows we’re making great strides in achieving the goals set by city council when they passed resolutions committing us to carbon neutrality by 2040 and supporting the principles of the Paris Agreement to reduce global carbon emissions in alignment with the international community,” said Neal Denton, City of Santa Fe Sustainability Planner. “This achievement should be celebrated by the whole community because we did it together.” A detailed report about the LEED certification can be found athttps://www. santafenm.gov/leedgoldsf.

The LEED for Cities certification, made possible by a grant from Bank of America, was awarded by USGBC to 15 cities and communities. “Bank of America’s support for USGBC’s LEED for Cities initiative is part of our larger capital deployment commitment to address climate change and build resilience in communities like Santa Fe,” said Paul Mondragon, Bank of Amer- ica New Mexico market president. The Top: The City of Santa Fe downtown; Center: grant provides financial assistance, educa- household hazardous waste recycling at BuRRT tional resources and technical support. (Buckman Recycling Center); rain garden on West Alameda St.; South Capitol Transit Sta- tion; residents enjoying the Santa Fe River; event at DeVargas Park near Guadalupe Church. Top and second row left courtesy City of Santa Fe. Others: © Seth Roffman

22 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JULY/AUGUST 2020 WATER NEWSBITES

GILA RIVER DIVERSION CANCELLED NEW MEXICO GROUPS APPEAL The New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission has voted to end work on the proposed Gila River Diversion. Opponents argued for EPA'S 2020 WATER RULE years that water from the project would be too expensive, that the di- On June 24, the New Mexico Environmental Law Center, on behalf of Taos- version would have been detrimental to the river itself, and that there based Amigos Bravos, the New Mexico Acequia Association and Gila Re- are better and cheaper ways to ensure adequate water supplies for sources Information Project, filed an appeal in U.S. District Court, challenging southwestern New Mexico. the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers’ navigable waters rule. The “Dirty Water Rule,” as some call it, went into effect the day before. According to state officials, up to 90 percent of New NEW MEXICO STRATEGIC Mexico’s storm-generated streams, tributaries and wetlands would lose their Clean Water Act protections under the rule. Among other impacts, this could WATER RESERVE FUNDING lead to the EPA no longer being responsible for oversight of heavily polluted runoff from Los Alamos County into the Río Grande, a source of During the 2020 New Mexico Legislative session, a coalition of drinking water. groups successfully advocated for $750,000 for the New Mexico Strategic Water Reserve. The reserve was originally approved in 2005 In March, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the administration’s attempt to allow to allow the state to purchase or lease water rights to ensure sufficient sewage plants and other industries to avoid protections under the Clean Water flow in rivers to address threatened and endangered species and fulfill Act when they discharge polluted water into the ground. On June 1, the EPA interstate compact needs. It was used on the Pecos River through 2007 finalized a rule curtailing the rights of states, tribes and the public to object to and later on the Río Grande to offset depletions in order to create federal permits for energy projects and other activities that could spawning habitat for the silvery minnow. pollute waterways.

NM ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE SUPREME COURT TRIAL FOR NM-TEXAS WATERSHED RESTORATION FUNDING WATER DISPUTE TO BEGIN IN 2021 The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has awarded $2.8 million for 29 New Mexico has hired two law firms to represent the state in the seven-year projects across the West. A total of $300,000 is being shared among dispute with Texas, which is scheduled to go to the U.S. Supreme Court in the three New Mexico organizations. Jornada Resource Conservation summer of 2021. The New Mexico Attorney General’s office said, in a state- and Development Council, the Santa Fe Watershed Association and ment, that the Albuquerque and Denver firms are “some of the best water law- the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance are using the funds to improve yers and litigators in the country,” and that “Our focus…is to protect precious watersheds. water resources for farmers, tribes and all New Mexico families.”

They are working with experts from UNM, the U.S. Geological Survey Texas has accused New Mexico of allowing farmers to pump groundwater near and others to collect data and assess water quality and ecological the Río Grande, denying Texas its full share under the 1938 Río Grande Com- resilience in the Río Chama. Building on a 2015 study of the Santa pact. New Mexico denies this claim. If New Mexico loses, the state may have to Fe basin, the Santa Fe Watershed Association is developing a plan to pay Texas $1 billion in damages and repay three million acre-feet of water. address concerns about sustainability and reliability of surface water supplies and is exploring ways to implement strategies. A project in southern New Mexico involves forming a task force to develop a comprehensive watershed plan for the Hatch and Mesilla valleys. FIRST "MEGADROUGHT” IN 1,200 YEARS PERSISTS COALITION URGES PROTECTION OF THE UPPER A “megadrought” that began in the year 2000 across the western U.S. is com- parable to only four other such events in the past 1,200 years. A study reported PECOS WATERSHED in the journal Science in April says that the current drought can be attributed to more frequent La Niña episodes due to emissions of heat-trapping gases. The New Mexico Acequia Association, San Miguel County, the Village Dr. Jonathan Overpeck, a climate researcher at the University of Michigan said, of Pecos, the Upper Pecos Watershed Association and Molino de “The study conclusively shows that the Southwest is being baked by the burning la Isla Organics LLC have submitted a petition to the State of New of fossil fuels and other human activities. The implications are dire if we don’t Mexico to protect water quality in the Upper Pecos Watershed. The stop climate change.” coalition of local governments, farmers and ranchers is asking the Water Quality Control Commission to nominate portions of the Water levels have dramatically dropped in Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Through watershed as Outstanding National Resource Waters (ONRW) under June, two-thirds of New Mexico was continuing to experience drought. Run- the Clean Water Act. The watershed, which also supports the outdoor off from the mountains had pretty much ended. Río Grande water managers recreation industry, is threatened by development, transportation, started targeted releases to manage river flows, but by mid-month, the Middle waste disposal, hard rock mining and climate change. Río Grande Conservancy had exhausted water in storage and stopped irrigation deliveries for some farmers. Hopes for the monsoon season were high.

