Interpreting the History of Stolen Land: A Collaborative Project Between the New Mexico State Land Office and New Mexico Highlands University

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The New Mexico State Land Office (NMSLO) manages over 9 million acres of land that was stolen from the Indigenous and Hispano peoples as a condition of U.S. statehood. This land was allocated to New Mexico under the Ferguson Act of 1898 and the Enabling Act of 1910 in order to generate funding for schools and hospitals. While acknowledging this history, the NMSLO is devoted to the principle of stewardship and the responsible care of cultural resources. The establishment of the Cultural Properties Protection Rule and creation of a new division, the Cultural Resources Office, have increased protections and adhere to a complete avoidance practice. To highlight this shift towards caretaking management strategies and increased consultation with descendent communities, students from New Mexico Highlands University's Media Arts & Technology Department created interpretive materials for the public spaces in the NMSLO building located in downtown Santa Fe. This project contrasts the colonial beginnings of the land office with aspirations of the current administration.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 40308.0