Luminaria: New Mexico Genealogy and History
Kat shines a light on New Mexico history and genealogy, discussing her own ancestry adventures, along with primas and primos who love to talk about those who came before us. Having only learned about the rich and complicated Manito culture in 2011, Kat is on a mission to explore more and spread the word about our fascinating history and contributions.
Episodes
Beleaguered genealogists will understand the thrill of finding an ancestor who has been hiding in the records for years. One of our primos braved the wilderness of the films to locate a record that had been missing from the transcribed books. I interview him to inspire all of us with adobe brick walls to keep trying.
Names mentioned: Pacheco, Martinez, Martin, Madrid, Sena
Places mentioned: Santa Fe, Mora, Union County
You can rea...
Kat finally ventures into the Rio Abajo with Jose Jaramillo.
Names mentioned: Garcia, Rivera, Ribera, Jaramillo, Madrid, Abeyta
Places mentioned: Encino, Vaughn, Socorro, Palma, Villanueva, Ribera
You can reach Kat at luminariapod@gmail.com.
Ron and Sylvia are doing a great job highlighting and documenting our ancestors through the Founding Families of Huerfano project. They discuss all things Huerfano, and even help Kat finally figure out where "Piedras Amarillas" was!
Places mentioned: Huerfano, Cuchara, Badito, Pueblo, San Luis Valley, Yellowstone (duh)
Rocky Mountain PBS did a story on the project here.
The Facebook group for descendants is called Early Hispano Fam...
Dr. Erlinda Gonzales-Berry shares how she brought her childhood in eastern New Mexico to life, her journey in the early days of Chicano studies, and how she likes to prepare quelites. Her delightful book, Rosebud: Population 7, is full of rich stories and elements of our culture that jump off the page.
Names mentioned: Gonzales, Vigil
Places mentioned: Roy, Bueyeros, Rosebud, Mosquero, Clayton, Mills Canyon, Mexico
Her sister, Mari...
This topic was one of my first ideas when dreaming up this podcast - the Spanish language specific to Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado. What makes it unique? More importantly, why don't I and so many of my generation speak it? We delve into these questions and more with author-librarian Charlene Garcia Simms and April Bojorquez, Interim Director of The Aztlán Research Center in Pueblo.
This is the video referenced with Ned...
This was an unexpected treat! Not only does Weston share about his family's longtime Santa Fe presence, but he also shared details about Native Bound Unbound, a project seeking to document the impact of slavery upon the Indigenous people of the Americas.
Names mentioned: Archuleta, Ortega
Places mentioned: Santa Fe, Antonito, Mora
Follow the progress of Native Bound Unbound here or on socials.
Go visit the Turquoise Teapot Cat Caf...
Virginia Sanchez returns to talk about migration into Southern Colorado, life for our ancestors in that area, and rare documentation of enslaved people in Hispano communities there.
Places mentioned: Huerfano, Cucharas, San Luis Valley
You can order the book Nacion Genizara here.
For a complete list of Virginia's work, visit her LinkedIn profile.
Virginia shared lyrics to a comanchero song - "If you go to Navajoland, take your bur...
J de la Cruz Archuleta shares about his ancestors' migration into Southern Colorado and growing up with Manito traditions. Kat learns she'll probably never be able to grow her own osha.
Names mentioned: Archuleta, Vallejos, Vigil, Sandoval, Martinez
Places mentioned: Cucharas, Crestones, Badito, Pueblo, Huerfano, SLV
Email us at luminariapod@gmail.com.
Trinidad needed its own episode! Millie Duren from the Trinidad History Museum walks us through so much rich history, from the original tribes in the area to Felipe Baca to the POW camp during WWII.
Names mentioned: Casimiro Barela, Felipe Baca, Rafael Chacon, Sister Blandina
Places mentioned: Trinidad, Segundo, Valdez, Trinchera
Make sure to visit the Trinidad History Museum; tours of the Baca House are at 11 and 1, so plan your ...
Sandra Dolak of the Huajatolla Heritage Foundation shares about several of her passions, including sheepherding traditions in Southern Colorado.