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 23 ENERGY NEWSBITES CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE IS NO.3 SOLAR CITY NAVAJO SOLAR, sPOWER TO REPLACE COAL-FIRED NGS The Navajo Generating Station shut down last fall, leaving transmission infrastructure that can relay 29 new projects in two years power to Los Angeles, Phoenix and Las Vegas. The local startup Navajo Power wants to replace A new study by the Environment New Mexico the NGS’s output with massive solar power plants and channel the proceeds into electrification and Research & Policy Center names the City of economic development for Navajo communities. The Navajo Nation contains 75 percent of all the Albuquerque as No. 3 of America’s Top Shin- households in the U.S. that lack electricity. In May, the company announced that it had raised $4.5 ing Cities with most photovoltaic solar (PV) million of a planned $10 million in seed funding and had signed a co-development deal with renew- installed per capita. The results come from ables powerhouse sPower. Arizona utility Salt River Project, which operated and partially owned Shining Cities 2020: The Top U.S. Cities for Solar the NGS, will collaborate with Navajo Power on a 200-MW project, with a plan to expand to 750 MW. Navajo Power’s founders, CEO Brett Isaac and Dan Rosen, chairman of solar loan provider Energy, which is the most comprehensive survey MOSAIC, also want to augment solar production with five gigawatts of long-duration storage, an available of installed solar capacity in major U.S. up-and-coming technology. cities.

Reservation land is not bought and sold like land elsewhere in the U.S.; it’s held in trust. Unlocking Albuquerque jumps from the No. 10 spot on it for solar development requires support from the local community, which must approve it via a the list in the past year, now placing just behind “chapter resolution” before it goes to the Navajo Nation for approval. Navajo Power has com- Honolulu and San Diego. The city also ranks as mitted to cap executive compensation relative to the lowest-paid employee and pledge at least 80 No. 8 in total PV installed, with 153.04 MW. percent of profits to solar projects or community investment. Revenue from the solar plant is to go into a trust that can be a vehicle for electrifying homes and investing in public water and housing. “We have a responsibility to current and future generations to build a cleaner, healthier and more innovative Albuquerque,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “In just two years, we’ve built 29 new UTILITY-SCALE SOLAR PROJECT ON JICARILLA APACHE LAND solar sites—a huge leap forward for this com- There is a vast amount of renewable energy potential on tribal lands in the U.S., and Southwestern munity. And we’re not slowing down. By 2022 tribal lands have the greatest utility-scale solar potential, according to the Institute for Energy Eco- we’ll be offsetting 80 percent of our energy use, nomics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). and we’re building a giant solar farm with PNM, Silver City and the Jicarilla Apache Nation. We Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) is partnering with the Jicarilla Apache Nation and set big goals for sustainability and we’re on track local cities and businesses to build a solar project on 500 acres of Jicarilla land in northern New Mex- to reach 100 percent renewable energy by 2030.” ico’s Río Arriba County. It is the first tribally owned, utility-scale solar project in the United States and the third-largest solar project on tribal lands. It will send power to the City of Albuquerque as part of Albuquerque has excellent natural conditions a larger plan to replace generation from the closing coal-fired San Juan Generating Station. with its sunshine and high elevation to harness solar energy. Hecate Energy is building the 50-megawatt (MW) facility that includes a 20-MW battery-storage unit. Construction is expected to finish in March 2021. It will produce enough solar to power 16,000 homes per year. The Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) will be for 15 years and include a recurring lease pay- “The Duke City has once again earned the title ment to the Jicarilla Nation. ‘Solar Star’,” said John Ammondson, state director of the Environment New Mexico Research Partnerships of this kind are becoming more common. They bring tax incentives to the table for tribal & Policy Center. “Despite the slowdown in solar entities with energy companies, driven by the low cost of utility-scale solar and state mandates for redevelopment due to COVID-19, the remarkable newable energy. Utility-scale solar projects create local construction jobs, lease payments and economic progress of the past year is worth highlighting. benefits that include tribal tax revenues and benefits to local businesses. Albuquerque’s leadership on solar has given other cities an excellent example on how to make it Deals are also in the works on Paiute land in Nevada and Navajo lands in Arizona and Utah, where happen.” the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority has struck a deal with 16 cities to buy electricity from a planned 66-MW solar farm. A report published by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (part of the The city is working to convert 100 percent of U.S. Dept. of Energy) concludes that the Navajo Nation has the greatest potential for wind and solar development (mainly in Arizona) because of its climate, land mass and proximity to existing transmis- fleet vehicles to plug-in hybrids, electric vehi- sion lines. cles and alternative-fuel vehicles, with plans to purchase more than 40 EV and hybrid vehicles While development on tribal lands can be complicated by issues that include ownership of grazing to incorporate into the city fleet. The city will rights and tribal government protocols, the Moapa Paiute and Jicarilla Apache projects demonstrate have a total of 40 EV charging stations running that solar energy can be done to scale on tribal lands and in ways that bring competitively priced power by early 2021. “Solar is an area that we continue to market. to excel in,” said Environmental Health Director Ryan Mast. “In addition to growth of renewable Santa Fe County, Grant County, Western New Mexico University (WNMU) and other subscribers have energy production capacity, we’re continuing also signed up for a 15-year commitment to receive renewably produced output from the Jicarilla facil- to make our city more sustainable with energy ity as part of PNM’s Solar Direct program, which helps cities and large businesses reduce the volatility efficiency projects and increasing electric of electric bills with a fixed price over the term of the subscription. vehicle adoption.”

