Letter to the editor

“The Last Breath of the Rio Abajo: Progress or Cultural Erasure?”

In the lower Rio Abajo of New Mexico, something sacred is being dismantled under the banner of “progress.” The last living Sistema de Acequias of the former Sevilleta Grant — La Joya Acequias — stands as a centuries-old testament to Hispaño/Hispaño-Indio (mestizo) ingenuity and connection to the land. Yet efforts are underway to fold this historic community water system into the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD), an entity whose history with traditional water rights has been fraught.

The Sistema de Acequias, governed by Spanish-derived laws, ensured equitable water distribution through principles like Agua de Riego, Repartimiento de Aguas, Uso Común (fair use), and No Perjuicio (no harm). Introduced and maintained by settlers such as José Carlos Gabaldón, Tomás Aragón, and Ramón Montaño, the system embodied both technological sophistication and a deep moral philosophy — one of reciprocity, balance, and shared stewardship. The Mayordomo, chosen by the community, upheld this justice through consensus and cooperation. It was sustainability and democracy long before those words became modern ideals.

Now that legacy faces erasure. Absorbing La Joya Acequias into a bureaucratic district would dissolve not only an ancient system but a worldview — one rooted in communal care rather than administrative control. The Sevilleta Grant of 1819 represented a social contract between people, land, and water; to relinquish that is to abandon Hispaño/Hispaño-Indio heritage itself.

The Sistema de Acequias is not a relic but a living classroom, teaching coexistence with the earth. Preserving it defends the soul of the Rio Abajo — a lineage of labor, faith, and ecological wisdom. Progress without memory is not progress; it is cultural erasure disguised as advancement. Let us not let the last heartbeat of the Sevilleta Grant go silent.

Rudy Gonzales

La Joya