Land Back Means What?

Daniel Stange de Acatl

Changing times and changing terms. We are all evolving and adapting constantly. Especially with the new lingo that our high-tech savvy youth leaders and their unique pronouns that help us to broaden our imagination. As Chicano people we are very accepting of nuance. The government and school system has struggled to even identify how to call our community. Hispanic, Latinx, we all prefer different terms at different times. My grandpa would say we are Indios. By my grandma called us Spanish. I tried to blend them when I used the term “¡Yo Soy Chicano!” Many of us forgot the older term Genizaro that was popular in the 1700’s.

We all know that whatever they are calling us these days, the truth is that we did not migrate to this land. We have descendants that once stewarded the land long before the Spanish or even the Pacific Islanders came to these shores. These great American continents have two of the oldest civilizations. The north is the Eagle Nation and the south is the Condor Nation. The north became acculturated by the key crop of corn. The south was acculturated when they adapted the papas. There’s 2000 species of potatoes in Peru!

Our families tell cuentos that often relate to “when they took our land”. Historical records will account for numerous exchanges about when the land was claimed and sold and conquered and stolen but the reality is that we belong to the land. We should never sell our mother earth. We are even lucky today if we have some small square patch that we hold title to, even though they can take that away very quickly if we don’t pay the taxes. Funny situation for a bunch of rebels that fought for independence and freedom from taxation. But we do agree that governments must have infrastructure to provide the safety and security of our basic human needs.

Our families tell cuentos that often relate to “when they took our land”.

Different forms of government will dictate the method of acquiring those needs, but the truth of society is that we need each other. No person is an island and much less are we as self-sufficient as we pretend to be. A person that has lots of money might feel that they are independent and that they can exist alone but that is a complete denial of the fact that everything you buy is built by other hands and so with money you are much more dependent upon others. Living alone off of the land is also a fantasy that Swiss Family Robinson stories have solicited. A person that even attempts to live off-grid and survive in the “wilderness” will soon discover the dependency of the animals, plants and minerals.

“Land Back” is not a new movement and the term has been used among Native communities even prior to the civil rights movements of the 1960’s when the American Indian Movement (AIM) was created and began to declare the need. What many do not understand is that when natives say they want Land Back, it is not so they can kick out foreigners and consolidate their wealth and horde the riches that the land contains. This movement is really about freeing the land. It’s about taking the stewardship of the land to another level. To see the earth not as a resource for the plunder, but as a source of life and a living being that we need to understand. We know that all the plants and animals are alive, but yet we treat them as commodities, and we lose the real knowledge of what these fellow earthlings also require. From the tallest tree to the smallest bug there is a web of life that is entwined with our own survival. We do not understand the language of Mother Nature because we have lost a connection with our own human nature. We celebrate our birthday every 12 months, but nobody was ever inside of their mother’s womb for that long. Our human cycle is the same as our gestation period. It’s like the way we say that a dog is seven years to one; because their gestation is only two months. An elephant is pregnant almost two years! so it’s no wonder they live so long.

People across the country are emerging from the native reservations and looking to help us return to the natural understanding of life. We have movements all across the nation where tribal groups are making agreements to steward lands that were designated as national parks or wildlife preserves. There are Tribal nations purchasing millions of acres of land to preserve it from developers. One small effort northeast of Denver, CO, is a local farm that was purchased, and the owners Dave and Roberto have allowed people free access to grow their own food. Spirit of the Sun is another local Indigenous group that is educating young natives about the correct ways to steward lands and preserve ancestral seeds and methods. Small steps to a larger movement, but we are all valued and when we share in our efforts there is a greater impact on the whole planet.

Look for local groups wherever you live and find some time to get out and share in the work of Land Back efforts because the work will give your children a deeper sense of themselves, and they will ensure a better future for all humans on this mother earth.

Danny Stange de Acatl is a Denver native and cultural activist that serves his community on various levels.