24 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JULY/AUGUST 2020 ALBUQUERQUE MAYOR’S ENERGY CHALLENGE

A variety of businesses have voluntarily committed to helping to protect the climate as a result of the City of Albuquerque Mayor's Energy Chal- lenge. In exchange for their commitment to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent over five years, the city, in association with AMM Consulting Montoya © Roger Painting and eSolved, will provide participants with technical support and education on the best ways to reduce energy use and carbon footprints. This includes an evaluation of the businesses’ building efficiency, site efficiency (energy-efficient surroundings through water efficiency and landscaping) and transportation efficiency to incentivize use of public transit and electric vehicle-friendly infrastructure.

Given the building sector’s large carbon footprint (buildings account for over 40 percent of total energy consumption nationwide), Albuquerque’s Mayor’s Energy Challenge is a critical step toward achieving Mayor Keller’s greenhouse gas reduction goals as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies American Cities Climate Challenge, which is supporting 25 American cities in achieving their innovative carbon-reducing goals.

The mayor, in announcing the initiative, said that dollars spent on energy efficiency measures are investments in the local economy, and those investments support jobs for local contractors, engineers and others in the building and energy efficiency sectors. NM WIND ENERGY DEVELOPMENTS Avangrid Renewables Breaks Ground on La Joya Wind Farm Albuquerque is also taking steps to reduce energy use in 126 municipal buildings, and is compiling a list of buildings to pursue an energy services Construction has begun on 35,000 acres of state trust land for the contract, with the goal of cutting municipal energy use by 65 percent by La Joya Wind Farm in Torrance County. The project, which is sited 2025. The city is also transitioning its light-duty vehicles to a 100 percent on a mix of private and state trust lands, was awarded to Avangrid clean energy fleet. Renewables through an open bid process. When completed by the end of 2020, 111 turbines will have a total generating capacity of 306 megawatts (MW). The wind farm will help PNM and other MODULAR MICROGRID PROJECT companies meet their renewable-energy goals. The adjacent El Cabo Wind Farm, also an Avangrid project, consists of 142 turbines with Modular microgrids, a new approach that can be customized to provide a capacity of 298 MW. It became operational in December 2017. energy, offers resiliency in the face of climate change, extreme weather and wildfires. Modular microgrids can be easily interconnected with DC gener- “There are hundreds of thousands of acres of state trust land prime ation sources (e.g., solar, wind and fuel cells) and advanced battery systems. for renewable energy generation,” Commissioner of Public Lands There is a growing movement to scale up deployment of this technology. Stephanie Garcia Richard said. “The La Joya project highlights our potential as a state to become a powerhouse for America’s renew- A pilot project, developed by Emera Technologies in partnership with San- able-energy future. Over the lifetime of the project, $41 million will dia National Laboratories and Helia Technologies, is running at Kirtland be raised for New Mexico public schools.” Air Force Base in Albuquerque. It is designed to serve new residential sub- divisions of up to 100 homes. Its complete power system that integrates Western Spirit Wind Project generation, storage, cabling and an open-source microgrid control plat- On June 4, five leases for the Western Spirit Wind development were form. With solar and battery capacity at every home—as well as additional awarded to Pattern Renewables. Pattern will develop 16,442 acres in resources at a small energy park—all generation and storage in the neigh- Torrance and Lincoln counties. Twenty-nine or more wind turbines borhood become shared resources available to every customer. It does not will be built for the project, generating at least 76 MW of energy require a grid connection but when grid-connected, excess capacity can be annually, enough to power over 15,000 homes. The project will fed to the power grid. connect to the forthcoming Western Spirit transmission line. The Land Office estimates the minimum revenue to New Mexico public If the entire system is utility-owned, operated and maintained, builders and schools will be over $16 million during the life of the project. The homeowners are not burdened with upfront costs, system maintenance, company is required to provide bonding coverage for the eventual worries about replacing components, or complexities when selling their decommissioning of the turbines. home. Utilities can use the system to make progress against renewable energy mandates while responding to growing customer interest in distrib- The State Land Office is currently working to process over 40 appli- uted energy options. cations for new solar and wind energy projects on state trust land.

