Tending Culture and Relationships: 2022 Inaugural Cohort of the Chihuahuan Desert Cultural Fellowship
Michelle E. Carreon, Food Justice Storyteller
We cannot separate food from land, history, family stories, and cultural expression.
As a land-based organization deeply rooted in our community, our cultural practice is closely tied to our region’s history and diverse ecosystem and the countless human and non-human relationships we have forged over the years. Cultural practice is integral to foodways, which include how we grow, produce, cook, and share food, as well as how we consume and utilize it for various purposes. The memories we make and share through our stories are also a core aspect of our regional and cultural foodways and identities.
Native flora and fauna, desert-adapted crops, and ourselves as co-inhabitants of this terrain are all critical to our collective resilience in the face of climate chaos and environmental injustices. While our region has deep agricultural roots, an increasing disconnection from the Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem still persists in our communities. But amidst the disconnection, some cultural practitioners across the region are tending the flame of land-based cultural practice. Their work is already deeply impactful and has the potential to shape our region and future generations. In an effort to address this disconnect and support these practitioners, La Semilla hosts a Chihuahuan Desert Cultural Fellowship, which seeks to enhance the interrelated health and resilience of borderlands communities and natural and social ecologies. Designed as a cohort system to cultivate relationships, learn from other practitioners, and explore areas of mutual support, the 4-month fellowship supports local folks whose cultural, arts, and/or advocacy practice revolves around the Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem with monthly stipends.
Earlier this year, La Semilla launched its inaugural cohort of the Cultural Fellowship. The first cohort brought together six fellows whose work encompasses a broad range of artistic and cultural expression and deep connections with our regional ecosystem and broader communities across the Paso del Norte region:
Albert Alvidrez (Ysleta del Sur Pueblo – El Paso, TX) – Potter and Local Historian
Mateo Herrera (El Paso, TX) – Chef, Artist, Writer, and Educator
Diego Medina (Las Cruces, NM) – Artist and Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Piro-Manso-Tiwa Tribe
Saul Ramirez (Las Cruces, NM) – Artist, Poet, and Local Historian
Lorena Sosa (Ciudad Juárez, Mexico) – Writer, Poet, and Educator
Janette Terrazas (Ciudad Juárez, Mexico) – Textile Artist and Environmental Activist
From March through June, the fellows and La Semilla staff gathered on multiple occasions to deepen a network of cultural and food justice practitioners. Our introductory gathering took place at La Semilla Community Farm in Anthony, NM and involved grounding ourselves as a community with both the land and each other, as well as fellows and staff alike sharing about our own lived experiences and cultural practice.
In April, fellows and staff participated in a hike at Hueco Tanks guided by members of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo–Andrea Everett and Councilman Rafael Gomez Jr. In addition to being another opportunity to connect with each other in our natural landscape, this hike deepened not only our connection with the Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem but also our knowledge and respect for generations of Indigenous groups who have inhabited and tended this land since time immemorial.
The month of May provided two opportunities for both fellows and La Semilla staff to gather and connect in meaningful and educational ways. Early in the month, we reconnected as an organization, as well as with the fellows, during a virtual workshop led by Emanuel H. Brown of the Acorn Center for Restoration and Freedom in Georgia. Emanuel created a safe and respectful space to recharge while reflecting on our relationships with our natural home and with each other. We were reminded that, in our fight for social justice and change, “we are not alone but woven together.”
Also in late may, fellow Albert Alvidrez opened up his home to us for a pottery workshop. A potter and member of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, Albert showed us every step of his creative process and offered us an opportunity to be active participants. Fellows and La Semilla staff spent an afternoon learning how to shape, paint, and fire clay. The workshop was both educational and an opportunity to explore our own creativity and imagination. Albert and Irma also fed us the most wonderful meal!
On June 4th, we gathered at MADRE–a community arts and music venue located in El Paso–as a close to the inaugural fellowship. La Semilla staff and invited community members gathered to hear the fellows present their work and how the fellowship had impacted their practice. This was a significant moment for the organization, as it solidified an idea and goal that had been in Executive Director Cristina Dominguez’s vision for years. To safely gather together during this ongoing pandemic to celebrate the notable cultural work being done across our region was a truly special experience.
We invite you to learn more about the fellows by viewing their profiles on our YouTube channel, as well as invite you to read a guest feature on Lorena Sosa in the latest issue of Southwest Contemporary by La Semilla’s Food Justice Storyteller, Michelle Carreon.
We are currently gearing up for the second cohort of the Chihuahuan Desert Cultural Fellowship and are excited to learn more about a new set of cultural practitioners from across our region and deepen our relationships with the ecosystem and each other. In the coming months, we will be sharing more details as we launch this next cohort – so stay tuned!
