Amerrique, the ancient mountains have changed

D.Anton

Amerrique, the mountains, the continent

The Sierra de Amerrique has changed considerably since the times when the Amerrique people lived there.The old forests have been logged, only small patches remain on the steep slopes or in the bottom of the valleys. Cattle has taken the place of deers and jaguars and large haciendas ganaderas have replaced the ancient farming communities.

In addition, several centuries of gold mining have taken its toll. Most fluvial placer gold fields were exhausted, a large number of quarries dot the landscape and many mine shafts have punctured the ground surface.
However, there are still innumerable signs of the past if we want to see them. Some are too obvious to be ignored. Those enigmatic stone faces speaking undeciphered words, the wide diversity of ancient artefacts and tools, and specially, the descendants of the ancestral nations and their rich web of surviving oral traditions. The lineage can be perceived in their unmistakable features. In many ways, the Amerriques are still alive in present-day Nicaragua.                          
What About Now?
It is impossible to change history. America has become a melting pot of cultures and visions. Many Africans and Europeans have gradually become adapted to the new lands, and today, in large measure, they can be considered native populations in their own right. The present cultural and demographical configuration of the continent is a reality.   Similarly, the name of the continent has become an accepted word, like Africa, Asia or Australia. Any attempt to radically alter the social make up or change the designation of the land would probably be a waste of time. However, we can still do many things to exorcise the old injustices and revert the degradation. Perhaps we can start with the name of the continent itself.  
America is many things for many people, it is the land-of-the-blowing-wind, the expanse of the forests, the Mother-Earth, the spirit of the jaguar, the continent of the blue skies. 
Somehow, all these elements are embodied in the word America.  Our home. 

Adapted from the book: "Amerrique, the Orphans of Paradise", Danilo Anton, Piriguazu Ediciones

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