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 25 PNM WILL NOT RENEW PRC HEARING EXAMINERS NUCLEAR LEASES RECOMMEND 100%

On June 11, PNM filed notice with the New RENEWABLE REPLACEMENT Mexico Public Regulation Commission that it intends to terminate its lease for a share of POWER FOR SJGS power from the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Arizona, stating that its continued On June 24, hearing examiners for the investment in the plant would be uneconomic. New Mexico Public Regulation Commis- In January 2020, this delegation of Diné community members sion (PRC) issued their recommended de- traveled from the Four Corners to testify at a NM PRC hearing cision on what PNM should use to replace For seven years, New Energy Economy (www. in Santa Fe. They demanded 100% renewable energy replacement newenergyeconomy.org) and allied organiza- power and an end to desecration of their land, water and health. lost power from retiring the coal-fired San tions argued that the utility had not adequately Juan Generating Station (SJGS) in 2022. To considered feasible alternatives as required by comply with the state’s Energy Transition law. NEE filed intervention against PNM’s Act (ETA), the examiners presented several options. Their top choice: 100 percent renewable energy nuclear investments in the first San Juan with battery storage. Utility-scale facilities would be sited in the same Farmington-area school district Generating Station Replacement Power Case, as the SJGS. An overall $447 million would be invested in that district, which would offset tax revenue and in two subsequent rate cases, winning an lost from the SJGS closure. In addition, $430 million more would be invested in large solar and battery “imprudent” finding by the NMPRC in 2016 storage projects in nearby McKinley County and on the Jicarilla Apache Nation. and a unanimous decision by the New Mexico Supreme Court in 2019. San Juan County is well positioned to become a major producer and exporter of solar energy—thanks to existing transmission capacity—as well as a commercial-scale energy storage hub for Southwestern In 2019, NEE, on behalf of 26 co-petitioners, utilities. filed a Joint-Petition Requesting PRC Investiga- tion into PNM's Planned Purchase of Expir- As a backup option, the examiners chose PNM’s proposed Scenario 2, which would include 400 MW ing Nuclear Leases. Joint-Petitioners included of gas and 100 MW of solar. The ETA would require that the gas units be retired by 2040, according to Citizens for Fair Rates and the Environment, Camilla Feibelman of the Sierra Club’s Río Grande Chapter. A third alternative would provide 525 MW the Climate Change Leadership Institute, of solar and storage in McKinley and Río Arriba counties, but would also include 200 MW of gas. In Concerned Citizens of Wagon Mound and the coming weeks, the PRC must choose whether to approve, reject or modify the recommendations. Mora County, Dooda Desert Rock, Earth Care, Food and Water Watch, Hispano Round Table The examiners endorsed PNM projects that would provide 600 MW of solar power, including a of Nuevo Mexico, Honor Our Pueblo Exis- 300-MW utility-solar project with battery storage on Jicarilla Apache lands. The projects will be built, tence (HOPE), Honor the Earth, Indigenous managed and owned by independent power producers. PNM will serve transmission and distribution Lifeways Inc., Institute for Local Self-Reliance, functions only. They rejected PNM’s plans to build the Piñon Natural Gas Plant in Waterflow and a the League of United Latin American Citizens battery project near Albuquerque. (LULAC), Los Jardines Institute, Multicultur- al Alliance for a Safe Environment (MASE), The nonprofit advocacy group New Energy Economy (NEE) had argued that there is no technical or Physicians for Social Responsibility NM, economic reason to continue to rely on fossil fuels. The examiners extensively quoted NEE’s witness, Renewable Taos, Retake Our Democracy, Río Dahr Jamail, in their decision. Jamail, author of The End of Ice, rejected suggestions that CO2 emissions Arriba Concerned Citizens (RACC), Securing from the proposed natural gas units would be minimal and that potential reconfiguration of units to Economic and Energy Democracy (SEED), burn methane could reduce emissions. Jamail said that the climate crisis is the single-largest existential The Southwest Indigenous Uranium Forum threat of our time and that fossil fuel use is its largest cause. “The fossil fuel industry has to be phased (SIUF), Student Advocacy Union NM, Taos out if we’re going to meet any global or national climate goals,” he said. United, Tewa Women United, and Wild Earth Guardians. The examiners also quoted UNM economist Kelly O’Donnell, a witness for community groups Diné CARE and San Juan Citizens Alliance. O’Donnell said coal-mine reclamation and plant decommission- NEE’s executive director, Mariel Nanasi, said, ing have the potential to improve environmental quality, increase property values, enhance business “This seven-year battle has ended with a vic- opportunities and generate a substantial number of new, multi-year jobs. “Reclamation, like solar-plant tory for ratepayers, communities impacted by construction, can serve as a bridge between a resource-dependent community’s extractive past and a nuclear extraction and radioactive waste, and future based on a diverse set of new economies,” she said. the environment. Nuclear is the most expensive form of electricity on the market. It hogs O’Donnell also said that instead of investing millions of dollars attempting to resuscitate the region’s water and poses unacceptable risks to human coal industry, northwest New Mexico should aggressively pursue an economic-development strategy health and the environment. This victory will that leverages local assets and prioritizes quality of life, with a focus on three key areas: tourism and save New Mexicans more than $1.1 billion for recreation, solar power generation and storage, and mine reclamation/plant decommissioning. the electricity alone over the next 22 years, and unknown hundreds of millions in decommis- Meanwhile, Enchant Energy, with support from the City of Farmington, is moving to purchase the sioning costs. We look forward to a renew- SJGS and retrofit it with carbon-capture equipment. Citing risks and uncertainties, the PRC hearing able-energy and green-jobs future.” examiners recommended against a delay so that Enchant could bid on the SJGS’s replacement energy. In the hearings, no witnesses suggested that PNM get some of its energy from Enchant’s project.

