SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 18

47th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2006

INTRODUCED BY

Carlos R. Cisneros

FOR THE WATER AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND THE STATE'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO EDUCATE STUDENTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF NEW MEXICO'S ACEQUIAS TO THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF THE STATE.

     WHEREAS, New Mexico's acequias are a cultural and institutional legacy in New Mexico that have ancient roots in the irrigation civilizations of Asia, north Africa and the Iberian peninsula and indigenous cultures of the Americas; and

     WHEREAS, acequias continue centuries-old community customs and traditions of water governance and water management that are passed on through experiential learning and oral tradition; and

     WHEREAS, the integrity of the acequia system depends upon passing on traditional knowledge from one generation to the next; and

     WHEREAS, families in acequia communities have a strong desire to continue acequia traditions and are creating educational programs for the purpose of documenting traditional knowledge by engaging youth in mentorship programs; and

     WHEREAS, learning about acequias provides opportunities for youth to learn about participatory democracy, indigenous knowledge, biodiversity, hydrology, history and language, which are vital topics to building a new generation of civic leaders; and

     WHEREAS, the state has a vital role to play in encouraging a new generation of acequia parciantes by supporting the creation of acequia curricula, by accommodating the seasonal schedules of agricultural and food traditions and by supporting community-based youth mentorship and service-learning programs;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that it recognize the profound importance of acequias to New Mexico's cultural heritage and promote the role of youth in sustaining and strengthening acequias for the future; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the public education department be requested to support efforts to engage youth in the research of acequia history and in the documentation of cultural knowledge embodied in present-day acequias and to develop curricula about acequias for local school districts; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that local school districts be requested to recognize the significance of acequia activities to the cultural identity of youth in traditional communities and that those school districts accommodate participation of youth in spring acequia cleanings and other agricultural activities by allowing excused absences for such activities; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that local school districts be requested to partner with community-based organizations such as the New Mexico acequia association to create service-learning opportunities in which youth learn cultural knowledge in a community setting; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that state agencies and local governments be requested to work to ensure that acequias remain strong by promoting policies that enhance their viability for the benefit of future generations; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the public education department and to the superintendents of the state's public school districts.

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