Río Santiago, Interviews and Predictions
We met a wonderful array of people in Juanacátlan this week, and they all shared compelling stories. There was the generous veterinarian, the couple from the Playa Pharmacy, and the crew of elderly gentleman that “kill time” in the plaza every afternoon. One of the plaza revelers, named Don Pedro, spent ‘69 to ’06 in California and worked as a coyote or border immigrant smuggler. There was also the metal smith who spoke of living in the town his whole life and planned to continue doing so, polluted river be damned.
In addition, Veronica at the Dulcería connected me with an organic farmer and environmental activist, Don Pedro who loves nothing better than to take friends on bicycle tours of the farms in the countryside. I readily accepted.
We also attended a meeting of community activists known as Grupo Vida. They are making a valiant attempt to save their river. As Sarah said, it was powerful to be in a room with people who were dealing with an issue that was nearly as bad as it could get. Yet, for the most part, they addressed the issue with great poise and calm determination.
A view of the town
Our interviews in Juanacátlan began this week. We sat down with the aforementioned elderly couple in their pharmacy. They told us of the effects of the river and the old days in Juanacátlan. “Please, come back in ten years and you’ll see that life and health will have improved,” said the 78 year old husband.
Juanacátlan Politics
We also interviewed the town veterinarian, Doctor Carlos, who demonstrated a passion for proper animal treatment and showed us pictures of the river before the hydroelectric dam. The hydro-plant has been out of service for years, but continues to collect toxic sediment. When asked about his ten year prediction for Junacátlan, he replied, “There are two ways that this can go. One, the river will only get worse, and most of us will either move or die from contamination. Two, together we confront the issue and change the state of the river.” The doctor presented us with a sizable bottle of fabulous tequila from his five gallon stash before we left, insisting that our lunch would taste better. He also promised us a horseback tour of the Juanacátlan countryside.
Note that most of our questions do not begin with the river contamination but nearly every person found a way to talk about the pollution. In fact, we usually begin by asking them to talk about their town, and the stories of living there. The river, once a source of great pride, is now avoided when possible.
That was our week, in a very small nutshell.
I look forward to your feedback!
Dusk from our rooftop
-Steve
4 Comments
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By Jordan, 26 January 2010 @ 4:01
Ah mi amigo Esteban. Me alegra mucho oír que hayas hecho algunas amistades allá. Parece que, aunque la situación es triste y difícil, progreso es posible y habrá una manera en la que lo pueden lograr. Ya fuiste al campo por bicicleta? Espero que si, suena súper divertido. Bueno, les mando mis felicidades a todos ustedes y espero que encuentren suerte, fuerza, y amor en su tiempo allá. Chao!
By sarah larock, 26 January 2010 @ 4:35
would love to know more about what is polluting the river. just the hydro electric dam? how is the sediment toxic? is the dam totally out of service? why did it go out of service? is the plan to keep it out of service or to refurbish it?
I LOVE YOU!
By Blanca, 27 January 2010 @ 8:04
I would like to hear more about how the pollution has affected their health and how are they are coping with it.
By Beatriz, 4 February 2010 @ 20:12
As you speak of the people in the town, there are questions I have regarding local activism, whether or not their strategic plans should be be strategically published/shared and the community’s relationship with the government. I’d love to hear people’s stories in connection to the river, and the progression of its identity from the river of life to the river of death; that seems like a “natural” way of structuring a documentary. Given that people are actively participating (right?) in the making of this documentary, I’d love to hear more about this process. I loved the way in which the photographic exhibit “Through the Eyes of Mauro” was documented and made available. Keep up with the good work!
Beatriz