A Community Feast Helps Preserve Taos Cultural Traditions

On December 20, 2022 the Taos County Board of Commissioners passed an ordinance designating Las Comunidades del Valle de los Ranchos as a traditional historic community according to New Mexico statute. The designation area encompasses the neighborhoods of Los Cordovas, Llano Quemado, La Cordillera, Ranchos de Taos, Talpa. Additionally, it contains the sparsely inhabited area of the Cristobal de la serna land grant. This designation was driven, in part, by community awareness (more than 1,600 locals signed a petition in favor of the designation) that many historical and cultural traditions are fading in Taos, leading to a loss of culture, tradition, and sense of community. To combat this cultural erosion and celebrate the recent designation, a few of the historic areas’s residents suggested hosting a matanza, a traditional coming together of families to slaughter and roast a pig (ensuring that everyone has meat for the winter). The event, which will feed 400 and already has 45 volunteers signed up, will be filmed and archived for future learning, helping to harness interest and energy to plan future traditional cultural events. LOR’s funding will help support meeting supplies for the matanza.