New Mexico Historic Sites has announced the Retracing New Mexico’s Ancestry: Los Genízaros event at the Coronado Historic Site.
On September 18, 2024, from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM, Ranger Joseph Tackes will lead a discussion on the history of genízaros, focusing on their role as indentured servants in New Mexico. The presentation will delve into the origins of the term "genízaro" used by the Spanish, the reasons for their importation to the region, the challenges they faced, and the contributions of their descendants to the state, according to the event webpage provided by New Mexico Historic Sites.
The talk is included with general admission of $7. Entry is free for New Mexico seniors, members of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation (MNMF), Fort Craig Junior Historical Society (FCJHS), children aged 16 and under, and individuals with Tribal affiliations.
Coronado Historic Site, located in Bernalillo near Albuquerque, features the ruins of Kuaua Pueblo. In 1540 Francisco Vásquez de Coronado and his group encountered twelve Tiwa-speaking villages while searching for the Seven Cities of Gold. Kuaua was occupied by about 1,200 people at that time but was abandoned within a century due to conflicts with Spanish explorers. In the 1930s, archaeologists uncovered a square kiva at the site with notable Pre-Columbian murals now displayed in the Visitor's Center.
New Mexico Historic Sites is part of the Department of Cultural Affairs and overseen by the Museum of New Mexico Board of Regents. Established in 1931 to preserve the state’s scientific resources, it includes eight active sites such as Coronado and Fort Stanton. Other sites like Pecos and Gran Quivira have been transferred to the National Park Service. Five sites have remained inactive due to various reasons, including Folsom and Paako.