Monument exhibit is an invitation to learn, not activism
By Maria Sanchez-Tucker
Virgil J. Vigil and I share more common ground than his recent piece (“Soldiers’ Monument display at museum must tell whole story,” My View, Sept. 27) might suggest. I thank him for 30 years of service in the U.S. Army — he retired as a colonel — and for his leadership of the Union Protectiva de Santa Fe.
His commitment to preserving New Mexico’s history and grounding interpretation in documented evidence is one the New Mexico History Museum shares. It is our mission.
After reading his column, I reviewed the exhibit again with our curatorial staff, and I stand behind it. The exhibit is rooted in research and accuracy and offers a broad overview of this monument’s long and complicated history.
I reject the claim that it advances a political or ideological position on the monument’s past or future. It presents factual information, grounded in scholarship, to create a space for reflection and deeper learning.
The temporary exhibit has three goals, stated plainly in its introductory text: to give visitors a place to see what remains of the monument, to help them learn about its more than 150-year history, and to invite them to reflect on differing perspectives, with a space to share their own.
The 1860s and the Civil War in New Mexico are important and complex chapters of our history. The Confederate invasion, the battles at Valverde and Glorieta Pass, and the role of New Mexico’s militia volunteers could fill a full-scale exhibition of their own.
That was not this exhibit’s purpose, and our gallery space is limited. To address that, the New Mexico State Library created an online resource to accompany the exhibit. A QR code in the gallery links visitors to primary sources and additional material on the monument’s history.
The museum follows established professional standards, including the American Historical Association’s standards for museum exhibits on historical subjects, which guide our obligation to the public trust.
As the AHA puts it: “Historical exhibits may encourage the informed discussion of their content and the broader issues of historical significance they raise. Attempts to suppress exhibits or to impose an uncritical point of view, however widely shared, are inimical to open and rational discussion.”
That principle cuts in every direction. A museum should not tell visitors what to conclude about the Soldiers’ Monument, nor narrow its presentation to satisfy any single viewpoint. Placing the monument within the larger story of New Mexico allows the exhibit to present multiple perspectives rather than promote one.
The museum’s exhibits are developed through peer review and scholarship to ensure the information presented is accurate.
This exhibit offers New Mexicans an opportunity to build empathy for one another while navigating a difficult history and the path forward.
All are encouraged to visit, explore the online resources and share their perspectives on the Soldiers’ Monument. That conversation is exactly what the exhibit is for.
Maria Sanchez-Tucker is the interim executive director of the New Mexico History Museum.
ROGER M. RAEL
Website: https://theratonrange.com
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