A Cortez Museum Exhibition Shines an Important Light on Ute, Navajo, and Hispanic Culture

Ute, Navajo, and Hispanic make up 25 percent of Montezuma County’s population, yet there isn’t regular public programming that portrays their history and historic connections with Euro-American settlers. That’s not only a cultural and educational loss, but it’s also an economic one as studies throughout the state and country have demonstrated that museums that share their region’s history in compelling ways, with well-designed exhibits, interactive and audio-visual experiences, and educational events have significant, positive impacts on the local and regional economy. Staff at the Montezuma Heritage Museum wanted to address these gaps, and developed a plan to partner with Indigenous and Hispanic families to accurately share the many contributions of these cultures to the area, by creating two new exhibits for the Heritage Museum focusing on these populations. They just needed a little help to get the work off the ground and reached out to LOR. LOR’s funding will help cover the costs of an exhibition designer and developer, as well as equipment and supplies needed to create the displays.