History

Smokey Bear Celebrates 81st Birthday

by

The original Smokey Bear poster. Fire safety has been the goal all along. Courtesy/USDA Forest Service

USDA News:

At the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, wildfire prevention is a big priority. There’s no better ambassador of that essential message than everyone’s favorite wildfire prevention bear, Smokey.

Aug. 9 was Smokey’s 81st birthday, and as he enters his 9th decade of wildfire prevention activism, take a look back at where it all started.

80 plus years of wildfire messaging

First appearing on a wildfire prevention poster in August of 1944, Smokey Bear quickly became Read More

Rule Of Law Advances A Civil And Engaged Democracy

by

New Mexico Supreme Court Chief Justice David K. Thomson, Courtesy/NMSC

By Chief Justice David K. Thomson
New Mexico Supreme Court

I am pleased to announce the New Mexico Supreme Court’s fifth annual “Rule of Law” program. The goal of the program is to educate middle school, high school, and college students on the judiciary’s role in our democracy and how the rule of law secures a just and civil society. This year we will hold oral argument at the Henderson Fine Arts Center at San Juan College in Farmington on Aug. 28, at 1 p.m.

Normally, I write an op-ed in advance of the program to discuss the importance Read More

Preserving History ‘Behind-The-Fence’ … Archaeologist, Historic Buildings Team Restoring Manhattan Project Relics

by

Battleship Bunker in Pajarito Canyon, where important implosion tests preceded the Trinity Test. Courtesy/LANL

By MARLENE WILDEN
Los Alamos Daily Post
marlene@ladailypost.com

At Los Alamos’s Pajarito Site, also known as Technical Area 18 (TA-18), a quiet but profound restoration effort is unfolding. Led by archaeologists, historians and architects from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), this work goes beyond stabilizing concrete bunkers and experimental facilities from World War II. It’s part of a deeper mission to honor the full legacy of Manhattan Project National Historical Read More

Pages Of Our History: Remembering Tom Lehrer

by

Tom Lehrer

By SHARON SNYDER
Los Alamos

Los Alamos has lost a friend. Tom Lehrer, musician and mathematician, died July 26 in Cambridge, Mass., at age 97.

Some people will not recognize the name. but those who date back to the 1950s on the Hill and those who were in college in the ‘50s and ’60 s remember Lehrer’s songs, most of them written by Tom himself. They were light and fun.

Just a few years ago, Liz Martineau, Gordon McDonough, and I got the idea of playing Lehrer’s music in the Bethe House for visitors to enjoy. We had old records to make that idea possible, but we felt that we should ask Tom’s  permission. Read More

History Of Genízaros Lecture At Los Luceros Aug. 24

by

NMDCA News:

Los Luceros Historic Site together with the Amigos (Friends) de Los Luceros, host a special presentation with former state historian Robert J. Torrez, “What a Price a Human: Indian Captives in New Mexico.”

From 2–4 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 24, Robert J. Torrez will present the history of slavery in New Mexico, with a special focus on the Genízaro, or detribalized Indigenous people in colonial New Mexico. He will share his knowledge about the practice of incorporating Indian captives into Hispano households in Spanish, Mexican, and Territorial-era New Mexico.

He will also discuss how Read More

NM History Museum Seeking Volunteers For Docent Tour

by

Courtesy/NMHM 

NMHM News: 

Join the New Mexico History Museum’s (NMHM) docent training program and become part of a dynamic team sharing the many stories about the state’s past.

Participants will attend training sessions 10 a.m. to noon, Tuesdays and Thursdays, Sept. 9 through Nov. 20, to develop inclusive, engaging interpretation skills rooted in the museum’s Framework for the Future.

Museum docents help visitors connect history to the present while building their knowledge and confidence as a public-facing educator.

To register for the volunteer training program, visit https://forms.gle/2NAXzvTgrh6idkQS7 Read More

‘Summer Slowdown: An End Of Summer Celebration’ Heats Up At Museum Of Indian Arts & Culture Aug. 28

by

NMDCA News:

The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture invites the community to mark the close of summer with an evening of fun, flavor, and festivities.

“Summer Slowdown: An End of Summer Celebration”, 6-8:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 28, will feature free food, live music from Sage Lacapa (White Mountain Apache), and a cash bar.

This event is for ages 21+ only. Admission is $10 per person. Museum members can use their promo code for $3 off admission. Enjoy the museum after hours, all exhibits will be open! Read More

Learn Traditional Native American Painting With Office Of Archeological Studies At Santa Fe Indian Market Aug. 16

by

NMDCA News:

The New Mexico Office of Archaeological Studies (OAS) will join New Mexico Museum of Art (NM MoA) to share techniques for painting replica potsherds using traditional yucca paints and brushes during Indian Market on the Santa Fe Plaza.

The free event at the Creation Station from 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 16, will teach children and adults how Native Americans make and share their legacy in art by painting on cookware and artwork. 

 

  Read More

Friends Of History Presents First Wednesday September ZOOM Lecture On The Genizaro

by

 

NMHM News:

Coming in September, from the Friends of History of the New Mexico History Museum, a first Wednesday lecture on the rarely told and often misunderstood history of the Genizaro.

Nación Genízara: Ethnogenesis, Place, and Identity in New Mexico will be presented by Moises Gonzales, Associate Professor, Urban Design; Chair, School of Architecture and Planning, University of New Mexico, from 12–1 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 3. The presentation will be streamed on YouTube.

Overview:

Genizaros are descendants of 18th and 19th Century Indian captives who, to varying degrees, were Read More

3rd Annual Valley Of The Mills Tour Labor Day Weekend

by

STATE News:

Take a scenic drive between Santa Fe and Taos this Labor Day Weekend and experience one of Northern New Mexico’s latest most heartfelt traditions: the 3rd Annual Valley of the Mills Tour, a two-day celebration of history, heritage, and hometown hospitality.

Set for Labor Day Weekend Saturday, Aug. 30 and Sunday, Aug. 31, the Valley of the Mills Tour invites visitors to explore the “Breadbasket of the Southwest,” where time slows and stories linger in the mountain air. Explore three historic grain mills—Houser Raspberry Ranch (La Cueva Mill), Saint Vrain Mill, and the Cleveland Read More