
Cemetery Stories is back Summer of 2022
Thu, Aug 11, 2022, 6:00pm
Buy tickets HERE. Cemetery Stories returns to Historic Fairview Cemetery on August 11, 2022 at 6 PM. This storytelling event invites community members to Fairview Cemetery at...

New Mexico's Women: Heritage and Innovation
Wed, Jul 27, 2022, 3:00pm
This is a hybrid in-person and virtual event. REGISTER HERE for information on joining in-person or on Zoom. Historians will explore the roles played by women from different socio-economic and ethnic...

MANITOS COMMUNITY MEMORY PROJECT: REMEMBER AND REFLECT
1 Dec 2021
Introducing a free resource for classroom teachers, librarians and individuals to reflect on the personal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, while exploring archival information about the Spanish Flu pandemic and its impacts in northern New Mexico. The deluxe package includes a boxed set of four issues with stickers and a bookmark with prompts for reflection.

2021 NHD Theme: Communication in History
2022 Theme: Debate & Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences
25 Jul 2021
Every year, National History Day frames students' research within a historical theme. The theme is chosen for the broad application to world, national or state history and its relevance to ancient history...

AIMING FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD
Sat, Jul 2, 2022, 1:27pm | By Richard Etulain
The noted Western novelist and historian Wallace Stegner once wrote, "I have been convinced for a long time that what is mistakenly called middle of the road is actually the most radical and difficult...

“Lumbre salvaje.” Fire cresting in trees, Monte Aplanado.
Las lumbres del 2022 en el norte de Nuevo México
Thu, Jun 30, 2022, 2:41pm | By Gabriel Meléndez
1. In late summer, clouds thicken quickly on the ridgeline of the sierra, and the distant rumble of their thunder echoes endlessly in the mountain canyons and in the tall stands of spruce...

Credit: Billy the Kid, circa 1873 - 1881. Ben Wittick. Wikimedia Commons
A DIFFERENT KIND OF BILLY THE KID
Thu, Jun 30, 2022, 11:00am | By Richard Etulain
Billy the Kid is the most-written-about New Mexican. Most of the nearly 1,000 books and essays about Señor Billy picture him as a villain, hero, or combination...

Sean Cardinalli
Juneteenth and Violence, Revisited
Wed, Jun 1, 2022, 8:27am | By Sean Cardinalli
Juneteenth is once again on the horizon. It reminds of emancipation. It is characterized by celebration. It is rooted in Black freedom delayed and so, therefore, denied. Our Black freedom is still delayed...

Credit: Vicente Fernandez in 1965 Wikimedia Commons
El Grito Eterno: Imagining Vicente Fernandez and Remembering My Father
Tue, May 31, 2022, 8:20am | By Matthew Villegas
The mariachi legend, Vicente Fernandez, passed away late last year at 81. Affectionately known by his legions of fans as "Chente," he left a legacy that will likely go unmatched. Chente was...

Photo Courtesy of Vanessa Baca Credit: Ultima and Owl, artist Kathy Gidden, oil on canvas.
Burning Última: Rudolfo Anaya and the Impact of Book Bans on Democracy
Tue, May 31, 2022, 8:10am | By Vanessa Baca
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines democracy as a government by the people, especially the rule of the majority, and one that is characterized by free and open elections. As Americans, most of us tend...

The La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico, ca. 1930-1940. The La Fonda was built in 1922, and was acquired by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad in 1925, who leased it to Fred Harvey. It was a Harvey House from 1926 to 1968. It has been locally own Credit: UNM Library, William A. Keleher Collection http://rmoa.unm.edu/docviewer.php?docId=nmupict000-742.xml
Mapping Queer History in New Mexico
Tue, May 31, 2022, 8:05am | By Ellen Dornan
For this month’s Augmented Humanity podcast, we’re talking with Dr. Amanda Regan, and Dr. Eric Gonzaba, co-creators of Mapping the Gay Guides, which is built around interactive geographic visualizations...

NEW MEXICO HUMANITIES COUNCIL
Who we were
Who we are and
Who we aspire to be
We seek out, fund and conduct quality humanities programs for presentation to public audiences throughout the state. We support a wide variety of programs, projects and organizations-- topics can range anywhere from local history and culture to international affairs. Explore our website to learn how we support public programs in New Mexico communities which inspire inclusive conversations that strengthen our civil society and celebrate diverse human experiences.
Statement on Diversity and Inclusion from the New Mexico Humanities Council
1 Jul 2020
“Seeking to understand who we are, who we were, and who we aspire to be.” This statement is more than a pithy tagline for the New Mexico Humanities Council; we actively seek to provide New Mexicans with opportunities to cultivate mutual understanding and respect through its programming and grants.
Over the past weeks and months, our nation has experienced tremendous upheaval, particularly in response to the persistence of individual, institutional, structural, and systemic racism in our society. In the interest of addressing these social barriers, the New Mexico Humanities Council pledges to continue to develop, nurture, and fund programs and grant partnerships that use the tools of history, ethics, literature, and the examination of the arts to bridge gaps of culture, knowledge, and experience between New Mexicans. Our aim is to help each of us determine who we aspire to be both as individuals and members of larger communities. By helping to build these bridges of understanding and respect, we hope to play our part in working towards a more just society.
In the past year, we partnered with representatives from diverse communities to amplify the many voices and perspectives that make up New Mexican society. Some examples of this collaborative work include:
- 400 Years (1619-2019): Knowing our African American Past and Creating our Future, an art exhibit and discussion program that brought together artists and community members to discuss the resiliency of the African American community in the wake of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of ships carrying enslaved Africans to America (with the New Mexico African American Artists Guild).
- Bright Spaces, Welcome Places, a community-created art exhibit and public programs celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary, and queer resiliency and health (with Fierce Pride).
- A concert and post-performance discussion led by the members of the Pakaraguian Kulintang Ensemble, which preserves the ancient Filipino musical tradition of kulintang (with the Filipino American Community Council).
While we are proud of the work we have done, the current moment demands reflection on what more we can do. In addition to continuing the cultivation of community partnerships alongside our funders and collaborators, the New Mexico Humanities Council is committed to creating and supporting opportunities and spaces for dialogue and expression. Please join us as a donor, partner, scholar, or engaged citizen in the important and meaningful work of building a better New Mexico. Don’t hesitate to contact Brandon Johnson (bjohnson@nmhumanities.org; 505-633-7376) to talk about how you’d like to be involved. We look forward to hearing from you!