Santa Fe Parade
On a timeless trip to our frontier's past we head towards the wild west
of Santa Fe New Mexico for a little desert therapy.
Out where the wild mustangs roam free in the wide open range and
livestock and coyotes share the old western charm.
Here you'll find leather and suede, rhinestones and Levi's, lace and
fringe, silver and turquoise, all part of the "Western Heritage Santa Fe
Parade." One of my personal
favorites is the buffalo roast where Cowboys and Indians, Cowgirls and Renegades
all get together and share Native visions in an old fashioned fire studded Pow-wow.
After the country and western line dancing is finished, the legendary
"Saddle-horn Ranch" hosts the joy and pain of the Bull-rider's
Rodeo. Here you'll see some of the best bull-riders around, bronco riding,
roping and barrel racing, and even the legendary rhinestone Cowboy
"Maverick." He
heads the parade on his famous thoroughbred "Wind-walker" adorned with
rhinestones, beads, turquoise, silver and fringe.
In the stirrups you'll notice Mavericks' ostrich cowboy boots with shiny
silver spurs shimmering in the Santa Fe sun.
The prairie animals all come to see this yearly event like the
roadrunner, lizard, coyote, prairie dog, and even the local desert tortoise
looking for their annual handout of specialty buffalo chips off the Santa Fe
Chuckwagen. Earthly adobe Indian
villages fill the trails with Native Americans making pottery, blankets, beads,
turquoise and silver jewelry, and tightly woven baskets all hand-made and for
sale. The sacred spirits above
honored us with endless sunshine and warmth as the parade continues through the
Red Rock Crossing.
Wild Mustangs crowd together as Cowboys whistle and snap their reins to
line them up evenly inside the parade. Several
Cowboys and Indians adorned the parade in their wild western cultural attire and
Native western dance. Trailside the
pack- horses loaded with gold and silver represented the old historical mining
days. I felt honored to be a part
of this timeless trip to our frontier's past.
The Santa Fe Parade not only was a Native vision but also has a
historical and legendary past!
Copyright
1997 by Author Patti Tricoli
