The Hippies of Placitas, Part II
Mike Smith
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Last week, in “My Strange New Mexico,” we explored the short-lived Placitas, New Mexico hippie communes of the 1960s and ‘70s. (Click here to read the previous installment.)
These mountainside communes housed an eclectic population of restless youth from around the world—poor kids, wealthy heirs, idealists, addicts, and self-proclaimed “dope smoking, vegetarian Jesus freaks.” These youth wanted to live apart from conventional society; they wanted to grow marijuana if they felt like it—and, oh, they felt like it. They wanted a life without government—except, later on, for government welfare programs. And they wanted to live without leaders—though they soon found one anyway.
Donald Waskey was a Polish-American man from Chicago, Illinois. As Donald Waskey he was a professor of philosophy; sometime in the 1960s, however, he embraced the realization that he was the living reincarnation of Vulcan (the Roman god of fire), of Jesus Christ, and of former U.S. president Ulysses S. Grant, whose name he adopted for himself.
As Ulysses S. Grant, he helped establish the commune of Lower Farm in Placitas, renamed the commune Manerva Nueva in 1967, and officially incorporated the place as a nonprofit organization.
Grant became famous as a local icon, riding around bearded, longhaired, and barefoot, on a white horse he claimed was the reincarnation of one belonging to the original Ulysses S. Grant. With his charisma and seemingly jovial nature, Grant rapidly became Lower Farm’s unofficial leader and an unofficial spokesman for all the communes.
He has since been remembered by various hippies as “a big-time dreamer,” “a very gifted person who was very screwed up,” “an unstable, authoritarian man,” “the craziest man I ever knew who didn’t require incarceration,” and “a wise and charismatic bully who claimed Lower Farm was a free place, while at the same time keeping total control and power over all.”
As time passed, Grant seemed to become more unstable, more despotic and more violent. He would kick a dog until it limped, beat up area residents who disagreed with him, and once almost killed a man with a machete to the head, when the man wasn’t hoeing a row of corn right.
As a natural next step for someone with his level of megalomania, Grant declared his early candidacy for New Mexico’s 1971 gubernatorial race, promising — in a 16-page watercolor presentation — that if he were elected, there would be more horse trails for all, marijuana would be legalized and, “No one would ever be forced to do anything.”
Unfortunately for Grant, his campaign was hindered by his refusal to ever step inside a car, by his inability to pay the $1300 filing fee, and by his brutal murder of two people.
Grant had been feuding with three fellow commune members, including one man who claimed Grant had hit the man’s pregnant wife with a door. After being charged by the man with assault, Grant borrowed a rifle and, according to a December 1970 Albuquerque Tribune article, surprised the men near the commune’s watering hole and shot two of the three of them two times apiece — once in the back as they ran, and once in the face to be certain they were dead. The murders undoubtedly involved drugs as well.
Grant, his wife Helen, and their one-year-old son fled the state immediately, a nationwide manhunt ensued, and Lower Farm’s hippies moved down to the commune of Tawapa.
Placitas’s hippie scene gradually imploded under the weight of cocaine and other drugs, yuppies replaced hippies, and in the mid-1990s, Ulysses S. Grant finally turned up.
His body and the body of his wife were discovered among the ashes of a burned down farmhouse in northern Idaho, each with a bullet in the back of the head. Who killed them and why may never be known.
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Reader Comments (47)
It is true that Ulysses tried to run the place, and that he got to be more intolerable all the time, but, clearly, no one every accepted his authority. Everyone considered him to be simply a muisance, and that is all. By the way, I was with him in the room when he filed for the governor's race, and when he was interviewed by Ernie Mills in Santa Fe. Describing his antics as "megalomania" in this endeavor is way off base, more hyperbole to make the article seem dire or something. In this campaign of his, no one took him seriously. Everyone thought of it as a joke but him. This is the first time I have ever seen anyone take on this sanctimonious air over that! Too bad this writer here could not have written a serious article - and I won't deconstruct the rest of the falsehoods and hyperbole here - but there is plenty more - this would certainly make and interesting thing to write about, and it would be nice if a serious writer would take up the task someday.
Bryant aka Spencer-from-Tawapa
Thanks for the comments--though I'm sorry you didn't like the article.
All of my facts and information come directly from hippies who were there at the time--or from the books I cited--though it's not entirely surprising that you disagree with some of what the other hippies would have had to say, since I'm sure all the experiences people had were as varied as the individuals that had them.
As soon as I have enough columns written, I'll be editing them together into a book--a book that I hope will only contain the truth--so if you would take the time to tell me all the factual inaccuracies in the piece--backed up with evidence as best as you're able--then I will seriously be more than happy to make any (justified) changes that you suggest.
Keep in mind, though, that you can't please all of the people all the time, and as a writer I have to sift through the evidence available to me and make choices about what to include, what my take on the subject is, and so on.
In another life, I spent years travelling around Canada and Alaska and the Lower 48 as a very dirty hippy--going to festivals, hitchhiking with a dog and a girlfriend, living in a tent, staying at the occasional commune--so I'm not writing from the perspective of someone completely unfamiliar with hippy ways and motives. They were MY ways, and MY motives.
Anyway, like I said, send me your suggested corrections, and I will consider making the changes you'd like. And that goes for any "My Strange New Mexico" readers, and anything I write. Preserving the mistaken notion that everyone thinks I'm always correct is nice, but actually being correct is better. Keep me in line, will ya?
I was planning on toning down the degree of hippy jokes before the book anyway. Johnny Mango of Alblogquerque didn't like them either.
