XOCHIMILCO PEOPLEA long time ago, the Xochimilco people faced a desperate crisis. Because of the war and migration, they settled in the southern valley of Anahuac. There was a cruel catch. It was mostly a swampy, vast lake. No dry soil to plant their corn and beans. Until one evening everything changed
Page 3An elder named Acamapichtli stood by the reeds, watching the native ahuejote, An incredible idea appeared in the man’s mind when he saw the strong roots gripped in the muddy lakebed, defying the currents. He decided to call all the villagers and work as a team for an amazing thing he was planning.
THE BRIGHT PLANDriving of ahuejote wood deep into the lakebed, forming a large rectangle. Then, they wove flexible branches between the posts so they could create giant underwater baskets. Women and children gathered thick layers of decaying aquatic plants, the men scooped up the rich, fertile mud from the bottom of the lake, piling it high inside the wooden frame.
Page 5After time, the mud dried into a rich, solid plot of land that absorbed the water from below. They started planting their first seeds, and soon, green shoots erupted from the lake. And suddenly, the chinampa was born. Everything was turned into a paradise of endless harvest.