> Putting things into private hands, putting up fences and splitting up land didn't make sense. Got to be a mechanism for everyone who is dependent on these resources to get access to them. Transhumance pastoralism - approach to one form of water-shed based natural resource management. Arid area, people are always on cusp of starvation at risk of indian raves, so managing this area communally made a great deal of sense given their cultural lens. Natural resources were diverse, concentrated in different places different times. Transhumance pastoralism, primarily sheep and cattle, returning in fall for harvest, taking advantage of spatial biodiversity in watershed. Shepherd were primary means of subsistence. Makes sense that common property was the basis of this. Grants were given out in what corresponded to the upper limits of watershed.Įveryone needed access to multiple grazing areas, given pastoral society of subsistence form of pastoralism and communal value system. With tenure system based on common property rights made sense with Hispano's in the landscape of new Mexico the movement around the landscape is essential. at times you may have droughts and there are only certain areas that are going to be good grazing areas. Moving up and down in mountains taking advantage of spatial diversity and natural resources. given to sons of elite in Mexico, people who wanted to become cattle barrens, part of economy that was changing dramatically in the 1830s, much more liberalized economy, commercially oriented after the spanish mercantilist system was no longer in play
>Private grants weren't issued much by Spanish government but Mexican government saw need for this in 1830-40s when US was starting to encroach on their territory and felt that putting land particularly in the northeast of new mexico into private hands would be a good way of retaining control if the americans were to invade which they did. Also evident in forms of catholicism, animistic nature of spirit all around us.Ĭommunity land grants: issued by Spanish crown, Mexican government, to community in one person's name community leader - understood to be representing ~10-100 families and when they received rights to land they would get rights of private property to homestead, garden plot in village, everything else was held in common including village square, the acaquia - irrigation ditch (embodies notion of Venquenza, symbolizes communalism ), pastures around village, commons, those tracts of private property lived there for 4 years typically and when you sold private property you were selling your rights to commons. Starting point to notion of humility in relation to nature. You need to be able to conserve resources for generations to come. reverence and modesty in relation to nature. Long term perspective in kinship obligations and responsibilities. Verguenza: used differently in this context than other spanish speaking areas, literal translation of shame, ideal of civi virtue and justice, self-restraint of getting ahead of one's neighbors, makes sense of limited social stratification, limited resources where everyeone needs to have some access to some resources to survive as individuals,members of family, of community Catholic church played important role, calling on paritioners to display humility before God and before the church, obligations of members of community, de-emphasizing notion of getting ahead. Subsistence pastoralism, within context of society after the Reconquista they came back and recolonized the area after Pueblo revoltĮstablished system of cooperation with pueblo indians, established small peasant villages, farming communities, culture that focuses on communalism over individualism as a cultural value and principle of social organization. New Mexico was case study for seeing how these processes play out in similar processes in California, a commercial revolution Starting point for framing Units 3 and 4 in terms of understanding how different groups fit into the development of natural resources in american west. Looked at changes of commercial revolution of late 19th century, capitalist mode of production. Looked at environment in american west, the environment and semi-arid nature of environment has effect on establishing certain parameters on how people interpret (cultural lense) opportunities and limits and socially organize.
Themes of new western history: approaching turner's notion of frontier process - building american character democracy on frontierĭynamics of place (specific place, specific environmental history involving specific people) and process (conquest, ongoing colonial denomination, powerful interests)Ĭhanges in environment, importance of power elite, voicing perspectives of marginalized people. Framed in terms of Wurster's nature,society, culture, broad categories.