That sort of experience shows us how complicated but interesting history can be. The 1680 Pueblo Revolt, for instance, was for some a tragic event, but for others it was about survival, when Native American communities rose up and successfully overthrew the Spanish government. It essentially rewrote IndianSpanish policy and led to a deeper connection and better treatment. It was about preservation. How are people’s cultural identities changing in this country?
(Above) The Taos Pueblo in Northern New Mexico, the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States, is one site where Native Americans are working to preserve ancient culture and traditions; (right) Rael-Galvez, currently the Executive Director of the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
(Right) Courtesy of Estevan Rael-Galvez
Native American communities have both maintained and survived, but also adapted to cultural changes. The same is true of Hispanic identity and culture. It is a story that, here in New Mexico, is as old as 1598 or as new as a migrant worker whose dreams and economic situation draws him or her to this place. It is an identity that is drawn from Spain, Mexico, Latin America as well as countless other cultures, including African American, Native American, and so many others. My own ancestors were both Indigenous and Latino, and the complexity of those experiences and identities and the depth of those stories, including the ones that have been most obscured, are all worth telling. While serving as the State Historian, you were also Chairman of the Cultural Properties Review Committee. What was a preservation challenge the board faced during your tenure?
Five years ago, the city of Santa Fe wanted to build a new civic center on a site that sat on top of what was really an 11th-century pueblo. At that meeting, I asked the question, “Have you engaged in tribal consultation?” Their answer was no. What evolved from this question was a complicated process, underlined by the question of who owns the past. While the answer should be all of us, largely in history, when money and politics have been involved, the people with power have made the decisions. In this case, by involving the descendents of the pueblo, we were able to create a whole new discussion about who gets to decide and participate in a conversation like this. We had to think about how we could
preserve the story and integrity, if not the actual location, as the city moved forward with construction. After a year and a half of tribal consultation followed by meaningful dialogue, the tribe and the city actually came to an agreement. It was precedent setting. As the new Executive Director of the NHCC, what are your long-term goals for the organization?
We want to take up the challenge made recently by President Barack Obama of “perfecting our Union” through sharing stories about what it means to be an American. The NHCC is already an amazingly dynamic environment where Hispanic culture, creativity, consciousness, and community are sustained in order to illuminate, inform, and inspire, and I hope only to foster this all the more. LSA reporting by Rebekah K. Murray.
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