June 2010
Tranquility in the Mountains
by JoAnne Lee
Greeting each day with open eyes and a deep respect for the land that surrounds her, Charlene Hall, an artist, mother, grandmother, and spiritual connection to many, enjoys life in rural Northern New Mexico. Born and raised in Beaumont, Texas along the Texas Gulf coast, Hall attended Texas Tech in Waco, Texas.
Earning her associates degree in Dental Laboratory Technology allowed Hall to own and operate a dental lab for six and a half years where she manufactured dental prostheses. “I was in charge of making the dentures and creating the wax-ups. My partner and I made crowns and we subbed out other work like bridges and partials,” Hall says.
A move to the Woodlands near Houston found Hall working for Betz Laboratories as a Research Tech II for 18 years where she conducted water analysis tests for engineers and companies involved in water treatment.
When Hall’s father passed away in 1999 she moved to the Moreno Valley and built her first house near Monte Verde Lake in the Village of Angel Fire. “I used to come up here and ski, and I just love the area because I find it very spiritual,” Hall says. “The spiritual feel of the land here, is what really drew me, but also, my father had always wanted to live in the mountains. He never got to do that, I figured this was my opportunity.”
Hall sold the lake house in 2006 and bought a house on the county side of the village limits after a short foray to Los Alamos. Her love of interior design continues to serve her well as she installs hardwood floors, new sub-walls, reconfigures the kitchen and completes tile work within her sanctuary. “I learned a lot of the handiwork from my Dad. I was the tomboy in my family,” Hall says.
Active in the Angel Fire Volunteer Fire Department, Hall has missed only one training meeting since she joined the crew almost three years ago. “I was out of town for one fire training, but Chief said he wouldn’t hold it against me since I was attending a women’s fire training academy in Omaha,” she says. Hall earned her Emergency Medical Technician basic level in 2008.
“I’ve also done some volunteer work for the local veteran’s group,” Hall says. Her activities with veterans blend her love and knowledge of Native ceremonies and beliefs. “We helped with the veteran’s retreat held here last fall.”
Dedicated to a peaceful and balanced way of life, Hall immerses herself in the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe beliefs, specifically the Red Road. “Red Road is what we call our spiritual path; it’s not a religion, just a way of living,” Hall says. “Personally, I have Cherokee in my background, but the first time I ever went to South Dakota, I felt like I had come home. I consider the Lakota my people.” Hall participates in sweat lodges and other Native ceremonies, at times with several hundred people.
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