September 8th, 2013

The Sunday before Gogiiya, most of my friends are in church. Next Sunday we celebrate our harvest festival out at Stone Lake. The ceremony is held every year on the fifteenth of September. The ceremony is marked by a footrace between the clans, Red and White, the white clan is the Olleros and represented by the sun and the red clan is called the Llaneros and is represented by the moon. The Jicarillas believe that which ever side wins determines the weather for that year. The Red side has been winning so we should have had more harsher winters and a lot of animals for food, there have been quite a few deer and elk out in the countryside. so we will see what this ceremony brings. The ceremony is held at the Gogiiya grounds out at Stone Lake, approximately seventeen miles south of the town of Dulce, New Mexico due south. After the race both side throw fruit and vegetables in the air celebrating our good fortune.

The picture shows the white clan runners walking down the track before the race. They walk to the end of the track and back and then two older (Haskiin) runners run the length of the track and when they finish the race begins. The race usually last about thirty minutes but last year it almost lasted an hour due to one side not lapping the other side.

This is a photo of my Uncle Jackson Velarde, right, and from left to right: Leona Garambullo and Rogene Garambullo (Deceased). The camp is located next to Stone Lake. We set up Grandpa's camp yesterday so it is already to go. We need to take out there the red table in the picture. So get ready it will be next Sunday, this years activities will feature a Pony Express race of thirty minutes in and around the Gogiiya grounds.