Emilio Lobato, “One thing that happens when grazing (livestock) in La Sierra is that sheep and cattle develop tallow. They call it yellow tallow. Yellow tallow is good cholesterol. It’s a fat that helps them survive here in the winter. When I testified in court, they tried to say I was lying. They went to Fort Collins, and they talked to the professors over there, checked about the yellow tallow, and found out it was true what I said. They asked me, ‘How come you knew that?’ I knew that since I was a little boy because people talked about many plants that grow in the mountain that create the yellow tallow.”

Charlie Jaquez, "If you go back far enough anytime in history, you're going to get an injustice when it comes to possessing the land because that's what humans do. I want what you have and will take it even if I have to kill you. We have had several different land conferences. We have invited Native Americans and do what we call reconciliation ceremonies and ask forgiveness for what we did to them. Are there injustices there? Yes, no doubt about it."

Dana Maestas “The resources that come from La Sierra today are a critical component of the survival of this community because the community itself is a land and water community and agricultural community. The Culebra Watershed is one of the most important components of La Sierra. The Upper Culebra Watershed sustains over 200 farmers and ranchers in the Culebra Basin. The Lower Culebra Watershed supplies water to all 7 or 8 villages within the community, including down east into San Acacio. The watershed also sustains 76 acequias within the Culebra Basin and 700 irrigators within that basin.”

Jessie Martinez: “There was a lot of joy and happiness in those days as opposed to when (Taylor) bought the mountain. All of that ended. It was like a change of mind, a change of personality, and it changes everything, people biologically. It affects the whole person.”

Rocque Madrid: In the winter, when I was 4 or 5 years old, I would go to the corals with my grandfather, and there would be ice four or five feet thick in the ponds. I was afraid to (cross), so they had to carry me into the coral. When we got into the corals, they were insulated with the straw left from the wheat, barley, and oats thrashing. The tops were thrown on top of the corals as they were thrashing. It fell down the sides and was held in place by fences. Even though it was way below zero degrees when we went up there in the winter, as soon as we went inside the coral, I had to strip down to a tee shirt and (go) barefoot because it was so hot. The animals were not crammed in there but close enough together to make heat.”

Jose Martinez: "I have a lot of good memories growing up. As a kid, I used to climb trees with friends and steal the eggs of Magpies or Robins. And we would make a hole at each end of the egg and blow out what was inside, you know, the yoke and everything. After we had a lot, we would put a string on them to make a round necklace and then hang them on the wall like a prize. Yea. A lot of good memories.”

Kathy Ortega & Tommey Herrera: Video interviews for the exhibition "La Sierra", the capstone for the participant research, community engagement, and subject interviews conducted under the Adams State University’s Social Practice Arts Residency Program with support from The National Endowment for the Arts - Challenge America Grant. Please visit shelbyhead.com under collections and exhibitions for more information.