Description
New Mexico has been and is a diverse spectrum of cultures, faiths, and languages that includes the Indigenous Pueblo peoples. Understanding their deep connection to ancestral lands predates Spanish colonial incursion. Don Juan de Oñate, often depicted as an adventurer or conqueror, made a lasting impact on the Pueblo peoples. While history paints him as a king’s emissary, Pueblo accounts depict him as a barbarian and a cruel, authoritarian zealot who inflicted trauma on the people. Being knowledgeable of these differing perspectives sheds light on New Mexico’s complex history and the legitimate relevance of Pueblo narratives.
Jon Ghahate is of the Pueblos of Laguna and Zuni and of the Turkey and Badger Clans. He is an educator at the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in Cortez, Colorado. Previously, Ghahate was the museum cultural educator at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque. He has a diverse professional background which includes being a physician’s assistant, a high school math and science teacher, athletic coach, and associate producer for Native America Calling.