IRIE works together with local communities in Northern New Mexico. This year IRIE will be looking for possible board members to fill six seats in order to escape the umbrella of another non-profit’s tax identification. A feel of change is in the air, we are forming a progressive entity that looks to form agricultural thrivablility and reinvigorate the community with living indigenous knowledge.

For more information about the non-profit IRIE or to volunteer or donate,
contact the office of Indigenous Roots Indigenous Earth
575-770-9532

Life on planet Earth has managed to survive by means of water. All life is brought into existence on Earth through the life giving energy of water. The water cycle is what continually churns the cycle of energy and provides the resources that sustain us all. Humanity must realize the importance of protecting and preserving the natural qualities of the water cycle. We must work to maintain the purity of water in terms of the Earths health as we re-think our own personal consumption and waste-full misuse of water. In the high desert of Northern New Mexico and the mountainous regions of the Sangre de Cristos, there is a delicate balance between water and survival for all species. The co-existence of plants, animals and all other organisms within the ebb and flow of the water cycle is dependant on the availability of a clean water source.

Natural Cycles

Water is the only molecule that can exist in every natural state; liquid, solid, gas and vapor. The special polar nature of a water molecule provides a unique environment for life to thrive and diversify into what we now experience. We are blessed with a relatively abundant supply of water in this region compared to most of the high desert plateau regions of the world. There is a distinct pattern of water flow dynamics within the landscape of the Northern New Mexico. Water travels from the high mountains down to the watershed and on to lowland Bosque wetlands as it descends in altitude. The bio-geographical distribution of animals and plants follows the trends of resource availability: varying with temperature, altitude and latitudinal changes. As we observe the patterns of collective groupings of plant and animal communities within a distinct inter-dependant relationship with the sacred lay of the land, we begin to notice the role of humanity when is comes to water. Humans have the most dramatic effect on the balance and use of water within a natural ecosystem. The change in allocation of water due to human use is far more influential than any other source of change in the environment. This can be measured by the environmental disturbance that is a direct product of the human ecological footprint.

Culture

There is a strong culture behind the structured use and distribution of water in Northern New Mexico. The longtime collaboration with water in agriculture by Native peoples and the more recent use of water by Spanish and Anglo cultures continue to influence the way in which we honor and protect water in current day Northern New Mexico. Agriculture, ranching and personal use dominates the common uses of water in this bio-region and current technologies allow people to increase the efficiency at which we grow food through a variety of ways including storing, catching and charging the aquifer. However there are always ways that we can improve our consciousness when it comes to the use and perpetuation of clean water. For the next generation to truly appreciate and be aware of the value of clean abundant water, the elders must educate and instill the worth of water in all the forms of life.
Many of the myths and stories told by the ancestors of this land tell of feast and famine depending on the precipitation. Our livelihood depended on whether or not the rain would water the crops, fill the rivers and allow the animals to drink. Of the Earth and for the Earth, the water provided by the spirits only comes when we honor and hold ceremony for the blessings bestowed upon the land for food, water and shelter. During periods of life when technology and scientific advancement weren’t the only tools we used for the health and wealth of our families, we trusted the Earth and knew that although not predictable, the rain would come.
There is a compromise between old traditions and the new ways of life that are embraced by the youth of our communities. The way in which each individual perceives its environment will lead up to the lifestyle choices that are made. All choices must be looked at in terms of the health and diversity of all life not just humanity. To go around believing that humans are more important than other forms of life that depend on water is beyond understanding. Especially considering that we are reliant on a healthy planet for the future of our own children. The ways at which we have been looking at Earth are dramatically evolving as the general public in this nation begin to realize that we are using earth rather that mutually living in harmony with the blessings of Earth.
By utilizing specific agricultural, domestic and civil practices that use less water and return clean water back into the system, we can assure ourselves that there will be clean water for the present day into the future. The basic premise of the water cycle ensures that whatever we put into the cycle works itself through with ardent strength and if not natural, there is the possibility of damaging the entire nature of this planet. Everything un-natural is magnified and accumulates to the point of danger for the environment. This is why we are seeing disorder and unpredictability within the weather and many other natural cycles.

