Occupy Española - Releasing the Great Divide

Occupy Wall Street has come into my life giving me the opportunity to get out on the streets, once again. For that, I'm grateful! But, life in northern NM is different. Different than any place on earth. Sure, people are currently focused on "faster cars, younger women, and more money", as one country song declares. Underneath, though, we know - we are - something that most peoples on this earth have lost connection to. Life. The river of life.

Northern New Mexico flows. And, the flow never ends. We are. And, nothing and no one can negate this. That's why peoples have come to "occupy" these valles y montes, la tierra segrada. It IS sacred and upon living with it, on it, in harmony, we become sacred, too. So, why do we need to get out there and protest anything? The ancestors of the pueblo people have been here for 10s of 1000s of years. Occupation a mere 500. A blip on the radar scale of forever.

Because.

Because too many of us have gotten caught up in the illusion of media and plastic China-made garbage; caught up in a web of lies. And, it's time to extricate ourselves. By starting a revolution one step-at-a-time. First, we must look at basic needs of our northern communities. Matthew Martinez, helped "Occupy Española" to see that. Our first basic need: food.

It is good to come back to center. Food brings in all the elements of survival. In our valleys and mountains, we must look at the watershed, acequias, traditional seeds, farming, gardening, harvest, food preservation and storage, seasonal foods, farmers' markets, GMOs, local markets carrying local food, eating food with value to promote health, health concerns, healthcare, children's health & education, ranching, on and on. But, again - balance. Where do we start? Where will it end?

There is so much happening in our area around food. All we have to do is become aware. So, to that end, Occupy Española is beginning our path by forming an awareness campaign around local food. This weekend, we flyered Wal-Mart till we got kicked out. We had flyers promoting the new "La Tiendita" cafe that features local food grown on Northern NM College campus and prepared in its commercial kitchen. It's located in the Johnson Controls Building, on Railroad Avenue. And, let me just tell you that the chocolate cake is to die for!!!

The flyer promoted the newly opened Española Community Market, too! The co-op has opened a storefront in the old Chamber of Commerce modular on the West Side. They have online shopping! And, starting later in November, they will take EBT cards (foodstamps). And, the membership is affordable! My husband is a student, and we were able to join the co-op for only $10! This is all thanks to Melissa Salazar and all the great volunteers (Guido & Melody Lambelet, Atocha Maestas, Elena Martinez, and more!) and the Board of Directors. Below is a link so you can start shopping! They need more volunteers and the building needs a lot of work - help out if you can! This is OUR market!

Occupy Española has come to focus on what's really important in this area. It does address the great divide between the richest and the most poor. It addresses those issues in a manner that's culturally relative. It focuses on one of our oldest components of traditional living: food.

Our next General Assembly (meeting) will be held on:

Wednesday, November 2nd

7-9pm

Northern NM College Cafeteria

*for more information on the protest or the meeting, call: 505-231-1433

For more information on Occupy Wall Street:

http://occupywallst.org/http://www.facebook.com/groups/OccupyWallStreetGroup/


For more information on Española Community Market:

http://espanolacommunitymarket.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Espa%C3%B1ola-Community-Market/149752065094469