Merry Christmas from Taos Pueblo
(Breaking News, Gorge Bridge) According to documents shown to this
reporter, a resolution was passed by the Taos Tribal Council, selling 35 acres to the New Mexico State Highway Department in 1963. A survey, letter from the federal government to the state government, and other documents confirm the purchase of the right-away from the tribe in that year. As well, Taos Friction skimmed over the District Court decision in the vendors’ favor–allowing them to remain in the rest areas on the east side of the approach to the bridge. The documents raise serious questions about violations of civil rights under the color of the law by the Department of Transportation, Taos Pueblo, and Taos County Sheriff’s Office. We expect the vendors’ attorney to make some hay out of this one in district court and perhaps federal court. According to the occupied, Taos Tribal police pulled out at least one weapon and threatened a vendor.
By the way, why won’t Gov. Nelson Cordova and WarChief Edwin Concha pick up the phone or answer calls from the media? Where are they hiding? As we enter the holidays, we’ll give you some history on Gov. Cordova’s nefarious dealings with tribal members and outsiders. We’ve got a dossier on the Cordova gang in the file.
TaosGorgeBridge.com
RioGrandeGorgeBridge.com
A web site about the community of vendors at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge
Rio Grande Gorge Bridge
Closed to Vendors
Friction posts the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge Vendors’ web site in solidarity with free enterprise and our own members of this polyglot community known as Taos. Gov. Nelson Cordova should be ashamed, along with his good-old-boy sidekick, Gilbert Suazo for not controlling Edwin Concha, WarChief and provocateur. Edwin brings disgrace upon the people and the Cordova administration for behaving like a bully and a bigot.
In years past, Taos Pueblo government has deprived Taos Pueblo residents of their Christmas cash and celebrated the Christmas spirit by driving off residents who lived with their Pueblo loved ones. (Talk about profiling!) In 2011 the Cordova Tribal Government has extended their reach to a new low. When the bonfires are lit and the shots fired during Christmas Eve at Taos Pueblo, remember the cross-cultural vendors in your prayers. We don’t like using bad words but this is a chicken-shit operation.
Edwin has three weeks left to serve but he’s serving up a tarnished memory of Taos Pueblo; the Tribal Council has lost control of the battle against the dark side. Bighorn Sheep don’t hang out at the bridge or buy stuff but Edwin probably never read “Where the Wild Things Are” since he’s more acquainted with shooting domestic cows, according to news reports. He’s a big time hunter.
U.S. Highway 64 is a federal highway. DOT allows vendors at the Blinking Light. Does Gov. Susana Martinez understand civil rights laws? Due process? Equity? Fairness? Whose on first? Edwin Concha? Sounds like a big time lawsuit to me. The Tribe and the state have deep pockets. And I hear the attorneys coming, coming round the bend.
Above and below Taos Friction posts the vendors’ web site in solidarity.
December 3rd, 2011.
On early Friday morning December 2nd 2011, the parking area where local artists and other vendors have been setting up was barricaded with cement blocks and plowed to prevent it being used by either vendors or tourists. Present were Taos Pueblo War Chief Edwin Concha along with other members of the Taos Pueblo Tribal Government and a number of Taos Pueblo police officers and Taos County Sheriffs officers. One vendor who was present talked to the sheriffs and war chief until she was ordered leave the premises under threat of arrest. Leaving the East side parking lot, she went to the rest area and contacted the New Mexico Department of Transportation for more information. The war chief and officials of the New Mexico Department of Transportation stated that the intention is to deny access in the future to both vendors and tourists to this area which has been used for vending over the last 30 years. This comes at the instigation of Taos Pueblo War chief Edwin Concha who has been on a mission to remove the vendors this whole past summer and fall. He has been claiming that the presence of vendors was detrimental to the wild bighorn sheep that have been reintroduced into the area. He has had no real evidence to support this and it has been contradicted by one of our local game wardens.
Taos Pueblo War Chief Wants to Shut Tourism Down at the Bridge So All Tourist Traffic Goes to the Pueblo.
December 4th, 2011.
TaosGorgeBridge.com was informed by one vendor that it was reported that Taos Pueblo War Chief Edwin Concha stated to those present at last Fridays closure of the North parking area that the remaining areas where vendors can set up will be closed off and plowed up Tuesday morning December 6th 2011 to block access to both tourists and vendors and that the Pueblo wants all the tourism that goes to the bridge be redirected to the Pueblo and that the Pueblo should have all the arts & crafts business that occurs at the bridge.
The Story of the bridge being closed to vendors has been covered by the Albuquerque Journal.
http://www.abqjournal.com/main/2011/12/04/north/area-by-bridge-cleared.html
December 5th, 2011
Occupy the Gorge Bridge!!!
There is a call to be at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge at 7am tomorrow, December 6th. Show solidarity with the bridge vendors and show up and help prevent the last remaining space for vendors from being closed off.
The bridge being closed off to vendors was discussed on KVOT’s Breakfast with Nancy Show this morning. Nancy emphasized the cruel and sudden way it was done and compared it to the way occupy protesters have been treated. State Representative Bobby Gonzales talked about the issue and showed some sympathy to the vendors plight. Alvin Dominguez of the New Mexico DOT was called by Nancy and confirmed that the closure was done by the DOT in coordination with the Taos Pueblo War Chiefs office. He showed no sympathy whatsoever to the vendors and said: “The no vending signs have been up for years”.
The Berlin Wall Taos Style!
A Spiralfusion Production