26 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JULY/AUGUST 2020 BOOK PROFILE ORIGINAL POLITICS: MAKING AMERICA SACRED AGAIN

ORIGINAL POLITICS: MAKING AMERICAN SACRED AGAIN BY GLENN APARICIO PARRY SELECTBOOKS, INC., 2020 PAPERBACK, www.selectbooks.com

In Original Politics, Albuquerque, New Mexico-based author Glenn Parry reminds us of the profound effect Native Americans had on the founding values of this nation. He demonstrates how the best aspects of the founding vision of America were inspired, or directly appropriated, from living, Native cultures: concepts such as natural rights, liberty and egalitarian justice. He traces the influence of Native America, not only on the founding fathers, but on the “founding mothers” of the 19th-century women’s rights movement; as well as 19th-century abolitionist and modern ecological movements.

Native America has inspired what Parry sees as the sacred purpose of the nation: bringing all the world’s peoples together on one soil in a harmonious cultural mosaic of unity in diversity. While there have been periodic setbacks (devolution) in our nation’s history, including today, these only serve as catalysts to reignite our sacred purpose. America is creating a new melt- ing pot, and like the original vision, it will be a creation from the many into the one—only this time it must not leave anyone out. This includes the natural world. The overall effect is profoundly healing.

Excerpts from reviews of Original Politics: Making America Sacred Again

“…A new worldview that reestablishes an Indigenous connection with the natural world. This worldview privileges place over time, relationship over product, and revalues the feminine, enabling us to rebalance culturally.” – Sally Roesch Wagner, author of Sisters in Spirit: Haudenosaunee Influence on Early American Femi- nists and the Women’s Suffrage Movement

“…Original Politics finds a unique way of retelling the true story of the impact Native cultures had on the development of the U.S.” – Harlan McKosato (San and Fox Nation)

“In a brilliant historical retelling, Original Politics makes clear that America’s sacred legacy— while appearing to have fallen in the ditch of a crude and phony populism—is destined to be a thriving pluralistic democracy and a sanctuary of ecological values.” worked with…principles from which we have allowed ourselves – James O’Dea, former president of The Institute of Noetic Sciences to stray at our peril.” – Sen. Gerald P. “Jerry” Ortiz y Pino, New Mexico Legislature “…Parry shows how returning to the nation’s mix of Native and European roots can effectively meet its current problems and heal its divisions.” “…Original Politics builds upon Parry’s book Original Thinking by – Stephen Sachs, author of Honoring the Circle: Ongoing Learning from American Indians on Politics examining the cultural narratives that helped shape our politics and Society and current social systems, asserting that our political future must include the sacred principles that lie within its past, and “…Parry draws on his lifetime of work in association with Native scholars and teachers as the original, foundations. He argues that though the original consti- lens through which he considers both the current polarized and dysfunctional American po- tutional principles borrowed much from the Iroquois Confed- litical situation and the coming global environmental catastrophe. He gently suggests that our eracy, the founding fathers omitted crucial principles—and that public business, our politics, can only change when we return to the spiritual, caring values those fatal omissions shape our greatest problems today.” that characterize the way Native people see their purpose in life regarding nature: as guardians and caretakers, not as masters, users or exploiters. These concepts were inherent in the prin- – Julie Morley, author of Future Sacred: ciples the founding fathers appropriated from Native American tribes whom they lived and The Connected Creativity of Nature

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 27 ... continued from page 5

Deforestation rates are so high there that, according to the U.N., many Asian countries will lose all of their native forests by 2030. Some countries, like the Philippines, already have (93 percent) (Hughes, 2017). This deforestation causes extreme stress on the animals, people and everything that lives there. Consider what Andrew Cunningham, professor of Wildlife Epidemiology at the Zoolog- ical Society of London, said recently about the repercussions of said stress: “If people are stressed and have the cold sore virus, they will get a cold sore. That [cold sore] is the virus being ‘expressed.’ This can happen in bats too.” (Walsh and Cotovio 2020).