You can get a copy of The Woolly West: Colorado's Hidden History of Sheepscapes by Andrew Gulliford here.
Follow the Huajatolla Heritage Foundation on Facebook for upcoming arts and cultural events in Huerfano County.
You can get a copy of the Huerfano Heritage Cookbook at the Fox The...
George shares the extraordinary life of his ancestor, Charles Autobees, and his role in key moments of Northern NM and Southern CO history.
Names mentioned: Autobees/Ortivis/Otterby, Avila, Olguin, Alires, Romero
Places mentioned: Avondale, Pueblo, Salt Creek, Taos, Fort Garland
Find The Life and Times of Charles Autobees book at local bookstores.
There are several profiles on Charles with photos, here is one.
You can re...
Kat took a solo road trip following the journey of her people into Southern Colorado. Stay tuned for many interviews to come with locals to flesh out the experiences of our adventurous antepasados in this new frontier.
Places mentioned: Pueblo, Walsenburg, La Veta, Fort Garland, San Luis, Trinidad
You can reach us at luminariapod@gmail.com.
Dr. Robert Con Davis-Undiano tells us all about the practice of casta paintings in 18th century New Spain, the product of a complex history with race and ethnicity that would evidently outlast colonialism by centuries.
You can find plenty of images of casta paintings online.
You can find a copy of Mestizos Come Home here.
Virginia Sanchez is an independent scholar researching those who were enslaved in Hispano communities. She shares some of their stories in Mora County, as well as touching on those in southern Colorado (more to come on that!).
You can find a list of Virginia's books and articles here.
You can email Virginia at virginia.sanchez [at] comcast [dot] net.
You can order Pleas and Petitions from the University of Colorado Press.
Annette Gutierrez-Turk shares about the tradition of colcha embroidery - how it came to New Mexico, how our ancestors would have done it and why, and how you can learn this beautiful art form.
Sign up for monthly classes on colcha embroidery on the National Hispanic Cultural Center website under Events
The Brown Sheep Company mentioned as a source for yarn for those who cannot source it locally
I learned so much in this conversation with Nicolas Martinez! Among other things, I got some good tips on finding certain records, and how to track down family photos.
Names mentioned: Martinez, Maes, Barcelona (Barcelo), Sandoval, Torres, Branch, Luna, Chaves
Places mentioned: Mora, Las Vegas, Los Golondrinas (Mora County), Chacon, Abiquiu, Albuquerque
Find Presbyterian records at the Menual Historical Library of the Southwes...
Bernardino Cisneros shares some of his memories growing up with his grandparents in Questa, as well as some great Norteno Spanish.
SURNAMES MENTIONED: Rael, LaForette (La Foret, LaFore), Cisneros
PLACES MENTIONED: Questa, Tres Piedras, Dixon, Penasco, Vietnam War Memorial
Check out Frank's Eats & Sweets in Questa!
If you haven't ridden the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad yet, add it to this year's list.
You can...
Kat's family gets deep over a Disney movie! To be fair, Coco is a layered, complicated (but delightfully colorful) film about trauma, family, and ancestors. We had a great discussion about "legacy burdens" and inheriting resiliency as well as trauma from our antepasados.
Check out Coco - streaming on Disney+, on demand, or from your local public library! And don't forget the tissues.
Kat talks to Richard and Rita, a married couple with roots in NE New Mexico whose lives took many turns.
Mentions: Clayton, Des Moines, Taos, Red River, ABQ, Clayton POW Camp, WWII, ABQ Green Book
Brief mention of Clayton "branch camp" for POWs here. Update from the Herzstein Museum : For about a year during WWII there was a tent compound of German POWs, this was approximately where the Clayton Motel is now heading west ...
Kat's family samples some chokecherry jelly from Cleveland, purchased at Tapetes de Lana in Mora, a nonprofit working to build rural economics through cottage industry and agriculture.
Tapetes de Lana has an art gallery where they promote rural artists, with a primary focus on weaving and the production of high quality yarns made from local farmers.
They run a spinning mill, train weavers and promote sustainability on small ...
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