Roots in the Community: Finding Tradition in the "Other" Vegas

From Neon to Northern NM 🦩 🌲 

As I settle into life in Little Las Vegas this winter, I’ve loved making new friends and running into old ones this fall, whether in the field or at Borracho’s Craft Booze and Brews. 🍸️ 

Something else I’m eagerly anticipating is the upcoming NMHU matanza. 🔥 

The event takes me back to my first matanza experiences in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque during my mentor Don Lopez’s tenure. Don’s distinguished career—from Dam Safety Engineer and Assistant State Engineer for the OSE to his service as Mayor—embodies a powerful blend of technical excellence and profound cultural respect. A key reason for my move here is to be closer to our shared work on cultural heritage, water infrastructure, and quality of life within rural acequia communities.

It’s thanks to Don’s vision and dedication to these time-honored traditions that I’ve found a second home here in Northern New Mexico. I am deeply grateful to continue learning from these shared roots, recipes, and traditions. 🐖 🪅 

From soil pit to succulent feast. At our Village matanzas, we bring together earth and fire science to transform a simple pit into a traditional oven. This is where tradition and community converge, feeding both body and spirit to sustain the roots of future generations.