In this way, bats are the nighttime version of the canary in the coalmine, but rather than monitoring air quality, they are monitoring the forest’s health. It is no wonder that cultures throughout the world believed that bats are nature’s messenger. Previous outbreaks of new diseases, such as ebola and SARS, have been shown to be directly related to forest destruction. In communities adjacent to destroyed forests, some lament how they “used to love the forest. Now we fear it”(Olivero et al., 2017).

The real culprit that caused the COVID-19 pandemic is not the bat but the economic and geopolitical forces that are destroying the ancient fabric of life. One of the key drivers behind forest destruction throughout Asia, as docu- mented in a major 2019 report on the health of the Earth, is the insatiable consumption of palm oil (Clemens et al., 2018). According to the World Wild- life Fund, More people are making the the world’s third- and connection that saving nature is fourth-largest consum- tantamount to saving ourselves. ers of palm Zoonotic diseases like the coronavirus oil are two can spread easily in wet markets.

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28 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JULY/AUGUST 2020 The real culprit that caused the pandemic is the economic and geo-political forces that destroyed the ancient fabric of life.

and large industrial meat and poultry operations has resulted in the “emergence of drug-resistant pathogens.” The old saying proves true once again: “If we make war on nature, nature will make war on us.”

All the above reminds me of a story of the hero twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, in the Popul Vuh, one of only four books (among tens of thousands) written by the Mayan people to have survived Spanish efforts to destroy their culture. In this story the hero twins descend into Xibalba, the underworld, where the spirits of the dead go, and are confronted with brutal tests set up by the lords of the underworld. The twins survive flying stone razors, blistering snow and pounding hail, and a den of hungry jaguars. But then comes Zotzi-ha, the House of Bats. The twins survive the night by squeezing their bodies inside their blowguns used for hunting. But when one brother pokes his head out to see if morning has arrived, Mayan Hero Twins a bat swoops down and takes his head off, delivering it to the underworld lords. With the help from all the animals, insects and plants of the world “great and small,” the other brother regains his brother’s head and the two go on to become familiar companies, PepsiCo Inc. and Procter & Gamble Palm, which use it in the rising sun and rising junk-food, beauty products and many other things (Progress, Palm, & Buy- full moon. ers, 2020). Palm oil, often referred to as the “invisible ingredient,” is just one example among many. Before blaming the coronavirus on the eating habits of others, we should first address our own eating habits and their effects on the Just like these hero twins, we find ourselves today having to protect ourselves world (not to mention our bodies). inside confined spaces from the messaging of bats. I wonder: Are we going to be like the hero twins and enlist the fauna and flora of the world to help us get Before demonizing wet markets, let us first ask what a wet market is. Essen- through this? Will we be able to see nature not as a threat but as our only true tially, they are local community markets and gathering places in urban centers safety net? Or, are we going to continue to lose our heads and pledge our alle- where working people get fresh meat and vegetables. A letter signed by 330 giance to fear everything we can’t see? ¢ leading animal welfare and conservation organizations around the world de- clared that in order to prevent future pandemics we need a permanent worldwide ban on live wildlife markets, illegal wildlife trade and the use of wildlife Maceo Carrillo Martinet, Ph.D., is an ecologist and educator. in traditional medicine in Asian and African countries (Lion Coalition Open He works on environmental restoration, water conservation and com- Letter to WHO, Lioncoalition.org). Public comments below this letter decry munity-based education projects throughout New Mexico. Asia and Africa as “barbaric” and “uncivilized.” While all live slaughter markets around the world require the highest level of hygiene, banning the few REFERENCES spaces where local folks can access fresh food is not the answer. Plenty of Clemens, P. V., Mark, S., Markus, R., & Markus, B. (2018). research and even Netflix documentaries remind us that the U.S. is the world’s Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for Asia and the Pacif- second-largest buyer of illegal wildlife behind China (Doshi & April, 2020). ic. In Ipbes. Once again, people from Asia, and now Africa, are blamed for the world’s health crises without ever pointing to the real drivers of the destruction of Doshi, B. S., & April, N. G. (2020). When Confronting both the land and its people. Our incessant consumption of wildlife, palm oil, a Pandemic , We Must Save Nature to Save Ourselves. 1–9. paper and many other products is a big part of this pandemic story. Our ignorance of the huge role we play in causing this pandemic is the real Hughes, A. C. (2017). Understanding the drivers of South- “invisible ingredient.” east Asian biodiversity loss. Ecosphere, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1624 Olivero, J., Fa, J. E., Real, R., Márquez, A. L., Farfán, M. A., Vargas, J. M., … Nasi, INVISIBLE NATURE R. (2017). Recent loss of closed forests is associated with Ebola virus disease out- While basic hygiene is essential to our health, the heightened fear we have breaks. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-14727-9 over invisible nature, such as microbes, is not. Being exposed to un-polluted nature, such as organic farms, gardens and public parks, actually makes us Progress, M. T. H. E., Palm, O. F., & Buyers, O. I. L. (2020). PALM OIL BUY- healthier precisely because it has a rich microbial life (Sandifer, Sutton-Grier, ERS SCORECARD. (January). & Ward, 2015). Sandifer, P. A., Sutton-Grier, A. E., & Ward, B. P. (2015). Exploring connections In a recently leaked military report titled Pandemic Influenza and Infectious Disease among nature, biodiversity, ecosystem services, and human health and well-being: Response (USNORTHCOM Branch Plan 3560, 2017), the military not only Opportunities to enhance health and biodiversity conservation. Ecosystem Services, predicted the coronavirus pandemic; it also highlighted another public health 12, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2014.12.007 crisis on par with the coronavirus that is a direct consequence of our war on Walsh and Cotovio 2020. Bats are not to blame for coronavirus. Humans are. microbes. According to the report, our “widespread and improper use of CNN. March 20, 2020 antibiotic, anti-viral and anti-malarial treatments” typically used in hospitals

