In Guatemala, conservation is just a part of the culture. You are one with the land, and you only use what you need. My family carried these values and we took them with us to every state we lived in, from New York to Florida, and Arizona.
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Thursday, March 25, 2021 – Leaders from across the nation joined Thursday evening’s Clean Energy Economy and Justice Roundtable, calling for policy changes that would center the voices of Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities, while holding the administration accountable to implement these changes.
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As the COVID-19 pandemic surges in the United States, so has racist rhetoric against Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander community members. According to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, anti-Asian hate crimes have surged by 149% from 2019 to 2020.
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Today Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) sponsored the End Speculative Oil and Gas Leasing Act of 2021 that would prevent oil and gas speculators from leasing public lands that offer little to no potential for energy development.
Our nation’s public lands, and the people and wildlife who rely on them, face unprecedented challenges. Among them is the threat of speculative leasing, a destructive practice that allows oil and gas companies to tie up public lands with little to no potential for development in long-term leases. Speculative leasing not only wastes important government resources, but it also puts critical wildlife habitat in harm’s way, and hinders public access to the great outdoors, threatening important opportunities to connect with the landscape that is home to valuable cultural landmarks. Thankfully, it is not too late to stop this.
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As a military family, we moved frequently before my father was once again stationed in Spain, where I was born and raised. Though we lived in cities during our time there, Madrid and Zaragoza, my childhood is peppered with memories from visiting the pueblo, Prado del Campo, where my mother’s family is from. Spending summer and easter breaks there, my deep connection to the outdoors began to grow.
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History was made today as we watched the inauguration of President Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris, our nation’s first woman, and woman of color to take office as VP.
In 2021, Americans turned out in record numbers despite a global pandemic, high unemployment, and social unrest to cast their ballots in support of President Biden and Vice President Harris, marking a new opportunity to unite our country in a fair and equitable manner.
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Washington D.C. -- Last week, we witnessed the consequences of the dissemination of misinformation, and the perpetuation of white supremacy in the violence enacted at the U.S. Capitol.
Like many of you, we were shocked and saddened as we watched insurrection ensue, our nation’s Capitol breached by white nationalist groups and others who were emboldened by the leader of our country to undermine our fair and honest elections. To see the mob fight their way into the Capitol, and to learn that our country’s leaders were evacuated for their safety, was surreal. It was absolutely jarring and unacceptable.
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On December 16, HECHO hosted the final installment of our Climate Solutions in Action Series, Solar Energy Zones, dedicated to strengthening Hispanic voice and visibility in public lands decision-making and advocacy.
The event focused on the importance of Solar Energy in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, and explored various land-based solutions to climate change. Co-hosted in collaboration with Mike Kruger, President of the Colorado Solar & Storage Association, HECHO was joined by panelists including HECHO Advisory Board Member and Colorado State Representative, Donald Valdez, Executive Director of the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council, Christine Canaly, Joe Vieira, of the Bureau of Land Management, and Sam Sours, of Community Energy Solar.
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Albuquerque, New Mexico (December 27, 2020) -- Following the holiday at Petroglyph National Monument, a Navajo and Oneida man named Darrell House was repeatedly tased by a National Park Service ranger for stepping off-trail to maintain social distancing protocols when he noticed a crowd walking in his direction.
The site plays an important role for Indigenous people, and was designated after Native American activists sought to protect the stone carvings from vandalism and land development. House visited the national monument to pray before the petroglyphs, and to collect earth for ceremonies.
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Nearly 25 people joined HECHO on Tuesday, December 15 for our Holiday Cocktails & Conservation event to hear stories of traditions rooted in our Hispano cultural connection to the land. Enjoying a demonstration of our event’s signature drink, Abuelita Hot Cocoa with Kahlua, participants also engaged in a conversation regarding special memories and traditions that take place for many Hispano people during the Christmas season.
A newly formed tradition for HECHO, Holiday Cocktails & Conservation opened dialogue for community members to share their own cultural traditions around the Holidays. Sisters Juliana and Theresa Huereña demonstrated their family recipe of mince-meat empanadas made of game meat from hunting and pinyons traditionally gathered from forest trees. Founding Board Member, Kent Salazar, shared his seasonal hunting tradition, and community member, Steve Peru shared a beautiful remembrance of his late mother and their special camping memories.
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Santa Fe, NM – Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO), in partnership with the Office of Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján, hosted a virtual event focusing on the ways in which agricultural and community stewardship can help mitigate and adapt to climate change, while highlighting traditional land-use practices though New Mexico’s traditional acequia and land grant communities.
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On November 10, HECHO hosted the next installment of our ongoing series, Climate Solutions in Action, dedicated to strengthening Hispanic voice and visibility in public lands decision-making and advocacy. The event focused on the importance and impact of forest restoration, the importance of forest health, and how forest industries and agencies are responding to climate change. HECHO was joined by panelists, Heather Provencio, Kaibab National Forest Supervisor, Jay Smith, Coconino County Forest Restoration Director, Devon Suarez, of Suarez Forestry LLC, and Sasha Storz, National Forest Foundation Arizona Program Manager.
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Growing up in Douglas, Arizona is like having a foot in two worlds. Because it straddles the United States and Mexican border, my upbringing was unique in that I grew up on what I considered an international avenue – my favorite tienditas on one side, my family on the other, and then the desert, the saguaros, watching us all.
Living in a border town means understanding economic privilege from an early age. I recognized the divide that existed, and the role that politics played in our lives. I was painfully aware of the privileges that being a U.S. Citizen awarded me, and I questioned why my neighbors weren't able to experience what my family could.
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HECHO is proud of the work that took place across the country to encourage communities to vote in what was a landmark year for voter turnout. We congratulate President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris, and look forward to advancing opportunities to build connection to our nation’s precious landscapes, advocating for access to public lands, climate change solutions, environmental justice, and more.
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I live on four-acres of land next to the Coronado National Forest. I love living in the boondocks. When I’m home I sit outside and have a 360-degree view of nature. I listen to the birds and it clears my mind. It gives me solace to be out here by myself. It’s relaxing, but most of all, it’s inspirational.
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For generations, Hispanics have enjoyed a unique relationship with nature that connects us to our ancestors and fortifies the bond that we have with our community. Being able to practice these cultural traditions that depend on open spaces, is more critical than ever, and policy that includes Hispanic and Latinx values is especially urgent. For all of these reasons, Hispanic and Latinx leadership is invaluable in conservation legislation that is implemented and passed.
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Washington, D.C. (September 25, 2020) — Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO), stands by the decision of the federal court ruling that William Perry Pendley has been illegally serving the Department of the Interior. HECHO is a strong proponent for the protection of our nation’s public lands, lands that Pendley fought to sell-off and dispose of by prioritizing mining in special places like the Grand Canyon National Park.
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