The Santa Fe Indian Market was a busy time for Native artists as they showcased their work, connected with visitors, and sold their creations to people from across the country. For many artists and vendors, the market weekend was filled with long hours and little time to step away from their booths to take care of themselves.
During the busy weekend, the Forge Project offered artists something simple but important: a meal. For the fourth year, the Native-led arts organization hosted its annual Burrito Giveaway, providing 1,000 burritos to artists and vendors at the market. The initiative began four years ago with about 100 burritos and has grown significantly each year, reaching 1,000 burritos for the second consecutive year.
The giveaway is intended to provide a non-transactional form of care for the artists and vendors who bring their work to the Santa Fe Indian Market. Rather than requiring anything in return, Forge Project hopes the food gave artists an opportunity to fuel themselves during their busy weekend. Monica Sekaquatua, public and relational programs coordinator at Forge Project, sat down with Cultivating Culture and discussed how the initiative began, why food is an important form of care and how the giveaway connects to the organization’s mission of supporting and uplifting Native artists.
Cultivating Culture: What is the Burrito Giveaway, and who is it for?
Monica Sekaquatua: Forge Project is a Native-led arts organization in Mahicanak homelands in the Hudson Valley, New York. Every year we come to Santa Fe Indian Market, and this is actually our fourth annual Burrito Giveaway.
The Burrito Giveaway is really a way for us to engage with the artists and vendors at Santa Fe Indian Market and give a non-transactional offering for all of the work that they are bringing to Santa Fe at this time of year. It started four years ago. A few staff handed out about 100 burritos. It grew to 300 burritos, and now, for the second year, we’re giving out 1,000 burritos to all the vendors at the Santa Fe Indian Market.
CC: How did the idea for the Burrito Giveaway come about?
MS: This initiative was led by Sarah Biscara Dilley, who is the director of relational education at Forge Project. She saw an invitation to care for the vendors at the market in a new way. One of the things was immediately, “We need to feed people.”
Forge Project partners with The Pantry, a family-owned institution in Santa Fe, which has provided the burritos each year. They actually start making the burritos at around 2 a.m. for us. It’s a really great partnership, and we’re thankful for them being open and willing to engage in this initiative.
CC: Why is it important to provide food for artists, particularly Indigenous artists?
MS: Santa Fe Indian Market is a huge market for the many Native vendors and artists coming to Santa Fe. It can be hard for a lot of vendors to take time for themselves at this specific venue. Waiting in line to get food in the middle of a busy day can be a challenge.
That’s why we feel it’s important to make sure people are able to start their busy weekend of sales on the right foot with some food in their system. We really wanted to fuel the folks who were to be at the market this year.
CC: How does the giveaway connect to Forge Project’s larger mission?
MS: Forge Project is committed to showcasing the brilliance and work of Native artists and focusing on the self-determination of artists. A part of our mission is uplifting Native artists. There are about 1,000 vendors at the market every year, so as a Native-led institution, we want to make sure that we’re taking care of those who are bringing themselves and their work.
CC: What makes the giveaway meaningful for the artists and community members involved?
MS: We’re thankful to work with a number of volunteers each year. Our volunteers include members from our board, previous fellows, Forge fellows, other artists and families within our network. We’re trying to cultivate community among the people that we’ve worked with and connect with the vendors at the market. At a market that’s fairly based on transactions, we’re hoping this is something where there are no strings attached. This is just something for you, for yourself — self-care.