GREENFIRETIMES.COM 29 BEYOND BORDERS WHAT’S GOING ON Onsite and Online A series of installations and events calling attention to the realities of ALBUQUERQUE global migration and U.S./Mexico border policy. A collaboration among OCT. 14–17 the School of Advanced Research (SAR), Center for Contemporary Arts 60TH ANNUAL WESTERN HISTORY Santa Fe (CCA) and SITE Santa Fe. Sarweb.org/beyond-borders-2020/ ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE ABQ Convention Center, Hyatt Regency Scholars and professionals join students and laypeople to share research, TAOS exchange ideas and develop programs that facilitate study of the North THURS.– SUN., 11 A.M.–5 P.M. American West. Scholars and teachers of the West in all fields are welcome. HARWOOD MUSEUM OF ART www.westernhistory.org/2020 238 Ledoux St. Works by Taos Society of Artists and Taos Pueblo artists. THROUGH JAN. 26, 2021 (CHECK REOPENING DATE) Harwoodmuseum.org PUEBLO WOMEN PAVING CULTURAL PATHWAYS Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, 2401 12th St. NW Exhibition highlighting how the work of women from 19 communities HERE & THERE impacts Pueblos today. Also: Relocated: Urban Migration, Perseverance and Adaptation, about the effects of the federal employment program that DAILY, 10 AM–6 PM brought many Pueblo people into the cities. 505.843.7270, WILDLIFE WEST NATURE PARK www.indianpueblo.org 87 N. Frontage Rd., Edgewood, NM 122-acre park just east of ABQ. Interactive trail focuses on rescued, THURSDAY–SUNDAY, 8 AM–5 PM (BY APPOINTMENT) non-releasable, native New Mexican wildlife and native plants. $9 RÍO GRANDE NATURE CENTER STATE PARK adults/$7 seniors/$5 students/ages 4 and younger free. 505.281.7655, 2901 Candelaria NW wildlifewest.org 270 acres of woods, meadows and farmland. Visitor center open 10 am–5 pm. $3 per vehicle. Details: 505.344.7240, rgnc.org OCT. 1–2 NEW MEXICO OUTDOOR ECONOMICS CONFERENCE ABQ 2030 DISTRICT Farmington, NM Voluntary collaboration of commercial property tenants, building manag- Leaders from government, outdoor recreation industry and advocacy ers, property owners and developers; real estate, energy and building sector organizations. Creating jobs from protected public lands. Panel discus- professionals, lenders, utility companies and public stakeholders such as sion, outdoor trips, gear expo. Organized by Outdoor NM and the NM government agencies, nonprofits, community groups and grassroots orga- Outdoor Recreation Division of the NM Economic Development Dept. nizers. Property partners share anonymous utility data and best practices. Registration: $65. www.outdooreconomicsnm.com Professionals provide expertise and services. [email protected] COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS IN NEW MEXICO Volunteers needed to help with food distribution. Also, math and literacy SANTA FE support during and after school; especially individuals with training in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and Span- AUG. 5, 9:30 A.M.–12:30 P.M. MUSHROOM FORAGING ish speakers. [email protected], cisnm.org/volunteer Santa Fe Ski Basin $25. adv. NM Mycological Society. www.slowfoodsantafe.org SPIRIT OF THE BUTTERFLY 923 E. Fairview Lane, Española, NM MON.–SAT., 8 AM–4 PM Women’s support group organized by Tewa Women United. RANDALL DAVEY AUDUBON CENTER Info/RSVP: Beverly, 505.795.8117 1800 Upper Canyon Rd. Trails lead through several habitats and plant zones ranging from meadows to ponderosa pine forests. Bird walks and hikes. No dogs allowed. ONLINE 505.983.4609, nm.audubon.org/randall-davey-audubon-center-sanctuary THURSDAYS IN JULY, 5 P.M. TUES., SAT., 7 AM–1 PM DANCING EARTH’S CLASSES SANTA FE FARMERS’ MARKET One-hour lessons for dancers of all levels taught by Native American 1607 Paseo de Peralta dancers. Light movement and high-intensity. By donation. Northern NM farmers and ranchers offer fresh tomatoes, greens, root dancingearth.org veggies, cheese, teas, herbs, spices, honey, baked goods, body-care products and much more. 505.983.7726, santafefarmersmarket.com JULY 7, 9:30–10:45 A.M. THE FUTURE IS HANDMADE TUES.–SAT. Fundraiser for the International Folk Art Market with Li Edelkoort, EL MUSEO CULTURAL DE SANTA FE Philip Fimmano and Keith Recker. Tickets: www.edelkoort.us 555 Cam. de la Familia Rotating exhibits, community programs and performances designed to JULY 17 preserve Hispanic culture. Elmuseocultural.org WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS MEAN BUSINESS 2020 Virtual conference. Connect with aspiring entrepreneurs and business MID-JULY THROUGH THE SUMMER owners. Speakers, panels, interactive breakout sessions, virtual market