Thanks for reading, and keep it strange.
Visitors that arrived on a regular basis provided a flow of drugs.
When I lived in the Adobe house on the far hill I experienced many of these LSD parties.I first arrived in 68 and soon moved into Albuquerque.The filth and dishonesty of the Placitas communes were something that should not be glorified.To add insult to injury,the murders that took place only galvinize the ugliness of this mecca of laziness and bewilderment.
I was there when the traveling Bus commune (Hog Farm) appeared and was there when the domes were still under construction.
The place was a haven for mis informed lost youth,including myself.
I honestly cant say that I was involved in some kind of great awakening during the time spent there.
I loved reading the original article. It is beautiful in many ways, but sounds a bit like it was written by a detached news reporter with the agenda of an entertainer..
Maybe there wasnt "some kind of great (collective anyway) awakening during the time (some people) spent there". but at least one could safely assume most hippies were making an honest effort towards that effect.
Poor Westman sounds bitter,as if unable to appreciate the freedom he had of that time he spent traveling around with his dog and girlfriend, living in a tent SEARCHING. I dont know about any one else, but that sounds pretty damn good even right now. When do I leave? Oh,Dont expect me to call myself, my girl freind-(She would sock me one),OR my dog a dirty hippie.
I have a tremendous amount of respect for the honest "hippies" who in the end admit they were only followers, interested in the "free sex" or any drugs there were of the time. I've heard very few refer to themselves as "Dirty Hippies". That raises a flag for me. Any one who took part in that life only to walk around finger pointing (telling about what others did instead of confessing his own sins) later is only trying to resolve their own regrets. Either that or they have been beat over the head with a bible, instead of finding love and forgiveness the true God brings.
The original article stated that it was all about cocaine, (which last heard certainly isnt considered a mind altering drug). Shame on you. Thats like saying the 70's and 80's (which were over-run with cocaine, I should know), were some how more constructive than the sixties. Lets blame it all on the hippies right?
Late 90's and into the new century:
A mecca of laziness and bewilderment is what this entire country is right now pal. Wake up. I am hesitant to blame that on Hippies OR Christians. We have become a nation of check and debit card carrying nincompoops, political paraplegics,(sp?) sitting around waiting for the government to do everything including thinking and protecting for us.
The original piece reads as if contrived and exagerrated all to hell. Although the Placitas’s hippie scene probably was'nt heaven, Im sure it wasnt half as bad as most average american dog eat dog, rat race communities as most of it's detractors would have you believe. I would go so far as to say that given a choice between a roomfull of Placitas’s hippie scene people, and a roomfull of the "rascist, hatred filled, paranoid, McCarth-esque, political conservative, average citizens" of the time, I'd take the hippies hands down.
What ever we write for future generations, we are only contributing towards evil, ("laziness and bewilderment") if we write anything OTHER THAN HE TRUTH. Sadly, this is relegated to each of our perception. Haven for misinformed youth? A charge such as this, coming from a society with more rampant sensless, random acts of violence, neo nazi membership than ever & tattoo piercing parlors on every block is almost comical.
Happy trails as you write HIS-story gents. Thank you for allowing one of the last (1960) of the baby boomers to pipe up.
The author here said he was going to get back with me on some fact checking, but he seems to have lost interest. I guess he is happy enough with his fantasy description of events there and it will be up to us - the actual communards and witnesses to all this - to set the record straight.
I left there in 1976 precisely because I and the other original members finally gave up on the idea that we were going to salvage the place from the decay that it was facing at the hands of people who only cared about partying and would not even close the gates and keep the cows out of the garden. Tomas and I had to be alert 24 hours a day to avert disaster, and that got pretty old after awhile.
It is shocking to hear about the "guy with the monkey" because he had a beautiful young wife (whom he mistreated, by the way). I guess that guys who beat up their women ar capable of anything.
But these people had nothing to do with what we originally set out to do. They were all latecomers.
Jason and Tracy's daughter coopted the name Tawapa and is using it as a trademark for her international company. When you look up Tawapa on google that is all you get. I got her to write to me once, but she has not written back. No one seems to be very interested in the truth of the hippie movement or the good things that came from it. But there is still plenty of commercialism, salacious and trashy material like this guy's article, and the like, but as far as anything that touches on the core topic, there is nothing to speak of so far.
Anyone who wants, however, can write to me and we can talk about it.
Bryant aka SPencer
I'm really glad to hear you're putting up a website about this. Seriously. I'm always interested in hearing more facts, opinions, and hearsay on this fascinating subject.
You seem to have forgotten, however, that I did talk to you about all this. I even made minor changes to the two articles, in places where I thought such changes were called for, but ultimately, it was your account against several others, and I had to weigh them all.
As I've said before, a lot of people were in those communes, and their stories were as varied as the people that shaped them. Your close friends were of course not the drug-abusing former idealists that I wrote about, but I have it from numerous sources that many people deserving of such labels were in fact there at the time.
There are books on the subject, there are countless surviving commune alumni, and there is my personal file brimming with notes and interviews and newspaper articles. Not only did I research these communes out of personal interest and for this column, but I spent many weeks researching them for my book, "Towns of the Sandia Mountains."
Calling these articles "salacious and trashy" "fantasy" is an accusation that you are free to say but that I am confident would not stand up in court. (Saying I overuse dashes...well, that one might have a chance.)
I do genuinelly think your opinions and your recollections are important, and that's why I keep them posted here as comments. They're a valuable part of the mosaic of the history and lore of these communes. If I wanted to, I could easily remove them from my website.
