The Center wraps up the summer series with Ruth Lambert's Documentation of Three Hispano Cemeteries along the San Juan River, on Wednesday, August 21. The year's series theme is Hispanidad!, dovetailing with our newly updated Treasures of the Southwest exhibit featuring items from our Hispanic collections.
The lectures take place in the Center's Lyceum Room #120 at 1:30 p.m. Free and open to the public.
This illustrated presentation will describe the history and study of three small Hispano cemeteries at the historic settlements of Gato/ Pagosa Junction, Juanita, and Trujillo. These are isolated and lonely places along the San Juan River; seemingly forgotten by all but the rare visitor.
The cemeteries were selected because they provide an important glimpse into the history of these settlements as they chronicle the lives of the early Hispano settlers. For some individuals, these forgotten cemetery headstones are the only public record of their contribution to our history - the only visible evidence of their legacy. Many of the graves display Hispano traditions through language, religious iconography and statuary, and unique folk art that creatively incorporates local materials and objects.
Ruth E. Lambert is the Cultural Program Director at the San Juan Mountains Association where she develops and implements cultural projects using trained volunteers. Past projects include the documentation of rural country schools, several small rural cemeteries, and Hispano arborglyphs. Currently, she is studying Hispano settlement along the San Juan River and the churches associated with several small towns. She is the author of The Wooden Canvas: Arborglyphs as Reflections of Hispano Life Along the Pine-Piedra Stock Driveway and has a doctorate in anthropology from the University of New Mexico.