Kalle Benallie
ICT

SANTA FE — There is coffee being poured, ice bags being emptied into carts and open trunks with 1,000 burritos wrapped in aluminum foil ready to be given out to the vendors at the 104th Santa Fe Indian Market on Saturday morning.

Music is being played from a small U-Haul truck that holds the 11 carts that about 30 volunteers will use to transport the food and drinks. They are laughing and catching up, as many are returnees, while loading up the supplies.

The endeavor is a collaboration with the non-profit, Native-led organization The Forge and The Pantry, a family-owned restaurant in Santa Fe, to give back to vendors.

“It’s very nice ‘cause when you sit at your booth, you can’t really go anywhere for something. You have to tend to your booth,” Weaver Irvita Aragon, Navajo, said.

It’s the Forge Project’s fourth year doing the giveaway. The carts are decorated with the Forge Project signs and a QR code to help fundraise $25,000 for their fellowship program. The organization is based in Taghkanic, New York, and works to cultivate and advance Indigenous leadership in arts and culture.

“The reason that we come down here is because this is really an epicenter of Native culture,” said Candice Hopkins, executive director and chief curator at Forge Project.

Planning takes place three to four months in advance to the market. Former Forge fellows, artists, family members and friends are on the ground.

“A lot of people say it’s their highlight of market. We get to meet artists directly, we get to give them something and we get to share the love,” Hopkins, Carcross and Tagish First Nation, said. “We really wanted to shift it, from instead of thinking about what we can buy from artists because that’s one way of supporting them instead, what can we give them, what can we do to ensure that they can do everything they need to do today.”

Workers at the Pantry are up at 2 a.m. making the burritos fresh for the morning.

Monica Sekaquaptewa, public & relational programs coordinator at Forge Project, said that this effort is unique.

“Especially in a place like Santa Fe where Native peoples have been exploited beyond our arts. It’s really important to show up for the vendors that make SWAIA possible while also remembering those that are excluded from this market as well,” the Diné and Hopi citizen said.

Vendors have the option of bacon, egg and green chile or vegetarian burritos as well as small cans of soda, water, unsweetened ice tea and frozen gatorade.

But it’s not just for the artists, their family, friends or those helping them at the booth can take one.

“To me it felt like we had a responsibility, especially as Native people who were coming into other people’s home territory, to show up with the intention of care and reciprocity,” Sarah Biscarra Dilley, Forge director of relational education, said.

Biscarra Dilley, Northern Chumash, said in their first year they gave out 75 to 100 lunchboxes and some burritos from The Pantry. The burritos were the most popular the next year, but they only had 300. Last year the giveaway soared to 1,000 and 1,000 again this year.

Biscarra Dilley hopes in the future to have regional Indigenous food workers and increase the burrito stock to 1,200.

They said the idea sprouted because of their personal knowledge from family and friends that the Santa Fe Indian Market is difficult and vendors can be inaccessible to food and water.

“I remember running into somebody I haven’t seen since 2011 and they were working their booth by themselves and the second they saw me with a burrito and a cold drink, they kind of just melted — ‘Oh my God, Sarah!’” they said.

Since it’s Forge’s fourth time doing the giveaway and they are beginning to be recognized.

“It’s nice that people have learned that they can rely on us coming through with this food,” they said. “We have a sticker that goes on every burrito that is just an expression of gratitude for the people who are doing this, who make market possible, the people who are continuing the creative and material practices that make us who we are as Native people.”

Lillene Suina, friend of artist “Ca’Win” Jimmy F. Calabaza, said it’s awesome that Forge is giving free burritos because vendors can’t leave their booth.

“It’s very humble of them to think about the artist. Not only the burritos they give us drinks. I didn’t expect that. It was totally unexpected,” Suina said.

Pidabinikwe-Christal Ratt, Algonquin Anishnabe, appreciated getting the food and drinks because vendors can get busy and are rushing around. It’s Ratt’s eighth year at the market. She does bead and quillwork.

“It’s a nice little treat when we get here,” she said.

Kaleb Lee Norris – Navajo, Eastern Band Cherokee, Catawba Nation –  said giving food to artists is helpful. It’s his fourth year at the Santa Fe Indian Market. He does bead and quillwork.

“Sometimes it can be draining of your energy but at the end of the day it’s really worth it. Getting one of these is very appreciative, I’m very appreciative,” Norris said.

Cree artist Kent Monkman and Forge board member said that the burrito giveaway is about food sovereignty and fully supporting Indigenous artists.

“This market really represents a form of self-determination. These are artists that are selling directly to collectors without a gallery. I really like that, I’m a self-determined artist. I work with art galleries,” he said.

It’s a joyful experience for him too.

“There is nothing more reward than feeding people,” Monkman said.

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