Best of luck to you with Tawapa.org and Tawapa.net. Let me know when those are online, and I'll be happy to give you a link from this site.
Thanks again for reading,
Mike Smith
I stopped by Tawapa two years ago and saw Bruce,who looked ill and am afraid, is gone by now. Tarzan Bob just happened to be there also. He looked fine.
When I left Tawaps in 1980 the real estate people were trying to steal it. I moved down ot Bernlillo momentarily to a place later deemed the "mad house." I let anyone from Tawapa take showers or whtever until I moved on.
What Tawapa had was heart. It was a place where the rejected of society and those who rejected society could live IF they could live without a boss or someone holding their hand. works for some and not for others. It was a place where a millionaires son might live in a tree house or a teepee. A home meant mixing some mud, heading to the saw mill and start building a shelter. None are left. Shame, some were quite nice. Jason made a cool home for he and his girls. Many looked odd from the outside but were quite homey within.
What trashed Tawapa was not Cocaine, never knew many tawapians who could afford coke, they were more into Angelo's wine and home grown. It was development and the encroachment of suburbia to a valley just a little to nice for a bunch of squatters. Happens everywhere in america where artist free spirits turn into a hip place to live, then the sell outs come in to capitalize.
I'll close now lest I start to vent my politics.
Take care all Peace is still the answer wherever you live and Love is still all you need.
Deborah Divver aka Zebra
Thanks so much for the great post. You sound like a voice of free-spirited reason, and I wish I'd met you before I wrote these articles. I'll be sure to incorporate some of your comments when I edit these pieces together someday for "My Strange New Mexico," the book.
I would absolutely LOVE to see any photos you may have of that time and that place. Seriously. I'm casually working on a photo-history follow-up to my book "Towns of the Sandia Mountains" and would like to include an entire chapter on one or all of the Placitas communes, if I can track down enough pictures.
E-mail me anytime at mike@mystrangenewmexico.com about this--and thanks again for weighing in.
Sincerely,
Mike Smith
I have two scrapbooks full of photos, kids in the creeks, teepees faces of the hipsters, baseball games, houses, Ramaldo's birthday party. For those who don't know Tawapa, Ramaldo was our friend ride to town, milk man and beloved grandfather to those who had none. I have a rare phot of Deweist, who was famous for going to town in a white slip. He slept outdoors in all weather and grew dredlocks to his waste.
I have a bunch.
get in touch as far as that part goes.
Deborah
It is a great discussion you are having-- keep it up! I came to Placitas only 10 years ago, but as an old hippy and communard, I have come to know most of the Tawapans that are still in Placitas, and much of the history of the communes there. I even have some insider information which I will share sometime with Mike Smith, Esquire. A little pertinent news and gossip:
*Lynn Montgomery, Sun Farm still there and eco-active and much planting of woody plants on the old Sun Farm; Russ and Jeanie Jewett of Tawapa have an amazing and growing nearby family with 3 grandbrothers living out past Indian Flats on the border with the BLM land that Dave Harper and co have developed for low income hippies; little Bruce has died, whom, I have on good account, was firmly clutching his hat in his hand in death's embrace-- quite likely getting ready to move onto the next plane; Dome Cathy has sold out and moved north to wilder country but her partner Mark Stewart is still hereabouts; Several of the old Tawapan communards have seemingly 'sold out' and gone on to becoming local Realty Agents buying local land and selling it to unscrupulous developers (sad but true...). Be it hereby known that a number of people threaten to write a book about the hippie daze of Placitas including former resident and girlfriend Laurie McRae (who, last I heard, moved to Taos to be the head librarian of the Harwood Museum there.) Sherry ??? who was lovers with Tom Nordstrom's dad up in Dome Valley and sez she has lots of photos; and several others. But you know these hippies-- much dreamy talk and little cohorent action. We just may have to leave the task for this writing of a book about the communes of Placitas to a younger local historian-- one who does not have certain axes to grind and can maintain some objectivity. But, as has already been noted above, this person need be empathetic to the hippie's philosophy and political causes. For instance, it can be truthfully stated that the hippie movement helped birth the women's movement; the anti-nuclear movement, the anti-Vietnam movement and certainly helped further crystalize the black movement. Their final legacy may still yet be writen, for the pendulum will swing back again to greater permissiveness about the intelligent use of drugs for getting certain things done that are rather hard to do without them. See, for instance, the entheogenic drugs movement (and the origin of religiousity) and that coming back out of psychotherapy.
Yours truely,
Old Pinyon Pine
Crofoot - thanks for the update on the ol communards. Wow Bruce finally died; he's like Yoda man, lived way longer than anyone expected.
Mike Smith, thanks for starting this dude! I thought about letting this go and moving on but you all know what, I don't want to, I want to stay a part of this communes of Placitas alumni and keep in touvh with you all,
Hey Zebra and all I just remember another dude or dudes, brothers. Tommy and Steve Tucker
Debra, where's Kieth? I hope he is alive. By the way me and Steve, or Spring Rain saw the Brasheer kids in NM last year, David and bros and Mary's son. Unfortunately we did not see Cabin Lance but we spoke to him on the phone, he had just got out of the pen and was afraid to see us. The Mad house, man do I remember that! I am going to have to give you a call; tried calling Mom but they put her in a psyche ward because she beets up them irritating elders all the time. Remeber Greg Sartaine; I wonder wat he's doing these days. Jack and Susen Brasheer have both passed on but Dave and siblings have kept the tradition going, never cut their hair and are still strict vegetarians, it was awesome being at Dave Brasheer's place last year, we were all jamming on accustic guitars and they had a total hippy pad; it was the perfect atmosphere.
