Miguel Trujillo: New Mexico’s Unknown Civil Rights Hero

Gordon Bronitsky, PhD

 Founder and President, IndigeNOW!

When New Mexico became a state in 1912, its constitution denied Indians the right to vote.  In 1948, Miguel Trujillo, a WWII Marine veteran from Laguna, sued New Mexico and obtained the right to vote for Indians of the state.  This presentation tells his story. It encourages an understanding of the background for denying Indians the right to vote in 1912 and encourages people to think beyond the Three Peoples myth—Indians, Hispanics, and Anglos living in harmony—to the reality of the struggle that began with the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 and continues today.

Gordon Bronitsky grew up in Albuquerque and is trained as an archeologist (BA UNM 1971, PhD University of Arizona 1977).  For the last 28 years, he has been the founder/president of the nonprofit IndigeNOW! which works with Indigenous artists and performers, traditional and contemporary, to bring their voices and messages to the world.

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