Southwest History: Preserving Chicanx, Latinx and Indigenous Peoples Stories

This was a “sold out" free event. We sent participants with tickets an email prior to the day of the event with parking information, the event itinerary and dining information.

On the day of the Summer Institute, we had signage leading to the venue parking lot. We had two event volunteers who assisted us with parking directions. Two other volunteers supported a check-in table at the entrance to the building where we handed out university-branded red folders with the itinerary, speaker bios and a pre-assessment survey. Exhibitors and speakers had from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. to set up. Doors opened to everyone at 8:30 a.m. for the exhibit hall, continental breakfast and coffee. See itinerary. 

Dean Gonzales, Tom Sommer and Charlene Garcia Simms were the MCs for the entire event. IT supported and monitored our Zoom webinar.

The first activity was a mediated panel featuring Megan Friedel, interim co-director of rare and distinctive collections at the University of Colorado Boulder Libraries, Jay Trask, head of archives and special collections at the University of Northern Colorado, and Eric Carpio, chief community museum officer for History Colorado and the director of the Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center. The planning committee decided to invite speakers from across the state, instead of exclusively from Pueblo. This created an opportunity for our local community to hear from several experienced professionals who work in archives, museums and educational roles outside of Pueblo. The questions that the panel addressed correlated with the questions asked in the pre-assessment survey, which focused on the importance of preserving and teaching Chicanx, Latinx and Indigenous Peoples history. The panel also spotlighted initiatives and contributions to preservation in Colorado.

The following activities included three presentations, an hour break for lunch by Aladdin Catering, and an hour break for viewing exhibits. The guest speakers had one hour each to present, including built-in time for audience Q&A.

• Virginia Sanchez was our first speaker presenting on From Archives to Attics: Locating and Preserving Forgotten History. Sanchez is an independent scholar, historian, genealogist and author. One of her published works is Forgotten Cucharenos of the Lower Valley.
• The second speaker was Lucha Martinez. Martinez is an archaeologist specializing in Mesoamerican and contemporary archaeology. She serves as an associate curator of Latino heritage at History Colorado and is also the director of the Chicano/a/x Murals of Colorado Project. Martinez’s presentation was The History and Preservation of Colorado’s Chicano/a/x Community Murals.
• Our final speaker was Nicki Gonzales. Dr. Gonzales is a professor of history, vice provost for diversity and inclusion at Regis University, and the Colorado State Historian. Dr. Gonzales’ presented on The Importance of Preserving Southern Colorado’s History.

All speakers were given thank you gifts (i.e. CSU Pueblo mug, tote bag and thank you cards).

Throughout the day, we had someone verify that slide decks were ready and water was available at the presentation lectern. We also had a slide deck that displayed sponsors and guest speaker photos during breaks and lunch. Planning committee members would hold up signage to communicate how much time was left for audience questions after presentations in order to keep the event on schedule.