Water Consumption

The capacity of water to nourish and do work is immense. Holding water in any one of the states of matter can lead into the release of the energy as the capacity of water to do work is vital for the ongoing life on Earth. Irrigated agriculture accounts for 78% of the total water withdrawals in the state of New Mexico. Over half of this 78% is used primarily for livestock and recreational animal foodstuff. Irrigated agriculture and domesticated animals have a long history in New Mexico with a variety of detrimental and permanent effects. Take for example the number of evasive exotic species that have spread as a result of mis-managed grazing land and the use of cattle in our diet. The consumptive irrigation requirements and grazing practices of ranchers are at the very least questionable and un-necessary. There is a series of wholistic range management techniques that allows the land to heal after livestock grazing and should be required for all cattle and ranching operations.
Limited in quantity and some areas by quality, water is a primary factor in determining the future growth of New Mexico. We must provide decision makers with the most comprehensive, current and useful water use data so that informed decisions can be made to insure the conservation and wise use of the state’s water resources. Residential water use is comprised of two components indoor use and outdoor use of water. It has been concluded in water use studies that the amount of water use depends more on lifestyle than family size or age. The importance of sacrificing comfort for the future of our planet is the underlying necessity of our socio-political modality and seems to be the only way to slow global catastrophe and demise.
Water conservation is defined as any beneficial reduction in water use or water losses. The demand for water utilities is increasing every day in Taos County, as the development and construction industries are well out of hand and have been for quiet a long time. Many of us locally raised New Mexicans can barely recognize the land as the influx of people has led to a loss of traditional agrarian lifestyle and is tearing apart the matrix of respect, integrity and interconnectivity with the land, water, air, and fire. The time is now to implement a public re-education program, and require that building codes that are effective in reducing the average daily use in our community. All of these measures may reduce the local demand and may add years to the life of aquifers that are being mined, reduce the cost of wastewater treatment, save energy, postpone or eliminate the expansion of water treatment and distribution systems, and decrease the volume of wastewater discharged into rivers and streams.

Within the Flow

The procedures and human dealings with water in the last 200 years are mind-boggling. Our exhaustive consumption and creation of an ethno-centered mindset around water has resulted in more challenges that we try to solve with more technology that wastes more water, all in the process of trying to save the environment. The solution is not found in another program to save water but rather the solution lies in our own individual ability to value and commit to the earth and the elements that allow our families and communities to thrive. The techniques are simple: mimic the earth, be the plant that sends roots down, absorbing water, gathering life force and letting go of water in another form so that it can continue on to another being giving life. If there is any place and people that can be guides for the rest of society let this be the place, Taos New Mexico.

New Mexico is at the heart of a revolution. The new green rev-
olution has begun with a common view and practices that will
provide food and fiber that are economically sound, environ-
mentally wise and socially and culturally appropriate now and
into the future. Sustainability of natural resources and our
own connection with the Earth improve with the practice of
Permaculture. “Permanent Agriculture” is the conscious
design and maintenance of cultivated ecosystems, which
have the diversity, stability and resilience of natural ecosys-
tems. It is the harmonious integration of landscape, people
and appropriate technologies, providing goods, shelter, ener-
gy and other needs in a sustainable way. Permaculture is a
philosophy and an approach to land use which works with
natural rhythms and patterns, weaving together the elements
of microclimate, annual and perennial plants, animals,
water, soil management, and human needs into intricately
connected and productive communities.

All living systems are centered around energy flow. The
existing energetic forces in the high desert of New Mexico,
sun, rain, wind, humans, and money act through systems;
whether that system is a garden, a family or a business. In a
permaculture system, position interconnects elements in the
system into beneficial relationships. When designed correct-
ly, such a system will become, like a natural ecosystem,
increasingly diverse and self-sustaining. Permaculture is
based on three ethics: Care of the Earth, Care of the People
and Setting limits to population and consumption. By gov-
erning our own needs, we can set resources aside to further
the first two principles.

Successful permaculture systems have three guiding
principles that have proven successful. The first prin-
ciple is that each element must perform multiple
functions within the system. An example would be the cher-
ry tree outside a home in the valley. The small tree bears fruit
or a cash crop, the rotten cherries fall or get eaten by birds,
spreading the fruit and also fertilizing the ground for the
berries that grow in the shade. The twigs are used for kin-
dling in the winter and the leaves act as mulch in the com-
post pile. The second principle is that each desired function
is supported by multiple elements (shade is provided). Lastly,
interconnectivity is vital. The susceptibility and output of a
New Mexican permaculture system is not dependent on the
number of elements, but rather the number of varied
exchanges. Think about the diversity and richness of an old
growth forest versus that of a monoculture tree farm.
Water is the dominant energy theme in dryland permacul-
ture design. New Mexico and the Colorado Plateau have
water resources that are being diminished at astonishing
rates and the “ownership” of that water is being disputed
with ever increasing fervor. When we take a step back from
the water crisis and evaluate the sources of water and the
lasting climatic and geographic patterns of our state, a
drought should be no surprise. Water system quantity fluc-
tuates dramatically in the high altitude deserts of the world,
being subject to varying inland climatic patterns due to dra-
matic mountain ranges and complicated geomorphology.
The pattern that many hydrologists and climatologists sug-
gest is governance of our consumption. This can be done by
various means: “gray water” systems, rainwater catchments
or drought tolerant plant species. Two other sources of ener-
gy in New Mexico are sun and wind. By taking advantage of
these forces, we can harvest and store amazing amounts of
energy and build our communities with a more “earth cul-
tural” mindset.