Deborah aka Zebra
Mike, I remember you and Spring Rain well. I'm sorry to hear about Kay. I saw her in Albuquerque in 1987ish and Venus was around then too. How are Venus and Spring Rain/Steve? I'm sorry to hear about you and "the man with the monkey". The scene was so chaotic at Tawapa and I've often wondered if that type of thing was happening. I think "the man" died from cancer many years ago (I wonder what became of Chico).
Spencer, perhaps I misinterpreted your post but it sounds like you resent Phoebe for using the Tawapa name. I would like to say that, in my opinion, Phoebe is a great example of the best of what Tawapa is (was) about. She is creative and lives her life on her own terms. She doesn't use the name as a promotional gimmick, but it is the name she has chosen for her business. She hasn't "sold out" and I think she has as much right to the name as anyone.
Deborah, I remember you but not clearly, I was pretty young when you left. I would love to see any photos you have of the people at Tawapa. I am not too surprised to hear about Horse, we (Cindy and I) had our suspicions about him. Who is Greg Sartain? Is that Peg Leg Greg? Or Treehouse Greg? Maybe they are the same person.
Linda Lu
I wanted to tell all of you Placitans and former Placitans that I've just added a feature to this site that will allow you to subscribe solely to comments posted on this site. On the front page, just click on the orange square next to the words "My Strange NM Comments RSS" and then follow the instructions. You'll need to have Feed Reader or another similar program to do so, but I think it's all explained when you click on that square.
This little virtual reunion of former Tawapans was the main reason I added that feature, as it will allow you to know whenever a new Placitas-related comment has been posted.
If any of you might be interested, I wouldn't be opposed to setting up a sort of forum here where you could talk as well. Any thoughts on this?
Also, on another note, I am currently collecting photographs and images for my photo history book "Towns of the Sandia Mountains, Volume 2," which will feature an entire chapter on the Placitas communes. If any of you would like to or can contribute--it just involves scanning the pictures, not actually giving them--I'd return the favor by giving you a lot of say in reviewing and critiquing the chapter before it goes to press. I promise to make it fair.
Thanks for everything,
Mike Smith
Spencer, you have a sister named Tracy, correct? Who has a son named George and a sister. The man with the monkey was Old Man Ron, who died a couple of years ago after surviving cancer all those years ago in Tawapa. I spoke with Joycie shortly after he died. I am in contact with Tracy and Jason and Phoebe and the other kids. My dad, Bruce, died last December in Tawapa of a stroke. He had been failing in health for years, but continued to live the way he always did--with the bare minimum and regular beer (though not as much as in the past) and Bugler cigarettes. My mom, Melinda, died of cancer in 2001 in southern NM. Gary Whiteport has been back around Tawapa for quite a few years now. Denise still lives around there, as well as Laura who used to be with Jim Robbins. Jim died a few years ago in NM. Red Ron also died a couple of years ago in the Placitas area. Sally is still around. Chico, old man Ron's monkey, was shot at Tawapa for hurting Joycie one too many times. I was there when they shot him. I've run into Spring Rain once or twice and remember seeing Venus in Albuquerque about 15 years ago. Keith died several years ago, but his son, Luke, lives in Albuq. Damone is around Santa Fe.
Mike Smith, correction on your story about Ulysses. He fled with Helen and "their" daughter, who was actually not his daughter, but my dad, Bruce's daughter--according to both of my parents. Her name is Sara and I am interested in knowing her, if she is to be found. I am curious to know where everyone has gone. Deborah, where are you? Where are Bert and Maria? What ever happened to the bus logs from the peyote trip to South Padre Island? Jerry and Riva moved out to the hills somewhere with all their kids. Watuke died in Albuq years ago on his bicycle when he got hit by a car. As for the rest of them I don't know. Okay, enough Tawapa gossip for now, but looking forward to more . . .
It's great to hear all of your voices, and really interesting to feel the different perspectives from that time. I was 10 when we left and now I'm 35. My memories of Tawapa are those of a little girls. They are mostly really good...sometimes really crazy, but my memories are fond. The kids I was closest to in Tawapa, are still my closest friends, we will always be family.. cindy, Linda, Priscilla, Charlie and Billie...I am proud to be from Tawapa. My busines was the first big thing that i accomplished in my life... it gave me freedom and creativity and i named it after the place i am from. Through it I have been contacted by Lynn, Spencer, and Deborah and have been really stoked to have that connection to the people of my childhood.
My parent, Jason and Tracy are very well, living again in the mountains of new mexico.
I wish the best to all of you!!!!!
A friend of mine who has lived in the Albuquerque area for many years had told me a bit about the history of Placitas, and piqued my interest, but I'd failed to follow up on the story and gather more details as I'd initially planned. I feel so fortunate to have read back through the archives and found these two entertaining and informative articles, but more so, to have read the firsthand accounts here in the comments section of these amazing people who actually lived in Placitas "back in the day". I'm hoping the posts and comments continue as I'm fascinated by these stories, but more so because this living history is making the time period that my parents became adults spring into sharp full color focus for me.
Many, many thanks to the author of these fabulous (and in my opinion, sympathetic) articles, and the people that actually lived it.
