Collecting, preserving and showcasing the past through community engagement and story
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Rich in culture and traditions, connected to landscape and land, and continuous in its local traditions for hundreds of years, El Valle has a unique history that continues to inform community values and to permeate the lives and practices of families in the region. It persists in the traditions of food and festivals, in the patterns of land and water use, and in the practices of the multi-generational households that are still predominant in the villages. But despite the ongoing strength of community, the valley's culture faces the ubiquitous threats of shifting demographic patterns and the replacement of traditional communication channels by newer digital platforms
The purpose of the "Community History, Community Story" project is to capture and preserve El Valle's past as a way of celebrating and honoring the community's shared identity while also supporting the continuity of cultural traditions and practices for younger generations. We focus on story as a vehicle for capturing that past and as its own valued communication tradition in El Valle.
The purpose of the "Community History, Community Story" project is to capture and preserve El Valle's past as a way of celebrating and honoring the community's shared identity while also supporting the continuity of cultural traditions and practices for younger generations. We focus on story as a vehicle for capturing that past and as its own valued communication tradition in El Valle.
Humans of New Mexico
The Humans of New Mexico is a non-profit community project dedicated to "collecting the oral histories of everyday New Mexicans." In 2016, as part of a larger oral history gathering effort intended to "capture the complex issues that affect our communities," the group conducted a series of interviews in the Villanueva area. We are honored to collaborate with the Humans of New Mexico project and, through their generosity, to become the repository of the Villanueva interviews and archival materials.