Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
22
entire Southwest, and a section of south-
ern New Mexico has been designated a
nuclear-waste site. Colorado has its own
nuclear-waste woes; cleanup of Rocky
Flats nuclear weapons facility has been an
ongoing problem.
Still, new ways of thinking have brought
positive changes, and many locals have
directly benefited from the influx of new-
comers and the region's popularity as a
tourist destination. Businesses and indus-
tries large and small have come to the area.
Today, electronics manufacturing, aero-
space engineering, and other high-tech
industries employ thousands. Local artists
and artisans also benefit from growth.
Many craftspeople—furniture makers, sil-
versmiths, and weavers—have expanded
their businesses. The influx of people has
broadened the sensibility of a fairly pro-
vincial region. You'll find a level of creativ-
ity and tolerance here that you would
generally find in very large cities but not in
smaller communities.
CULTURAL QUESTIONS
Faced with
new challenges to their ways of life, both
Native Americans and Hispanics are mar-
shaling forces to protect their cultural
identities. A prime concern is language.
Through the years, many Native Ameri-
cans have begun to speak more and more
English, with their children getting little
exposure to their native tongue. To coun-
ter the effects, a number of villages have
implemented language classes.
Some of the pueblos have introduced
programs to conserve the environment,
preserve ancient seed strains, and protect
religious rites. Because their religion is tied
closely to nature, a loss of natural resources
would threaten the entire culture. Some
area pueblos have limited outsider access
to their villages and ceremonies. Jemez
Pueblo, for instance, no longer allows visi-
tors, while Zuni has limited the access to
their notable Shalako ceremonies.
Hispanics, through art and observance
of cultural traditions, are also embracing
their roots. Throughout the region, murals
depicting important historic events, such
as the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of
1848, adorn walls. The Spanish Market in
Santa Fe has expanded into a grand cele-
bration of traditional arts, from tin work-
ing to
santo
carving. Public schools have
bilingual education programs, allowing
young people to embrace their Spanish-
speaking roots.
Hispanics are also making their voices
heard, insisting on more conscientious
development of their neighborhoods and
rising to positions of power in govern-
ment. The region's best example of a
prominent Hispanic citizen is Bill Rich-
ardson, who was appointed U.S. ambas-
sador to the United Nations and left that
post to become energy secretary in Presi-
dent Clinton's cabinet. Now he is New
Mexico's governor.
GAMBLING WINS & LOSSES
Gam-
bling, a fact of life and a source of much-
needed revenue for Native American
populations across the country, has been a
center of controversy in the Southwest for
a number of years, and now is well
entrenched throughout the region.
Many are concerned about the tone
gambling sets, fearing a fate similar to that
of Las Vegas, Nevada: Since World War II,
Las Vegas has expanded rapidly to become
a world center for gambling, with atten-
dant problems such as corruption and
what some see as lax moral standards.
The Native American casinos aren't as
flashy as those in Las Vegas, though they
are, for the most part, large and unsightly.
The neon-bedecked buildings stand out
sorely on some of the region's most pic-
turesque land. Though most residents
appreciate the boost that gambling can
ultimately bring to the Native American
economies, many critics wonder where
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