As for the news, etc.: Dave Harper is not the good guy some think he is. He got ahold of Tawapa and 4 new houses have gone up over old history sites across from the pond, 3 in the last 2 months. I have been in court trying to protect our spring and made it to the NM Supreme Court, which set some important precedent. We have been remanded for a new trial in Bernalillo where we get a second chance. This case is a water transfer protest against placitas real estate greedy grubs, Bob and Sandy Poling, who used to throw big parties with Cadillac Bob to show how cool they were. I am very active in water rights conflicts and regional water planning and do a lot of writing on the subject, some of which gets published. Denys and Sunshine came back and cleaned out Hippy Jack's hog farm school bus and now live here. We all work the gardens and go to the Bernalillo and San Felipe markets each week. Rumaldo's little sister, Ora, moved back here with some of her daughters, and we formed Acequia la Rosa de Castilla, Inc., which is a little subgovernment of the state and which administers the ditch. I am the mayordomo, who takes care of the ditch, assigns tasks to members, and protects the ditch and its water rights. A few years ago, being destitute and harassed by MF developers drooling over the 19 acres here, I decided they were never going to get it and it would always be a farm, I started negotiations with San Felipe Pueblo and they bought the property. I could be a millionaire many times over if I had developed it, so no one can say I copped out and became a materialista. I hope all of you will start to respect ourselves, what we did, the place we did it in, and realize that we are still a viable community, scattered all over the place. In the future, folks won't move around so, and you all would still be here, hoeing the crops and digging on the ditch. It's a good life and I'm a very happy person. I hope you all have found similar fulfillment.
Love, Lynn
PS-NM public tv station KNME is producing an hour long film on the villages of Sandia Mt. I have been filmed and interviewed out in the garden by them and provided pics of the old days from Tim Philips, who is a Swede now, and Randy and Erika, who live in the Village with Erika's mom Maureen, and are moving to Gilman Canyon soon. It will be awhile before it's released, but stay in touch and I will try and get you a DVD.
Thanks for posting here. Your help with my book was absolutely invaluable to me, and I appreciate you weighing in here, too. I consider you Lord and Ruler of Sun Farm.
You're absolutely right about the often-overlooked positive effects and goals of the communes, and, as I think I've said here before, if I were to write these columns today, they would have a very different attitude.
These were among the first "My Strange New Mexico" columns I ever wrote, when I was still experimenting actively with the column's tone and style--and when I stuck (a little) more faithfully to assigned 500-word-per-column word count. When I revise them for the future My Strange New Mexico book, I want to write of the subject in a much more thorough way, incorporating more of the hippies' views, including many of those expressed as comments here.
Also, I'm currently working on "Towns of the Sandia Mountains, Volume 2," which will have an entire chapter on the Placitas communes (specifically Tawapa) and will, I hope, show the communes in a much more positive light.
Thanks for posting, and thanks again for everything. I saw some clips of you in a rough cut of the KNME documentary, and they look great. You did a good job with that, and people are going to really enjoy your remarks.
Have a great one, and thanks again.
Mike
I am going to post 3 pieces I wrote in 2001 for the Middle Rio Grande Water Assembly list/serve. I called these "Sunday Sermons", as I posted them Sundays, but there are actually little moral essays on our water and the way we use it, and how it applies to our lives in general. The last 2 concern our subject here. I took writers' license and picked several aspects of Tawapan life, not current with each other, and put them together to give an idea of what it was like and the philosophies we operated under. I would appreciate comments and criticisms.
Love & Peace, Lynn
THE LOSS OF CULTURE
Culture is not often perceived as it really is. When we hear “New Mexican Culture”, visions of Native Americans selling arts and crafts on the Santa Fe Plaza, a Santo carving, or native costumes and dances, come to mind. Those of us that have been here awhile might think of lowriders and Rt. 66. These things certainly are icons of New Mexican Culture, but they float on the surface and don’t really get into the heart of what our culture really consists of and its crucial importance in our daily lives.
We now live in a dominant culture that will not tolerate other cultures and takes none of them seriously. This dominant culture, which I call “the amerikan dreme culture”, dominates everything, including our lives. We serve it. It does not serve us. It is useless to us as a tool to lead fulfilling and whole lives, as it demands all of our will and loyalty, and gives nothing back but overstuffed gratification of the lowest level. It is anti-creative, stifling our greatest gift and ensuring our helplessness. It is useless in building real community, since it depends on the atomization of society to make our basic carnal desires of the utmost importance. All else is diminished and ridiculed, to the point that there is no real, connected, culture left, and we founder in all that gratification, wondering why there is always something wrong that we can’t quite put our fingers on. We proclaim “United we Stand”, but we stand on nothing, apart, lonely, and culturally bankrupt.
This disconnection leads to disconnection from the water. We cannot get a real visualization of the water in ourselves because we don’t experience it fully. We don’t really know what the water is. Thus, we cannot make a real, useful, and viable water plan because we do not possess the knowledge of, experience of, and connection to the water. Instead, we depend on a body of law and regulation that is a chaotic, illogical, mess and a nightmare to anyone trying to protect their rights. Plus a politics completely devoted to those seeking profit from over-exploitation of the water, and its natural systems and cycles. Of course, human society and civilization have just formed yesterday, and all that has happened in the past is unrelated and worthless to us today. So we are left with pulling a water plan out of a hat while floating in a vacuum, a hat manufactured by the water exploitation industry.
