New Mexico History Museum Receives $172,564 to Support Upcoming Exhibition

November 10th, 2021

SANTA FE – New Mexico History Museum (NMHM) has received a $172,564 award from the National Endowment for the Humanities’ American Rescue Plan to pursue research related to an upcoming exhibition on Miguel Trujillo (Isleta Pueblo). This exhibition will explore his victorious 1948 court case against the State of New Mexico to secure voting access for Native Americans living on tribal lands.  

Museum staff plan to hire contractors to help with exhibition research. Positions will include a curator assistant, educator, and archivist. Dr. Porter Swentzell (Santa Clara Pueblo) will serve as guest curator and will be conducting oral histories and meeting with Miguel Trujillo’s family, associates, and anyone involved in the years leading up to and after his successful court case that secured equitable Native American voting access in New Mexico.  

Staff will also be looking specifically for photos, documents, and objects to support the exhibition slated to open in 2023, just in time for the Trujillo v. Garley case’s 75th anniversary. Any stories from relatives of or people directly involved with Native American voting rights are encouraged to contact Dr. Alicia Romero, project director and NMHM curator, at aliciam.romero@state.nm.us 

About the New Mexico History Museum    The New Mexico History Museum is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, under the leadership of the Board of Regents for the Museum of New Mexico. Programs and exhibits are supported by the Museum of New Mexico Foundation and its generous donors. NMHM is a statewide educational resource, landmark, and destination for everyone who wants to understand the diverse experiences of the people of New Mexico, the dynamics that have shaped our state, and the relationships that connect our region with the rest of the world. 

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