UNM’s Center for Regional Studies presents the premier of Acequias — The Legacy Lives On, a documentary film about the lifeblood of northern New Mexico Communities. The film features Enrique Lamadrid and José Rivera, editors of Water for the People: The Acequia Heritage of New Mexico in a Global Context.
View the trailer.
Water for the People features twenty-five essays by world-renowned acequia scholars and community members that highlight acequia culture, use, and history in New Mexico, northern Mexico, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Spain, the Middle East, Nepal, and the Philippines, situating New Mexico’s acequia heritage and its inherent sustainable design within a global framework. The lush landscapes of the upper Río Grande watershed created by acequias dating from as far back as the late sixteenth century continue to irrigate their communities today despite threats of prolonged drought, urbanization, private water markets, extreme water scarcity, and climate change. Water for the People celebrates acequia practices and traditions worldwide and shows how these ancient irrigation systems continue to provide arid regions with a model for water governance, sustainable food systems, and community traditions that reaffirm a deep cultural and spiritual relationship with the land year after year.
This event is free and open to the public. Register here.
6:00pm Hors d’ouvres reception
7:00pm Film screening
8:00 pm Panel Discussion