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Tag Archives: Taos

A Wondrous Road Trip!

23 Tuesday Jan 2018

Posted by danielwalldammit in Bad Photography, Travel

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

California, New Mexico, Road Trip, Route 66, Santa Fe, Summer, Taos, Travel, Wonder Woman

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Just south of Taos

It was the summer of Wonder Woman. I mean, I know she was in the theaters this last summer, and I certainly enjoyed the movie, but that’s not what I’m talking about. She was in our car. Wonder woman, I mean. She was in our car.

Yep!

We were wondering what that strange sound was coming from the back. We didn’t hear it often, at first anyway, but it was just an odd sound. Were the Jarritos bouncing up against the Mexi-cokes? Maybe something was falling out of the luggage? No, not that over and over like that, and it doesn’t sound like bottles. Neither Moni nor I could quite place it. And then an impression started to form, but it just couldn’t be right. I thought perhaps all those years of role-playing geeketry were playing havoc with my ears, because I couldn’t possibly be hearing it right. Still, the more I listened, the more convinced I became.

“Is that a sword?”

“It does sound like a sword, yes.”

Hearing Moni confirm my seemingly-impossible impression was a little reassuring. It was also a little disturbing. Why in the hell would the sounds of sword fighting be coming from the back of our vehicle? And then Moni remembered the costume. I had bought her a Wonder Woman costume for super-hero day at her gym. It came with a plastic sword and that sword made sounds whenever you moved it around. We meant to give it to one of of her nieces or nephews, but I guess we never got around to it. Instead, the noisy blade was buried somewhere in the back beneath a pile of luggage, snacketry, random shoes, and countless things we probably didn’t need. Evidently, the sword had room to juggle. So, Wonder Woman had room to fight in the back of our vehicle.

No matter! We would dig her out soon enough.

I think we first noticed the sound on a trip to Sequoia National Park. We could still hear Wonder Woman doing battle after a diversion to Monterey, another trip to Sacramento and San Francisco, several small trips around Los Angeles, a road trip to Santa Fe by way of the Navajo Nation, at least three trips back to to Taos Pueblo through Espaniola, one to Bandelier, one to Kasha Katuwe, and one each to Santa Ana Pueblo and Cochiti. We never did find her, or if we did, we missed the chance to find her a new home. Hell, she was still fighting her foes when we made it finally back to California at the end of the summer.

We actually did make an effort to find Wonder, but we were thwarted by the piles of unnecessary baggage. So, Wonder Woman spent the summer with us. She protected us from evils all across the southwest, and even scolded us when we did wrong. She could be kinda bossy that way, but otherwise, I must admit the living weapon herself was actually pretty good company.

Presumably, her sword is in storage now.

It’s been a little over six months now, so I guess it’s time to share some pics from our road trip, the one Moni and I took with Wonder Woman.

 

I’ve already blogged about a few of these things, but I do plan to produce at least one more post about the street art in San Francisco. I’ve posted about the Institute of American Indian Arts before, and about Santa Fe. These are definitely favorite stops of mine. Here are a few pics (click to embiggen)!

Moni's Nephews in the Kiva at Old Pecos
Moni’s Nephews in the Kiva at Old Pecos
Little Sister isn't impressed with the Quinceañera pics
Little Sister isn’t impressed with the Quinceañera pics
Institute of American Indian Arts
Institute of American Indian Arts
Bandelier
Bandelier
We need one of these trucks here in Barrow before the next 30 days of night
We need one of these trucks here in Barrow before the next 30 days of night
Restaurant in Taos
Restaurant in Taos
Just south of Taos
Just south of Taos
Church at Taos Pueblo
Church at Taos Pueblo
Institute of American Indian Arts
Institute of American Indian Arts
Old Pecos Pueblo
Old Pecos Pueblo
Near Bandelier
Near Bandelier
Whaling Wall in San Francisco
Whaling Wall in San Francisco
Old Pecos Pueblo
Old Pecos Pueblo
Pecos
Pecos
Tragedy at La Brea Tar Pits
Tragedy at La Brea Tar Pits
Muckrock Mural at Taos
Muckrock Mural at Taos
Somewhere in Northern California
Somewhere in Northern California
Window Rock, AZ (I used to work a short stroll from here)
Window Rock, AZ (I used to work a short stroll from here)
Bandelier
Bandelier
Santa Fe
Santa Fe
Three Amigos?
Three Amigos?
Fat Man replica at Los Alamos
Fat Man replica at Los Alamos
Horseshoe Bend
Horseshoe Bend
Taos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo
San Dimas
San Dimas
Santa Fe
Santa Fe
Kiva at Old Pecos Pueblo
Kiva at Old Pecos Pueblo
San Francisco
San Francisco
The Institute of American Indian Arts
The Institute of American Indian Arts
Somewhere in Los Angeles
Somewhere in Los Angeles
Madrid, New Mexico
Madrid, New Mexico
Getting some shade near Horseshoe Bend
Getting some shade near Horseshoe Bend
This guy was bathing in a fountain at Window Rock, Navajo Nation
This guy was bathing in a fountain at Window Rock, Navajo Nation
Note the building from another pic
Note the building from another pic
Face off!
Face off!
Women's Building in the Mission District in San Francisco
Women’s Building in the Mission District in San Francisco
Yeah...
Yeah…
San Francisco
San Francisco
Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado River
Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado River
Moni and Annie at Harvey Milk's old haunt
Moni and Annie at Harvey Milk’s old haunt
Seems to be a car show in town (San Dimas)
Seems to be a car show in town (San Dimas)
Coastline near Monterey
Coastline near Monterey
Stump in Sequoia
Stump in Sequoia
Big Stump
Big Stump
I think Moni wanted to drop me off here, not sure why
I think Moni wanted to drop me off here, not sure why
Pomona
Pomona
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San Juan, Fiesta
San Juan, Fiesta
Thai Restaurant in San Francisco (I think this was our waiter)
Thai Restaurant in San Francisco (I think this was our waiter)
The Ned Hatathli Center at Diné College
The Ned Hatathli Center at Diné College
San Francisco Mural
San Francisco Mural
This Guy lives near Williams, ARizona
This Guy lives near Williams, ARizona

