Jun 2017
In 1960, the Flood Control Act authorized construction of Cochiti Lake,
A lake created by the 24th largest dam in the world
Building it cost 94.4 million dollars
And the destruction of an entire culture
The destruction didn't happen all at once like a wrecking ball hitting a wall
No, instead it was slow and deliberate
Like rust in a water system, seeping into the cracks and breaking down the pipes,
Until the water flowed into the earth to be absorbed and left useless
In the 1940’s
the Cochiti language was outlawed
Effectively silencing their culture
And giving them no way to speak without the painful reminder
That their culture was being destroyed
And their government that was for the people
Was not for their people
In the 1950’s
Indian children were forced into public schools
Where they learned about the country that hated them
And the government that would do nothing for them
They were being force fed the lie that this government-approved education
Would give them the tools to pursue ultimate happiness: the American dream
But they never stopped to consider that maybe the American Dream
Isnt what the cochiti people wanted or needed
The American Dream quickly turned into the American Nightmare
In 1965,
Construction began on the dam
And destruction began on the land
The people fought the building of the dam with everything in their arsenal,
But a small community fighting against the government is like an ant fighting a giant
And because someone decided that the native people's religion wasn't “orthodox”
They could tear down a place of worship to build a palace for greed
Who gets to decide that one person's religion isn't something they can practice?
We will shout that we are a country of religious freedom
But as soon as someone mutters about a religion we don't understand we tell them to be quiet
We will hold our hands over their mouths and tell them to tell us about their religion
In 1973 the dam was finished,
But the destruction wasn't
Developers came in like vultures to peck at the carcass of the land
Wanting to build a resort so outsiders could gape at their culture
They wanted to build a seven day weekend for the rich and a seven day work week for the natives
As if the destruction hadn't gone far enough
They destroyed the land, the culture, and they wanted to destroy their pride
The Cochiti people were not giving up,
They kept pursuing retribution,
Suing the federal government,
and in 2001,
after many fights
the US Corps of Engineers issued a public apology
A public apology?
A lake created by the 24th largest dam in the world
Building it cost 94.4 million dollars
And the destruction of an entire culture
The destruction didn't happen all at once like a wrecking ball hitting a wall
No, instead it was slow and deliberate
Like rust in a water system, seeping into the cracks and breaking down the pipes,
Until the water flowed into the earth to be absorbed and left useless
In the 1940’s
the Cochiti language was outlawed
Effectively silencing their culture
And giving them no way to speak without the painful reminder
That their culture was being destroyed
And their government that was for the people
Was not for their people
In the 1950’s
Indian children were forced into public schools
Where they learned about the country that hated them
And the government that would do nothing for them
They were being force fed the lie that this government-approved education
Would give them the tools to pursue ultimate happiness: the American dream
But they never stopped to consider that maybe the American Dream
Isnt what the cochiti people wanted or needed
The American Dream quickly turned into the American Nightmare
In 1965,
Construction began on the dam
And destruction began on the land
The people fought the building of the dam with everything in their arsenal,
But a small community fighting against the government is like an ant fighting a giant
And because someone decided that the native people's religion wasn't “orthodox”
They could tear down a place of worship to build a palace for greed
Who gets to decide that one person's religion isn't something they can practice?
We will shout that we are a country of religious freedom
But as soon as someone mutters about a religion we don't understand we tell them to be quiet
We will hold our hands over their mouths and tell them to tell us about their religion
In 1973 the dam was finished,
But the destruction wasn't
Developers came in like vultures to peck at the carcass of the land
Wanting to build a resort so outsiders could gape at their culture
They wanted to build a seven day weekend for the rich and a seven day work week for the natives
As if the destruction hadn't gone far enough
They destroyed the land, the culture, and they wanted to destroy their pride
The Cochiti people were not giving up,
They kept pursuing retribution,
Suing the federal government,
and in 2001,
after many fights
the US Corps of Engineers issued a public apology
A public apology?
