HOUSE MEMORIAL 76

54th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2019

INTRODUCED BY

Sheryl Williams Stapleton and Linda M. Trujillo and

 Anthony Allison and Tomás E. Salazar and Abbas Akhil

A MEMORIAL

CELEBRATING NEW MEXICO AS A MULTICULTURAL STATE.

     WHEREAS, throughout its long history, New Mexico has meant many things to many people; and

     WHEREAS, ancient peoples, Native Americans and early settlers saw a pristine wilderness filled with a wealth of natural wonders; and

     WHEREAS, history in New Mexico does not seem remote or dead, with so many tangible examples, from a pottery shard to imposing missions and living pueblos throughout the land; and

     WHEREAS, Hispanic folk art and drama, revived and revitalized during the 1920s, thrives today through nationally known artists and writers; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico has always held a fascination for artists cross-culturally in a variety of fields; and

     WHEREAS, Peter Hurd, a Roswell native who lived on his ranch at San Patricio, painted the land and people of southern New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, Pablita Velarde of the Pueblo of Santa Clara was famous for her paintings and murals of public buildings, and R.C. Gorman, who was born on the Navajo reservation, drew inspiration to become a painter from his father, Carl, who was a World War II code talker; and

     WHEREAS, famous Native American potters such as Maria Martinez have passed valuable skills and techniques through family lineage to keep their art alive; and

     WHEREAS, other famous artists such as Georgia O'Keeffe were lured from the east coast by New Mexico's people, landscapes and skies; and

     WHEREAS, an article published by the New Mexico museum of art states that in recent decades, many New Mexicans have campaigned vigorously to promote a variety of causes that they believe are fundamental to New Mexico's distinctive character; and

     WHEREAS, Santa Fe residents rallied around a revival of the use of pueblo architecture and the old territorial building style, ensuring a flavor of the past in the path of modernity; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico's Native American population has entered into a new period of activity and is expanding outward and participating in city, state and national affairs; and

     WHEREAS, during his term of office, Governor Bill Richardson issued a proclamation designating New Mexico a "multicultural state"; and

     WHEREAS, whether Hispanic, Native American, Anglo, African American, Asian, Jewish, Christian or Muslim, everyone is a New Mexican, was the message of the proclamation; and

     WHEREAS, political polarization today makes it even more critical for New Mexicans to embrace a multicultural state; and

     WHEREAS, all New Mexicans would benefit from continuing to explore ways to preserve the old alongside the new; and

     WHEREAS, as New Mexico faces diminishing natural resources, a reverence for the land and its waters is crucial; and

     WHEREAS, diversity is what helps make New Mexico a friendlier and more welcoming community;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that in all of its beauty, richness and diversity, New Mexico be celebrated as a multicultural state; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that diversity and embracing all cultures be encouraged; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of cultural affairs, the executive director of the office on African American affairs, the secretary of Indian affairs, the Hispanic cultural division of the cultural affairs department, the New Mexico branches of the national association for the advancement of colored people and the president of the national Hispanic cultural center.

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