 

 

 

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The Stars and Stripes in Two Takes

28 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by danielwalldammit in History, Native American Themes, Politics

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

American Indian, Flag, Jingoism, Native American, Patriotism, Rodeo, Star Spangled Banner, Taos

Entrance of the Flag

July 4th came a little early for me this year, or at least I found the American flag playing an unexpectedly prominent role in my weekend. The first occasion to think about the Stars and Stripes occurred at the Rodeo de Santa Fe on Saturday.

We arrived just a few minutes before the announcer asked the crowd to rise for “the most beautiful flag in the world.” He went on to tell us that people in other parts of the world look to it as a symbol of freedom. In just a few moments, a young lady with a beautiful voice begin to sing the National Anthem, but I have to admit I was already out of the moment. There was something about the tone of the introduction that had me a little on edge.

The announcer presented himself well and genuinely enhanced the overall experience of the rodeo, but I personally like my patriotism without a dose of jingoism. Hell, I could live with the description of the Star Spangled Banner as the most beautiful flag in the world. People in other nations might say the same of theirs, but if patriotic sentiments made their appearances solely in such expressions, then all my concerns about the matter could be resolved with a wink and a chuckle.

No harm – no foul, as far as I’m concerned. But of course, that wasn’t all…

When I heard this same announcer say; “(America) love it or leave it,” I have to admit I was genuinely displeased. That is the sort of chip-on-the-shoulder patriotism that I can do without. Granted, this sort of expression was not entirely to be unexpected at a rodeo, an event that out-Americans apple pie. But perhaps that was the problem; this little bit of verbal shadow boxing was quite unnecessary. It’s one thing to get aggressive when facing opposition, but when you’re doing your own thing amongst folks with a similar outlook, and its going well, and people are enjoying themselves, I can’t help thinking that a simple invitation to find some positive value in the flag and the nation would be the way to go.

The thing that really caught my attention was the claim that others around the world look to the American flag as a symbol of freedom. To be fair, I expect some do, but I also expect some don’t. Standing there waiting for the national anthem to begin, I couldn’t help wondering how far I would have to go to find someone who might find the flag just a little ominous.

As it turns out, I did not have to go far at all.

The next day, I found myself standing with a group of friends and coworkers in the Catholic Church at Taos Pueblo. The gentlemen showing us around the Pueblo called attention to the clothing upon the saints at the head of the church. He told us it wasn’t modesty that required the clothing; it was there to cover burn marks, burn marks dating back to first days of American presence in New Mexico. To his ancestors, the Star Spangled Banner had first appeared as a symbol of occupation. To say that this occupation had been traumatic would be putting it mildly.

The Taos Revolt of 1847 carried all the horrors one might expect from a local outbreak of violence. The first Governor of New Mexico died horribly in the early stages of the revolt, as did many others who took office under the new territorial government. For the residents of Taos the revolt ended with the shelling of their church and the killing of around 150 rebels. A number of executions would soon follow.

One needn’t feign naïveté about the role of any participants in the brutal events of that conflict, or any other. We needn’t believe in the moral superiority of any participants in that war. It is enough to understand that the events of 1847 have left their mark on the Pueblo, quite literally in fact. It is there in the relics of the contemporary church, and it is there in the ruins of the old church still standing in the village. It should also come as no surprise to find that such events might color the meaning of the flag to residents of the Pueblo.

I don’t mean to suggest that the meaning of the flag can be reduced to violence and oppression, and I really don’t think that is what our host in Taos meant to suggest either. His story was enough to remind us of the power that symbol and the nation behind it have to inflict harm on others, and to suggest that the consequences of such harm can be far more reaching than people often imagine. I think there is a lot of room for patriotism in places where such stories are told, but I do wonder if there is any room for those stories (or folks who care about them) in places where people are reminded that they must love America or leave it

There ought to be.

***

Cameras are strictly forbidden at Taos Pueblo which is why none appear in this post. For a quick brush-up on the Taos Revolt, I consulted a piece by the state Historian of New Mexico, William H. Wroth.

71.271549 -156.751450

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