Gregory "Greg" Jaurequi (1933-1992), founder of El Grito Head Start in 1969, with his four children and their burro on Chihuahua Hill, circa 1970. His vision for early childhood education continues to support families to this day. Photo courtesy of the Silver City Museum Archive.Opening Reception this Saturday, 2-4 pm
Silver City -- The Silver City Museum's acclaimed exhibit, "Nuestra Voz: The Chihuahua Hill Story," has found a permanent home on the museum's second floor, a recognition of the exhibit's enduring popularity, and the important influence this neighborhood has had in shaping the Town of Silver City. This collection of nearly 100 oral histories will be celebrated with an opening reception at the museum on Saturday, May 17, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm, marking the exhibit's official opening.
The exhibit chronicles the history of Chihuahua Hill - established in the 1870s - through the stories of the lives of the people who've lived there, and who continue to call it home. Traditionally a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood, its history is a vital part of the story of Silver City's rise as a small, Western mining town, yet was relegated to the margins of official history, which was largely dominated by the stories of Anglo businessmen. That changed forever with Nuestra Voz, a project which began in 2020 as a community-driven initiative to document the stories overlooked in traditional historical records.
"This project broke new ground for the Silver City Museum, and provided a more accurate view of Grant County's heritage," said Museum Director Bart Roselli. "We operate under the premise that the museum must strive to address a community's greatest needs, and realized that the diversity of Grant County was not adequately represented in the museum's collections, exhibits or programs. We needed to balance the record, and Nuestra Voz has painted a more complete portrait of our local culture."
Javier Marrufo, the museum's curator, is a key architect of the project and rightfully so, given his personal relationship to the Chihuahua Hill neighborhood.
"As somebody who grew up in this community and didn't necessarily see himself or his culture reflected in this museum, it's amazing to know that finally there's an exhibit based around the community that raised me," he said. "It's an incredible feeling to be part of the reason that this exhibit now exists."
The exhibit represents a shift away from traditional forms of presenting local history, he continued, in which the curator and other professional historians are the story tellers. "We're recognizing that the true knowledge holders in the community are the people themselves."
Nuestra Voz has garnered attention beyond Silver City's borders, prompting other communities to begin similar projects. It has also served as a case study for university students in public history programs, and was featured at five national and regional museum conferences as an example of community-based historical practice.
The museum will continue gathering oral histories from residents past and present, approaching the exhibit as a living document rather than a static display. A digital archive featuring recorded interviews, a photo gallery and essays about the neighborhood's development and community leaders, was recently added to the museum's website, www.silvercitymuseum.org, making five years of research accessible to the public. Chihuahua Hill residents, past and present, who would like to participate in the ongoing narrative of Nuestra Voz are encouraged to contact Javier Marrufo at( 575) 597-0229.
Nuestra Voz is supported by contributions from the Town of Silver City, the New Mexico Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the local chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and WILL, the Western Institute for Lifelong Learning. For more information about Nuestra Voz and the Silver City Museum, please contact the museum at (575) 589- 0221, or visit the museum's website at www.silvercitymuseum.org.
The Silver City Museum creates opportunities for residents and visitors to explore, understand, and celebrate the rich and diverse cultural heritage of southwestern New Mexico by collecting, preserving, researching and interpreting the region's unique history. The museum is nationally recognized through its accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums.
Museum admission is free, though a suggested donation of $5 helps support the museum's education programs, collections care and exhibitions.