Last week, I attended a 1000 Friends of NM forum entitled: “The Effects of Sprawl and Land Loss on Substance Abuse & Mental Health”. Rio Arriba County is showing an excellent example by valuing and supporting traditional culture and incorporating it into their land and water use planning and regulation. The forum centered on an ongoing report, “Rio Arriba County: Data Review on Drug, Alcohol, and Other Health Related Issues”. This report looks at everything from loss of surrounding land base and the concentrated village, to how today’s time-strapped parents resort to fast food for their family meals and how that leads to more diabetes and heart disease. The villages of Truchas and Chimayo were compared. Chimayo is tightly surrounded by BLM lands that used to belong to the community. The old land grant is defunct, not having any lands to manage. The remaining agricultural lands were built on, using mainly 1 acre lots. Social institutions such as acequias and the agricultural economy have disappeared. The village center is no longer the cultural center of the community and is in disrepair. The social infrastructure has become frayed and the sense of community has been lost. Nobody cares. Substance abuse, domestic abuse, and crime dominate the social scene. Truchas retains much of its culture and land base. The Land Grant is very active, having more lands to manage, and the surrounding National Forest lands are more accessible to the people because there is a Grant that can negotiate on their behalf. Nearly all of the agricultural lands are intact, one of the reasons being the Village has a constructed wetlands to deal with effluent, and everyone lives in the dense village, as it is cheaper and the waters are protected from pollution. Village life is vibrant and all the connections keep a sense of self among the people. The Grant and acequias have strong hands-on management and leadership policies, which sets an example to youth. The Grant runs youth programs that ensure that proper management of the resources will carry on. Social problems like substance abuse, while serious, are not the dominant elements they are down the road in Chimayo.
The loss of land grants and their societies is present in Albuquerque too. The South Valley is largely occupied by descendants of land grant refugees, even the local Atrisco Grant, and still bears the disrespect, prejudice, and fear shown land grants, to this day. Dirty industry, stockyards and slaughterhouses, sewage treatment plants, no municipal water, no municipal sewage, have been the rule in the South Valley. We have to admire them. Hope is the last to die and they are still hanging on, but for how long? Can we retrieve and install the values of the traditional New Mexican Village, or are we doomed to slavery by the modern unculture? Can we use these values as an integral part of our water plan, or must we give up hope and doom the future? Are we to give in to those that lurk underneath, afraid to debate and promote issues in public, only knowing how to destroy, lie, cheat, and hide? Events are coming to a head, and we will know the answers to these questions shortly.
Regards, Lynn
FLOWER POWER
The “back to the earth” movement of the late 1960’s had a large impact on Northern New Mexico. Back then, the State was still a dusty backwater and there were lots of places to live as a squatter or caretaker out in the hills. Many fairly large settlements were established, most being called “communes”, although most did not really fit the description. One of the earliest and well known of these was Lower Farm, which was located on upper Las Huertas Creek near Placitas. This settlement was lorded over by a colorful, fairly obnoxious fellow from Chicago who called himself the reincarnation of U. S. Grant. Ulysses was basically a wise and charismatic bully who claimed Lower Farm was a free place, while at the same time keeping total control and power over all. If some local came by and started hassling someone, Ulysses would simply beat him up. He called them “townies” and had no idea of local culture and history. The locals liked him anyway, as he went after opportunistic Anglos that were out to exploit the area. He didn’t ride in cars, and rode a large white horse bareback everywhere. One time, some Anglos set up a trailer in the Village and started to try and sell real estate, and Ulysses rode down on his white horse with a bunch of crazy locals and Hippies, and burned it down. The fire brigade arrived after the coals had developed real good and brought marshmallows. He ran for Governor, and had surprisingly good support, but couldn’t afford the filing fee and couldn’t get on the ballot.
We Hippies are social experimenters who are willing to go through a lot of privation to find better and more fulfilling ways to live on this Earth. Lower Farm was primitive compared to our social and political awareness today, but we wouldn’t be so evolved if people hadn’t struck out and forged new paths and tools that we take for granted. The Placitas Hippies experimented in the dynamics of power. First we had “Dome Valley”, located up a canyon over Placitas. This consisted of several domes and outbuildings. It was an anarchistic, hedonistic, non-community that was a basic Adam and Eve thing. Folks moved down to Las Huertas Creek, which became Lower Farm. Ulysses and others established a garden that was to sustain everyone. Ulysses incorporated the settlement as a Village called Manerva Nueva. The Village rules were:
1. Membership is open to anyone on the Planet Earth. Access is denied no one.
2. There is one class of membership: first class or full member.
3. All property is and shall be held in common by all members.
4. Any member attending a meeting is entitled to equal voting rights with all members in attendance.
5. Annual meetings begin at sunrise, July 4 of each year and continue until agreement on all issues under discussion is reached.
6. Any member may declare any question an important one, which then can be acted upon only after meditation and consultation of the I CHING, an oracle.
7. All funds received by the corporation shall be held for use of all by Treasurers appointed by the Board of Directors.
8. Meetings may be called by any member or director upon notification of other members within a reasonable time prior to the holding of said meeting.
9. All major decisions must be made in agreement with the I CHING. Any issue may be declared a major issue by any member.
10. Individual members living in communities operated by Manerva Nueva may not hold private funds or property (personal belongings and effects excepted).*
It is very doubtful that any of these rules were adhered to. Ulysses became more tyrannical and violent as time went on. He almost killed a man in the cornfield with a machete blow to the head because he wasn’t hoeing the corn correctly. He developed several feuds with residents who wouldn’t bow to his will. This all came to a head when Ulysses borrowed a rifle from a neighbor and shot two of the three remaining people. After all the headlines and manhunt, folks slowly forgot about Ulysses. Lower Farm was abandoned and the real owners reclaimed their property.
