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.
Sadly, the rich and diverse history and culture of the Caja del Rio is now under threat. The National Nuclear Security Administration is proposing a 14-mile transmission line running across the Caja to the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Unbelievably, this proposed transmission line would impact one of the oldest sections of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, which was utilized from 1598-1610 before the capital was moved from Ohkay Owingeh to Santa Fe. In addition to disrupting sensitive cultural, historical and archaeological areas, the proposed transmission line also would have negative impacts on the Caja’s wildlife, which our communities have depended upon for generations. In proposing this project, the agency has clearly failed to recognize the longstanding spiritual, cultural and ecological connection New Mexico’s diverse communities have with the Caja.
This is why we Hispanic leaders must now call on the National Nuclear Security Administration to go back to the drawing board and choose the no-action alternative to this proposal. Coming up with more creative solutions to energy transmission without compromising the Caja’s sensitive natural, cultural and ecological values takes time, as well as truly listening and building trust with local communities. To propose a project with such massive cultural, historical and ecological consequences during a mere 60-day public comment period fails to honor the rich cultures and heritage that have shaped New Mexico and our nation.
What kind of future do we want for ourselves and our children? A future where the Caja del Rio is preserved and used responsibly by the public as a national treasure, or a future where history and cultural identity are sacrificed in the name of national security?
It seems a major purpose of national security should be to safeguard the diverse cultural values and sacred landscapes that make us who we are today. Permanently protecting the Caja is not some distant or abstract issue; it’s a very personal and local issue that affects all of us who call Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico home. It is time to unite across New Mexico’s diverse cultures and communities to permanently protect this amazing cultural and natural landscape before it’s too late.
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).
The Santa Fe New Mexican observes its 175th anniversary with a series highlighting some of the major stories and figures that have appeared in the paper's pages through its history.Â