30 GREENFIRETIMES.COM JULY/AUGUST 2020 featuring women-owned businesses. $15. Presented by Arrowhead Center and WESST. https://arrowheadcenter.nmsu.edu/program/we/ PLEASE SUPPORT GREEN FIRE TIMES

JULY 20–24, 27–31, AUG. 4–6 Green Fire Times provides a platform for regional, community-based INDIGENOUS SUSTAINABLE voices—useful information for residents, businesspeople, students and COMMUNITIES DESIGN COURSE visitors—anyone interested in the history and spirit of New Mexico 13-day online intensive demonstrates how many disciplines must be integrated and the Southwest. One of the unique aspects of GFT is that it offers multicultural perspectives and a link between the green movement and into a whole system using nature’s models of sustainability and diversity. Eco- traditional cultures. logical design, natural farming, seed saving, traditional foods and nutrition, alternative energy, earth building, earth restoration, natural healing, midwife- Storytelling is at the heart of community health. GFT shares stories ry, restoring community. Course limited to Indigenous people. $200. Partial of hope and is an archive for community action. In each issue, a scholarships available. small, dedicated staff and a multitude of contributors offer articles documenting projects supporting sustainability—community, culture, [email protected] environment and regional economy.

JULY 24–26 Green Fire Times is now operated by an LLC owned by a nonprofit ed- FOURTH ANNUAL TAOS WRITERS CONFERENCE ucational organization (Est. 1972, swlearningcenters.org). Obviously, it Workshops on poetry, fiction, memoirs, play writing, children’s book writing. is very challenging to continue to produce a free, quality, independent Keynote speaker: Pam Houston. Instructors: Robert Arellano, Sallie Bingham, publication. We are seeking financial support to help us institute a new Ned Doughtery, Allegra Huston. $149–$419. business model and formalize a mentorship program for writers, aspir- Somostaos.org ing journalists and documentarians. We also need funding to make our archive more accessible and to upgrade GFT online. Please consider THROUGH SEPT. 6 a tax-deductible donation. Checks may be made out to Southwest TRINITY: REFLECTIONS ON THE BOMB Learning Centers, Inc. (with a notation ‘for GFT’) and sent to: P.O. Albuquerque Museum Box 8627, Santa Fe, NM 87504-8627, or via Fundly: https://fundly. th com/sustain-green-fire-times#. Artists’ diverse perspectives of nuclear issues. Marking the 75 anniversary of the Trinity explosion. Cabq.gov/trinity Also, please consider advertising. The print edition—currently published every other month, while our website is updated more frequent- THROUGH OCTOBER ly—is widely distributed from Albuquerque to Taos and beyond. EARTHSHIP ACADEMY For a rate sheet, visit GreenFireTimes.com. Session 2: June 1-26; Session 3: July 6-31; Session 4: Sept. 7-Oct. 2; Youth Academy: Aug. 3–14. Hands-on classes and labs with M. Reynolds and experienced Earthship builders. 575.613.4888, [email protected], www.earthshipglobal.com/academy-sessions

GATHERING SEEDS Digital project showcasing Native artists in musical and spoken-word performances. Free. Wearetheseeds.org

INTERNATIONAL FOLK ART MARKET – SANTA FE Videos, lectures, interviews, films and auction. 7/10: Online gala. Folkartmarket.org

MUSEUM OF INDIAN ARTS & CULTURE Exhibitions and online artist videos, educational activities for students. Indianartandculture.org

NM MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY AND SCIENCE 1801 Mountain Road, Albuquerque Online resources and collections. 505.841.2800, nmnaturalhistory.org

PAJARITO ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER Take It Outside online program posts challenges every weekday to help you explore nature from your own backyard, neighborhood or nearby trail. https://peecnature.org/take-it-outside/

POEH CULTURAL CENTER NATIVE ARTIST MARKETPLACE Native Artist Marketplace Facebook group supports Native artists during the pandemic. Online business development tutorials, emergency relief grant information. facebook.com/poehculturalcenter

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