Blog

Why we got involved

While many of our members have known and worked with each other for years and have engaged in inter-tribal causes, the last three years have seen our efforts crystalize into a new direction. Near the remote West Texas village of Ruidosa, on 100 acres of land to be donated, a new vision for our group was born. It is our intention to preserve this land and utilize it as a “Living Cultural Exchange Center”. While many of our members have been engaged with tribal communities across this country and internationally, our present focus of work has been on the ancient tribal areas known as the La Junta Region in remote West Texas. This area, near Presidio, Texas, in the heart of the Chihuahuan Desert on the Texas/Mexico border, has been a crossroads of cultures for thousands of years and that tradition continues. Primarily an agricultural center for thousands of years, much of the farm land has been taken out of production for a variety of reasons.

Over the past two years, our group has been focused on aiding this borderland community. Presently there is no known public land held in trust that exists or is owned and managed by the local indigenous population. While the native culture is still strong in the region, much indigenous knowledge is at risk of being lost. Part of our mission is to help establish a healing landscape for this area in order to preserve and revive tribal traditions and knowledge which in the past, established this area as the breadbasket of the entire region. Many sites in this community are still sacred to the indigenous population; however, most are held in private hands. A pledge of 100 acres of these sacred lands has been offered to our group and will be donated once our non-profit status is established. This site will serve as a model for possible future acquisitions.

Our group brings the knowledge, experience and traditions necessary to help in restoring not only the land, but also in helping to reconnect the local indigenous community to their ancient homeland. Our mission will have an emphasis on sustainable living practices as well as provide a learning and healing landscape. We wish to preserve the sacred sites of the area and work with like-minded organizations for the management and long-term protection and preservation of these tribal lands.