Traditions Converge

In New Mexico there is a rich legacy of profound human
interconnection with the land and its blessings of food
plants. The native peoples of this region hold an intimate
connection with the land and plant life. When the Spanish
arrived in the 15th century they brought with them their
own plants and practices, and when the Anglos arrived later
they transported many botanical allies as well as foes. These
traditions converged to form a rich and unique legacy, which
serves as a primary source of health and healing.
At the heart of is the profound reservoir of indigenous
knowledge, gleaned from millennia of living in intimate
relationship with the natural world. Throughout the year
ceremonial dances and rituals celebrate the gifts of the
earth, giving thanks for corn, beans, seeds, rain and the
mysterious tapestry of sacred relationships that sustain
human beings and all life. Modern agribusiness built an
industry based on the use of packaged hybrid seeds and
toxic chemicals. The restoration of Native food plant and
cultural heritage will be a difficult task, and is necessary for
the evolution of permaculture design. We must use innova-
tive, viable models for environmental restoration and
implement them at the same level of importance as other
political endeavors.

Permaculture is about understanding our human
relationship to place; it is about being attached,
connected, and belonging to the essence of these
natural places and the delicate environmental balance. The
cycles of energy to matter and matter to energy, and of birth,
death and rebirth are ongoing. A slender thread binds the
weave tight in the intricate, mysterious fabric of life, and yet
we have been blindly unraveling the tapestry of creation. As
we strain to find the limits of the natural world, we can no
longer escape the knowledge that we are inseparable from
our surroundings and that our fates are the same.
Permaculture principles are being used on every continent
except for Antarctica. Design solutions exist worldwide for
every environment and technological, social and economic
needs can be modeled on natural systems.

COMMUNITY

Come unity. The laws that function to manipulate energy on Earth will not allow human communities to continue working against the forces of earth. At the rate that Americans and other populations are consuming earth’s resources, we as a species will soon be challenged to reconsider our technology and return to more appropriate means of living. The laws being broken can be simply defined as the devine thread that holds this beautiful sacred place together or can be categorized into physics, math, chemistry, biology, antrhoplogy etc.. The laws scientists have worked so hard to discover over the past 200 years has done nothing to get our communities closer together and our planet healthy, science itself has proven only the contrary. Community law is always an influence. It is within the social and political construct of science and religion that we must find the synergy that hold us together close to the patterns of Earth.

INDIGICULTURE

Permaculture (Permanent Agri-Culture) is the conscious design and maintenance of cultivated ecosystems which have the diversity, stability & resilience of natural ecosystems. Permaculture is the harmonious integration of landscape, people & appropriate technologies, providing good, shelter, energy & other needs in a sustainable way. Permaculture is a philosophy and an approach to land use which works with natural rhythms & patterns, weaving together the elements of microclimate, annual & perennial plants, animals, water & soil management, & human needs into intricately connected & productive communities.

HIGH DESERT ECOLOGY

Specific Dryland techniques that you can implement in your yard include adding rain water catchment barrels at each downspout for use in areas with high water demands.
Fire Ecology and the bark beetle are factors of the high desert environment that have been neglected for some time. Along with cyclical drought patterns, the desert is alive and evolving like all other life, we must work to be close and observe what changes are occurring. To save and propel the area around our own being is where this connection must begin.
Shading, rock sponges, water catchment, swales, gabions and guild plantings will all help our personal space come closer to a natural system. These techniques also give humans a connection to the earth that will work to a global benefit. In the way that each aspect is preserving and conserving the natural system with the least amount of impact.
Composting is and will be a vital practice in re-gaining the vigor and life force of areas where other human practices have been less sustainable. Re-initating a mutualistic relationship between the land and its inhabitants must begin with the family unit. Composting is one way that a family can use waste products to enhance and perpetuate the natural cycles. Sheet composting is simply stuffing our food waste in between layers of straw hay, manure and cardboard (no ink). Keep in mind that in the high desert it is difficult to have healthy soil quickly because of low amounts of water, high wind and sun exposure. Compost has a few required elements in order to be beneficial and worth our time. A Carbon source, a Nitrogen source and enough oxygen is a good start. Two other great ideas would be to shade the compost with squash or fabric, and start a worm bin. When these factors are in place, the compost will do its job with minimal effort.
Natural building techniques and ecologically mindful development will prove to be vital in the coming years. It is the responsibility of land owners and developers to bring in intelligence that is focused on the continuum of wholistic health for the community and the planet. This means becoming active in a new vision of what living on this planet means.

TRIVABILITY

Many energetic sources will help to guide us into a thrivable future. For example the energy of the sun and wind can be converted into consumptive means for humans, and has been done so for a long time. However, we still need petroleum to make solar panels and our wind generators are also manufactured through much processing and suffering for our home. Our vision must be collaborative, patient and focused in order to be in balance with all that is.

INDIGENOUS ROOTS

Plant guilds and terracing are a desert peoples friends when it comes to providing stability for your family and community. Also having many sources of income and food are key. Knowing how to store, can, process and keep food safe and edible will prove invaluable for the next generation, taking into consideration the food supply estimates over the next 20 years.