On September 7, the Questa Library held an unveiling of a new permanent display entitled “Our Historical Images,” giving local residents a window into Questa’s past to see what our village was like between 1939 and 1943. These images were taken by photographers John Collier Jr. and Russell Lee, who photographed Questa extensively in this time period, as part of President Roosevelt’s initiative to document and educate Americans about the living conditions of rural areas across the United States.
These photos have been stored and cataloged in the U.S. Library of Congress, Washington D.C., and remain keepsakes, now available at the Questa Library for all to view, and learn more about the land and place many of us call home.
In addition to these curated photos, many locals brought their own family photos and yearbooks which had been passed down to them.
Former State Historian Dr. Estevan Rael-Gálvez was a keynote speaker at the unveiling, sharing his passion and appreciation for this new addition to the library. Rael-Gálvez is currently the executive director of Native Bound Unbound, a collective hemispheric effort to create a digital repository centered around lives of enslaved Indigenous people across the Americas. In an interview with the Questa del Rio News, Dr. Gálvez said, “In each one of us, there is an aching consciousness to know who we are, and by fully learning about and acknowledging our history through events like this, we are able to transcend generational trauma and proceed forward in healing.”
Local retired history teacher Flavio Cisneros reflected, “Deep down, I believe that you have to know the history of your community, because you need to know where you come from.” Cisneros has been deeply involved in many efforts to maintain and document the history of Questa, which he enjoys. Raising his grandson Ernesto Cisneros, he says, “Knowing where you’re from and where your relatives are from [matters]. A lot of kids today don’t know whose family belongs to who, and they don’t really care. But knowing your history helps you from repeating the same mistakes as those before us, it helps us understand why choices were made.”
Rael-Gálvez says that through his work, he aims to help paint a more accurate and complete picture of the families dwelling in northern New Mexico. Looking at the photos of our past gives us courage to discover a time and the truth of our people. “Through my work, Native Bound Unbound… [the] repository helps people learn more fully what our history is. The common belief that we are a Hispanic people, and our ancestors settled directly from Spain is not fully accurate. Our history includes Native American and Indigenous roots who were often enslaved people. There is some generational trauma in that, but being able to fully see and accept our history for what it is allows us to transcend the jagged edges of our past and it holds healing if we’re able to transcend them.”
