The Caja del Rio is more than just a scenic landscape of canyons and mesas. Indeed, the Caja del Rio has been widely acknowledged as an area of profound cultural, historical and sacred importance to many tribes throughout New Mexico. What many people don’t know is that the Caja del Rio is also a living testament to the rich history and culture of the Hispanic people who have relied on this landscape for centuries.

The traditional villages and Hispanic communities along the Caja del Rio have a rich cultural heritage that includes hunting, grazing, piñon nut gathering, firewood collection, religious pilgrimage and spiritual sustenance. It’s a place where traditions, values and identity are preserved and passed on to future generations. It is a place where nature and spirituality are deeply intertwined.

The Caja del Rio is home to one of the most iconic stretches of the famed El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the longest Euro-American trade route in North America that ran from Mexico City to Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo. Considered one of the most important trade routes to the Spanish Crown and designated as a National Historic Trail by the United States Congress, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro was used for over 300 years — from the 16th century to the 19th century — to bring social, cultural and economic exchange to Northern New Mexico. On the Camino, the Caja del Rio served as the gateway to Santa Fe. In fact, Santa Fe might not exist today if it were not for the historic stretches of El Camino Real that run along the Caja del Rio.

Carmichael Dominguez is a former Santa Fe city councilor and the Hispanic organizer for EarthKeepers 360. Michael Romero Taylor is a La Cienega resident and retired from the National Park Service and was the state historic preservation officer (1994-95).