The Lower Farm Family did not disintegrate. It is still alive, to this day. People squatted down the Creek at Tawapa and Sun Farm, and Toad Lady Kathy had lots of people living in her dome and on her 10 acres. Power was seen as evil, and no one ever told another what to do. This could get out of control. One time, Mouser got drunk at Tawapa and beat his old lady with a 2X4. After he threatened to hit their 1 year old baby, neighbor Jason finally went over there, took the 2X4 away, and hit him over the head with it many times, each time telling him what a total coward he was hitting his woman and child. I lived at Sun Farm and had a “Paladin” attitude and kept my 25-35 Winchester carbine handy for enforcement. Other than running some really awful people out with it, no one told anyone what to do. We grew our own food and met early each morning on top of our sacred hill and meditated and planned our day. We were a democracy and voted on everything. Things worked pretty well until food stamps allowed laziness and sloth to creep into our lives.
Family folks started to move to more remote places throughout Northern NM and Las Huertas became a haven for hopeless drunks. Power came out of a beer can and the Texan owners went to court and got their land back. More of the original Spanish settlers moved back into the Valley and reestablished the acequia association. Many Tawapans live in the surrounding hills, waiting for the Texans to slip up over the water, which is happening presently. Power is returning to the Acequia and associated community, power now being derived from water rights.
So, after all this social experimentation, it is the water that holds the power. I hope the Rio Grande Valley doesn’t have to go through the same murderous process to realize the power of the water. The Water Assembly keeps slogging on, staying the democratic course it embarked upon, and it is a quite remarkable thing that power has not been able to intrude without getting bitten. We can all be very proud of ourselves. This is a major social achievement. I hope that power can be kept out of our process until the Plan and the water become the power that serves all.
As for what happened to Ulysses, about 7 years ago he and his wife were found in a remote, burned down Idaho farmhouse, shot to death. There were several acres of marijuana out back, one of which had been hastily harvested. Hippies call this “karma”.
*from: “Communes, USA”, by Richard Fairfield, Penguin Books, Inc., 1972
CONTROL-THE FALSE NEED
Everybody in our culture wants control. Many of us spend most of our waking, productive, hours getting, keeping, defining, protecting, and applying control. Some believe that to control is to be, that nothing is real if one cannot control it. The operative emotion surrounding control is anxiety. Anxiety is a paralyzing and distracting negative emotion that often keeps one from thinking and believing clearly. How much has the world paid to this quest to control? What have we gained for the price?
Tawapa had few rules. Children had the right to vote and debate, and they were, by far, the best politicians, and made most of the rules. The most important rule was; “you snooze, you loose”. One is responsible for taking advantage of opportunity oneself. Life is not fair and is what one makes of it. No one or nothing will show one the way, and one must make one’s own path. Another was “on your feet, lose your seat”. One cannot own a place unless one occupies it. There is no such thing as “privilege”. All have a right to exist and be recognized as equal human beings. Ejection from Tawapa was extremely uncommon and even convicted manslaughter of a fellow Tawapan did not warrant it. Members of the STP Family were finally banned because of their carefully cultivated collections of rare body vermin. Some very exotic, (and hopefully endangered), species there...
There was an unspoken caring for each other. Those that couldn’t do this were considered undeveloped and unemerged. During the eight months of “season”, we were subjected to hundreds of people stopping off on their journeys across America. Many back to the Earthers lived at Tawapa for a couple months, acclimating, acculturating, and getting directions to good spots. We asked all who could, to donate food from Ocha Coop to run the community kitchen. Every day, during season, up to a dozen people would labor all day to produce the evening meal. Flour had to be ground and dough started for the beehive orno. Veggies from the garden had to be gathered and prepared. Wood for the orno and adobe stove needed to be gathered and chopped. Drinking water had to be fetched from the spring. There was never a lack of helpers, as there was a concurrent party going on. This was where all the dope, booze, and music was. The kitchen was down on the Creek under some large cottonwoods. There were several picnic tables and all the utensils were hung on cables between the trees. When all was ready, a hearty cattle call resounded up and down the Valley and all came and partook. Grace was said. Afterwards, the drums and guitars would come out and the festivities would go far into the night.
Governance was done by grapevine and congregation. People talked issues among themselves, and if something needed to be resolved by all, we would meet and hold open court. Punishment was to be avoided. Discussion would continue until all were agreed on a decision. If we couldn’t arrive at one, we would vote, usually demanding a ¾ majority. This would happen in a very natural manner, as consensus was demanded for all actions. No one was in charge, no one called meetings, and persuasion was the only control. If the community was hopelessly divided, a decision would be deferred, as is done in the Pueblos. Decisions were always accepted or the person left. It is impossible for an individual to stand up to the power of a real community.
So we governed ourselves fairly well and no one was in control. It could be messy and frustrating, but no one felt that they were ignored or oppressed. Child care and rearing was a community effort and all were expected to see to them. The women were the heart of the community and supported each other mightily, through birth, death, sickness, and triumph. They held the power, and kept it hidden. Although it was harsh at times, and the other kids made fun of the “Hippy Kids”, I believe it was a very healthy environment for them. We did not have a home school and sent them to public school, as we saw ourselves as a full part of the larger community. We even held offices in the PTA and were employed as teachers. Rules for the garden were stricter. The margin of error in a garden does not allow for flower tongued persuaders to prevail all the time. One mistake, and a crop is lost. I once witnessed two very humble, pious, men have a fist fight over when to pick the melons. I was appointed official melon picker, as I was from Sun Farm and supposedly neutral, and would harvest and distribute them. A little control in the interests of peace in the garden.
