FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 18, 2023
Santa Fe, NM – On May 20, Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner Historic Site (BRM) and International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC) will host Spring Letters from the Reservation in-person and virtually. The in-person offering will be held in the memorial’s Resource Room, at 3647 Billy the Kid Drive, in Fort Sumner, NM, while the virtual will be held on Zoom.
"The history of Bosque Redondo Memorial is not just local or even national history,” said Aaron Roth, regional manager of BRM. “It is an international story that so many global communities relate to the lack of humanity experienced on these grounds is a common thread that resonates with all travelers.”
Letters from the Reservation is a seasonal event where the site’s staff and volunteers tell the story of life on Bosque Redondo reservation through archival letters and oral histories from the months of March, April, and May of 1863 through 1868. The event is an opportunity to reflect on the cruel circumstances in which the interned Diné and Ndé lived, drawing on multiple perspectives, and this year’s Spring edition extends this communal reflection to a global community, thanks to the support of ICSC.
Admission is free. Brunch will be made available for free, as well, consisting of cinnamon rolls, quiche, hot coffee, and water.
Because of the hybrid nature of Spring Letters from the Reservation, the site encourages people from across the world to participate. To register as a reader, please fill out this form: https://forms.office.com/g/VRfZvTKCGB. To access the Zoom on May 20, visit the New Mexico Historic Sites website.
Schedule of Events
10:00 a.m.: Welcome and free brunch for in-person participants
10:30 a.m.: In-person and broadcast reading begins in the Memorial’s Resource Room and on Zoom
About International Coalition of Sites of Conscience
The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC) is a global network of over 350 historic sites, museums, and memory initiatives in 65 countries connecting past struggles to today’s movements for human rights and social justice. ICSC builds the capacity of these vital institutions through grants, networking, training, transitional justice mechanisms, and advocacy. Learn more at www.sitesofconscience.org.
About Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner Historic Site
Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner Historic Site delivers visitors into the heart of history and tragedy. In 1863, some 10,000 Navajos were forced to make the “Long Walk,” 450 miles across New Mexico to the Bosque Redondo Indian Reservation, or H’weeldi, meaning place of suffering. Hundreds of Ndé were also interned there. Bosque Redondo Memorial was created in 2005 and revitalized in 2021 with strong support from the Diné and Ndé and designed by Diné architect David Sloan in the shape of a hogan and tepee. The permanent interpretive exhibition features evolving interactives, an interpretive trail, and programs for visitors.
