Introduction speech for film (PROTEC) feedback screening by Monique Anair, Historias Conference, Northern New Mexico College - October 13, 2017
Thank you to
everyone for coming out tonight. The film we will be screening this evening has
been in production since January and we are looking forward to your feedback
tonight on the film. We will be handing out cards and pencils for you to write
down questions and comments and at the conclusion of the screening we will have
some time to have a dialog with filmmaker Doug Crawford and consultant for the
film Dr. Steve Martinez.
The title of
this screening is Untold Stories. This project started with the question, why
are some stories not told in today’s media while others control the airwaves?
Mary Celeste Kearny, who has studied the lack of women’s stories in the media
stated that any population that does not have the skills and opportunity to
tell their own stories, does not have the access to training, resources and
means for distribution, will be marginalized in the mainstream media.
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| Monique Anair with audience after film screening at Northern New Mexico College |
Any stories that remain untold are in danger of being
lost. Keith Basso, an UNM professor of anthropology who worked with the Western
Apache in New Mexico and Arizona said “the knowledge of places is closely linked to
knowledge of the self, to grasping one's position in the larger scheme of
things, including one's own community, and to securing a confident sense of who
one is as a person.” So often when we lose our stories we lose a sense of who
we are and where we have come from.
Dr.
Alicia Chavez, who teaches at University of New Mexico, born and raised in Taos,
studies the unique blending of culture and the importance of personal story in
creating a culture of inclusion.
In her book, Teaching Across Cultural
Strengths, Alicia points to the rich storytelling culture that resides in
Northern New Mexico and the example it provides for education; a powerful tool
for integrating culture, respect and engagement.
In New
Mexico, there is a unique opportunity for New Mexicans to tell their story, in
their own words and images. I feel that the film we watch tonight is the first
of many films that could be produced by our students at New Mexico colleges and
universities.
This film
was produced in partnership with many organizations. The beginnings of the film
were developed through the Professional Readiness and Technical Experience for
Careers program. PROTEC is a pre-employment program sponsored by Santa Fe
County and developed by Santa Fe Community College. The production of the film
was sponsored in part by the McCune Foundation, the Friends of the Pecos
Historic National Monument, Doug Crawford and the Northern Rio Grande National
Heritage Area. What you see tonight is an effort not of one person but of over
50 people from Northern New Mexico dedicated to education, history and culture.
You will see many of their names in the credits.
In this film you will hear and see the
story behind the Battle of Glorieta. For 155 years, the New Mexicans who
participated in the battle that turned the tide for the United States union
army have remained unrecognized. Lack of recognition for historical
contributions is not a unique story for native New Mexicans. Globally, minority
and female populations are easily overlooked in the canon of history. In 2015
the Friends of the Pecos National Historical Monument set about to rectify this
injustice and gained the support from the National Park Service to erect a
monument honoring the New Mexico volunteers who fought in the Battle of
Glorieta.
Funds allocated through the New Mexico legislature by State Representative
Jim Trujillo have been used to produce a monument that will be erected later
this year near the battle field site along Route 50 outside of Pecos. Knowing
the power that comes from using film and media, the Friends’ group wanted to
produce a documentary telling the story of these men and their families. This
film we are screening tonight is the first of five proposed films that will
follow the stories of these men and their families. The film tonight is an
introduction to the complex history of why this group of New Mexicans felt
compelled to support the union cause.
Dr. Steve Martinez from Santa Fe
Community College worked with students in the PROTEC program to uncover the
stories leading up to and surrounding the of the Battle of Glorieta. Students
developed the story timeline and worked on shooting and editing the film with
New Mexico born filmmaker Doug Crawford. The unique historical timeline reveals
decisive moments in Northern New Mexico history that influenced the birthing of
a young and often troubled nation; the United States of America.
In 1862, during the height of the American Civil War, a group
of New Mexican men volunteered their lives to fight on the side of the Union
Army in the Battle of Glorieta, a battle that is often called the Gettysburg of
the West. The victory effectively prevented the Confederacy from obtaining trade
routes to the Pacific Ocean turning the tide of history in the American
Southwest. The story is not about a single person or hero, it is a story that
reaches back to Mexican Independence, the doctrine of Padre Martinez and the
passion, pride and culture unique to Northern New Mexico.
New Mexico legislators have spent the
last twelve years aggressively attracting Hollywood to our state creating a
vibrant film industry that continues to reflect a vibrant part of Northern New
Mexico’s economy. With the resources that have been established, local partnerships
and the state’s focus on film and media, unique opportunities exist for our communities
to make and distribute media projects told from our own voices. We believe the
partnerships that helped produce this film, that you will watch tonight, are the
beginning of a wonderful collaboration.
Thank you and I hope you enjoy the
film.