America was founded on the belief that control must reside with the whole, and not the individual. Americans have the freedom to build their lives, not simply live them. To have this freedom, we have paid a lot and continue to do so. We cannot let those that would control us and everything else, prevail. As Americans, I’m confident we won’t. Our leaders need to go back to truly representing us, and stop their anxious need to control. Control is an illusion and those that pursue it will corrode their souls. There is no steering wheel, the best we can do is try and aim good and pray it on the way.
The dysfunctional families and substance abusers described here aren't that different from a lot of "normal" people except that they don't talk about it like you do. Two of my grandparents died of alcoholism and a third was in a crazy institution for half her life. This was totally within the context of mainstream social life.
My personal opinion--and this may just be wishful thinking, but things are coming around full circle. There's a batch of kids growing up now that are going to want to be freaks again. I can see it on the horizon. After all, those same questions about life and society and human values are all still around.
If anybody talks to Cabin Lance, tell him that Rasta Laura the bongo player is still in ABQ, my number is listed under my last name in the phone book, and we should get together and jam sometime. Love to you all.
I have to second what people are saying about cocaine--at the time it was considered a drug for rich rock stars and it was not widely used by the people I hung out with because it was too expensive.
At any, she used to tell stories about the 'life' which for a military raised 7 years younger (and straight-laced lad I) was interesting (the closest I ever got to finding anything at all 'hip' or faux hip if you will previous to meeting her was watching TVs hippie girl Peggy Lipton on 'The Mod Squad' late '60s.) Imagine me (a My 3 Sons Robbie Douglas) meeting her (a Michelle Phillips Mamas & Papas)- instant attraction!
Living in both teepees and in caves was one aspect Karen spoke of; she had custody of 2 boys from a previous marriage (they ended up with the father as one of the boys almost drowned - lifestyle concerns etc. Aft marriage we used to shop at the no longer existent OCHA in Albuquerque on north 4th Street. For me hearing stories of both Tawapa and Velarde was certainly interesting as to the life...but eventually, we went our separate ways, 2 opposites 2 different to e'er last.
I've still never been to what is or was Tawapa. Anyone who recognizes the as described (now) 58 year old Karen (won't use her last name for anonymity sake, hers) or has rememberances her/thots this, chime in.
Regardless, enjoy all the stories described herein, vicariously least. Guess I'll always wonder 'what might have been' my case then if I had been of a mind; alas, both birthday & conscience mine coming too late and from too far across the divide, other.
Well, I've seen your pages, some good some bad, & I'd like to let you
know that Bruce died Dec. 22nd 2007,&F.B.I. died 2 weeks ago ,Bruce
Died at home, FBI was hit by a car in the dildo, Keith died in 1999.
But me being too outspoken I moved on and out in 1982.
I remember Black John & Gracie, Ed Shaffer, John & Terry Oldham thier 2
children Julie Ann & John T, Pegleg Greg, Keith, Russ & Bee, Russel &
Jeannie
thier 2 older children,Bruce ,Dome Kathy, Mouser. Indian Karen & her brother
big Robert,of course Bruce & James, cowboy,many others, please forgive over
the
years I have forgotten many names.
I have seen some of the old hippie dippies of Tawapa & have caught up to
somethings that happened after I moved on.
I have some photos of Tawapa also .
Not to answer for Jesus but dildo, is Bernalillo we hippies have called for
a
few days now lol .
For those knowing John & Terry Oldham, John passed away in the 90's Terry
John
T & Julie Ann are still in Arkansas, John T lost his feet & 1 hand due to
frostbite. Well so much for now Peace GOD'S children.
p.s. Jesus did not kill mouser he might have helped him kill himself anyone
who
knew mouser knew he tried to get everyone/anyone to help him out of this
world,
GOD only knows why .
,
What a wonderful life I had in Tawapa, I lived with Jim Bones, in the round adobe house. the next round house John and Gracie lived there. Remember the Bear that visited... guess that was 1982-1984. Could not have made it with out Bruce,( whom I called Spruce), Jeanne and Russ. Laura and Jim lived in the main house, Jeanne and Russ across the creek from the old comunity kitchen.Bruce was living in the gaurd house. Jesus was living in the big house and mouser in the underground hut. My daughter who is 26, tries to explain to her friends where she lived as a little girl and they don't believe her.
I was there in OCT of 2005, saw Bruce, and was talking about sending my son out there. I had said all he wants to do is drink and smoke. Bruce said to me " I think we have a slot for him. By the way when asked if I would like to go camping? my response is I camped out for 2 1/2 years, I think I wil pass.....Blessing to all. If Jeanne or Russ read this I will be in ALBQ April 11-15. I will leave my number at the store. Susie
If you get to read this before you leave ,,,, message ,,, from Russ & Jeannie they live at the same place lol Flying Dog Road.
Sunahine Menden
I know that almost everyone here does not know me because I was not around during the time of Tawapa. I am Russ and Jeanne's daughter Charlotte, I just wanted to let everyone know I have heard some crazy stories. Butch is married and has three boys and Tonyia is also married with a girl and two boys. Butch still lives in NM and Tonyia lives in Ohio. Susie my parents would love to see you, so if you get on and would like to email me your number and I will give it to my parents. My email is friendsforeva_1416@yahoo.com
Red Ron died from tuberculosis. Jesus is some how still alive even after all of the heart problems he has had. Gary Whiteport or aka Gary Morebeer is still alive, he has had a lot of heart related problems lately. Dave Harper by the way is a good person but like said earlier people are buying and selling property and that is what Dave Harper does for a living he sells property, he is selling some of the land but keeping other parts. If anyone has questions you can email me and I'll talk to my parents for some answers.
hope you see this Susie