Colorado: San Luis Valley sites get national recognition
Posted on January 4, 2012 by Bob Berwyn
Trujillo Homesteads designated as national historic landmarks, honoring Colorado’s Latino heritage
By Summit Voice
... The designation of the Trujillo Homesteads as a National Historic Landmark is part of the National Park Service’s new American Latino Heritage Initiative to document, preserve and interpret historic places associated with American Latino history and the role of American Latinos in the development of the United States. It also supports the goals of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative to reconnect people, especially young people, to our nation’s historic, cultural, and natural heritage.
The site was originally nominated for potential designation on October 12, 2011 as President Obama and Secretary Salazar welcomed American Latino leaders from across the country at the White House American Latino Heritage Forum. During the day-long forum, high-ranking Administration Officials and Latino community leaders and scholars worked to identify avenues through which the story of the American Latino can be told in a more complete and inclusive way.
The Trujillo Homesteads provides an exceptional representation of the expansion of Hispano-American settlement into the American Southwest following the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo as well as an illustration of the conflict between cattle ranchers, who were primarily Anglo-Americans, and sheep herders, who were primarily Hispano-Americans. Through archeology, the site has a high potential to yield information addressing nationally significant research questions about ethnicity and race on the western frontier.
“This new listing will join approximately 2,500 other sites in the National Historic Landmark Program,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “These places showcase our rich and complex history – from prehistoric time right up to the modern era.” ...
http://summitcountyvoice.com/2012/01/04/colorado-san-luis-valley-sites-get-national-recognition/