Ep. 059: Life in the Land of Enchantment

  Marina Herrera is a 17th generation New Mexican on the Spanish side of her family with roots as far back as time immemorial on the indigenous side of her family. She joins Garrett today to talk about her life growing up in New Mexico's Mora Valley. She takes us on a journey through the culture, language, food, and art of the region that inspires a sense of awe. Marina also shares the challenges New Mexico faces and the ways she is working with the Rio Grande Foundation to address those concerns. If you've ever said, "Thank God for Mississippi," you're likely to relate to the experiences Marina shares in this episode of the Forgotten America podcast.    Statistics Mentioned New Mexico is 51st for education  New Mexico is 1st in the nation for non-violent crime Record breaking homicides five years in a row Espanola is the heroin capitol of the world Albuquerque is a sanctuary city New Mexico spends more per student but gets worse outcomes than any of their neighboring states  New Mexico is #1 in the nation for Ph.D.s per capita  New Mexico is one of the world's largest producers (surpassing Mexico) of oil & gas Places to Visit The Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio, #7 burger in the nation, Green Chile Cheese burger The Owl in San Antonio, https://sanantonioowl.com/ Santa Fe, New Mexico  Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, part of the National Park Service System  https://www.nps.gov/sapu/index.htm  New Mexican music has a distinct style. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico_music World's Tallest Tramway https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandia_Peak_Tramway San Miguel Church - oldest church in the U.S.  The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi  El Pinto - restaurant  Geronimo - famous restaurant  Sangre de Cristo Mountains https://www.britannica.com/place/Sangre-de-Cristo-Mountains  Las Vegas, New Mexico and Taos, New Mexico on the map   Additional Information & References Learn more about Marina and her work at the Rio Grande Foundation.  Penitente Morada of Abiquiu  Learn more about Penitentes, a private Catholic Brotherhood unique to Northern, New Mexico Santeros - Saint art makers, distinct form of iconography art  Colcha embroidery - unique form of art from the American southwest Breaking Bad https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903747/   Garrett Ballengee, Host Executive Director - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy   Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer Communications Director - @akieffer13  Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy   Tony Reed, Editor & Producer Associate Director of Operations - @treed1134 International Center for Law & Economics   Follow: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Support: Patreon, Donate, Newsletter