ABSTRACT

Drawing upon 13 months of fieldwork practice within the autonomous and collective irrigation communities of Northern New Mexico (acequia communities), this seminar will explore: 1) the role of water sharing and community water governance in acequia adaptation to climatic and political-economic change; 2) how such processes of change influence community cohesion, conflict, identity, and response; and 3) how a relational and dialectic exploration of ‘resilience from below’ can help to unveil the ways in which acequia users relate to the State and others, negotiate demands, participate in acts of resistance, and organize to secure self-determination over water governance and sharing. This conversation is designed to garner feedback for the thesis process, to explore future research horizons, and to contribute to ongoing GEJG discussions regarding engaged environmental justice research.