Helen Foster James - E Is for Enchantment: A New Mexico Alphabet

A New Mexico Alphabet

Written by Helen Foster James and Illustrated by Neecy Twinem

For my husband Bob, and with sincere appreciation to
Pam Muoz Ryan and Barbara McNally.

HELEN

With love to my enchanted New Mexico,
full of all of my fantastic friends.

NEECY

Anasazi (anuhSAHzee) is a Navajo Indian word meaning the ancient ones. They lived almost two thousand years ago on mesas (Spanish for a hill with steep sides and a flat top) and canyon cliffs. Their villages were like apartment complexes with hundreds of people living together. They hunted, and they planted beans, corn, and squash.

Anthropologists study pottery, baskets, and other objects the Anasazi left behind to learn more about them. Today you can visit Aztec Ruins National Monument, Bandelier National Monument, and Chaco Culture National Historical Park (a World Heritage Site) to see places where they once lived. They abandoned their homes over 700 years ago. Where they went and why they left is still a mystery.

A is for the Ancient Ones who long ago in history, abandoned homes, now crumbling ruins, and left us with a mystery.

In 1950 a forest fire in the Lincoln National Forest frightened a little black bear cub, and he climbed a tree to escape. He was rescued by firefighters, nursed back to health, and named Smokey Bear. He became a national symbol for fire prevention. His picture reminds all of us to be careful with fire. Smokey Bear Historical State Park in Capitan is dedicated to forest conservation.

Black bears are not always black. They can be black, brown, blonde, or even white. The female is called a sow, and the male is a boar. A group of bears is a sloth or pack. The black bear was selected as the state animal in honor of Smokey Bear.

B for famous Smokey Bear, a black bear from our state.

Youll see his picture everywhere on signs that educate.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park contains one of the worlds largest cave systems. It was formed millions of years ago by acidic water carving through limestone. Dripping water left bits of minerals, which built into huge and unusual formations. Native Americans knew about it long ago, but in 1901 a cowboy found the caves when he noticed thousands of bats and went to investigate.

Today there are miles of surveyed caves, but not all of the caverns have been explored. Visitors can tour about three miles of this World Heritage Site. Just like Jim White, visitors are still amazed to see thousands of Mexican freetail bats leave the caves at dusk to feed on insects.

C is for Carlsbad Caverns, discovered by cowboy Jim White.

This amazing maze of limestone caves is truly an awesome sight.

Storyteller dolls combine the Native American traditions of making pottery and storytelling. Helen Cordero, a Cochiti Pueblo potter, combined these two arts and created the first storyteller doll in 1964. It was a clay grandfather with his mouth wide open and five children on his lap. She made it to honor her own grandfather, a storyteller. Since that first one, these storytellers have become very popular. Now many artists make them in different styles.

Native Americans have been making pottery bowls and decorative pieces for hundreds of years. Maria Martinez was a famous potter from San Ildefonso Pueblo and was known for her blackonblack pottery. She encouraged other Native Americans to practice the arts of their ancestors. Her work can be seen in museums throughout the world.

D for the storyteller Doll created out of clay with children gathered on her lap to hear what she will say.

The Land of Enchantment is our nickname and it welcomes visitors to see historical and natural sights, interesting wildlife, and enjoy new experiences. What makes New Mexico enchanting? Maybe its a first visit to one of our Native American reservations to attend a powwow. Perhaps its the fragrance of a pion pine burning in a fireplace or the sound of a coyotes evening serenade.

New Mexico has enchanting views. In 1924 the Gila Wilderness became the worlds first designated wilderness. Gila National Forest is one of the largest national forests in the United States and covers 3.3 million acres. People frequently comment on New Mexicos vast, blue sky. At night, away from city lights, countless stars are visible in the clear, dark sky. For the highest view, Wheeler Peak is the spot, at 13,161 feet above sea level.

All of these and much more combine to make New Mexico The Land of Enchantment.

Our nickname is Land of Enchantment, and Enchantment starts with an E.

When viewing a desert sunset, enchanted you surely will be.

Its easy to make a list of favorite foods that are popular in our state. Youll want to try Indian fry bread fresh from a roadside stand or at a special event. Some people put honey on it for a delicious treat.

Enchiladas are a scrumptious combination of sauce, cheese, chiles, onions, and meat rolled in a tortilla. Each year Las Cruces has a Whole Enchilada Fiesta to make (and eat!) the worlds largest enchilada. (Fiesta means party in Spanish.)

The biscochito (bizcoCHEEtoh) was adopted as the state cookie in 1989, making New Mexico the first state to have an official cookie. It is a shortbread cookie with anise flavor and is a favorite at celebrations.

Even our states official tree makes its way into a meal. Cooks add pine nuts from the pion tree (or nut tree) to salads, soups, and sauces. It takes about 1,500 tiny nuts to weigh one pound, and a fast picker picks 20 pounds a day.

F is for Indian Fry bread on my list as a Favorite Food.

If you made a list of your favorites, which foods would you like to include?

Spanish explorers came to presentday New Mexico in the 1500s. They conquered the territory of Mexico, and then they came northward. In 1540 Francisco Vsquez de Coronado led 1,100 men in search of the legendary golden riches of the Seven Cities of Cibola. Native Americans had never seen horses or men in armor with swords or guns. They thought the explorers used canes that spit fire and made thunder. The Spanish did not find gold and returned to Mexico disappointed, but they claimed the land for Spain and called it