Acequias: a forgotten history

Kurly Tlapoyawa
5 min readJun 9, 2019

Mesoamerican traditions continue to influence the culture of New Mexico

The Acequia is a communal irrigation ditch, and its continued use is a testament to the cultural resiliency of the New Mexican people. But where does this tradition come from? Sadly, most New Mexicans have a distorted understanding of Acequia history, and credit its creation solely to Moors and Spaniards.

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Kurly Tlapoyawa

(Chicano/Nawa/Mazewalli) Archaeologist, filmmaker, and founder of the Chimalli institute of Mesoamerican Arts. Professor of C/S at Colegio Chicano del Pueblo.