Trespassers is a comprehensive history of how and why the United States, while suffering from its long standing belief in Manifest Destiny, unlawfully removed millions of acres of land from pre-existing Spanish and Mexican land grants.
It is structured as an oral history of one of the families who experienced the theft of their way of life--and for use as a political history, creative non-fiction and social science text book.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Forty-five Shocking Facts Regarding New Mexico's Spanish and Mexican Land Grant History
Mike, I have read your book and must say is it the first "complete history" I have ever seen. I enjoyed the oral history of a Grandfather, Juan Valdez, who chronicles his family's sad past and the politics of the era to a grandson in twenty-six riveting conversations.
The forty five facts as you present them here is definitely a sad and dark period of Southwest history and the primary focus of Manifest Destiny. The government knew no bounds. It is so revealing how willingly and unlawfully the government took land from people who had every right to remain there.
Your book, Trespassers is a treasure trove of historical facts about the period which often corrects previous versions of the history.
I found your book a must read for historians and scholars who have become to believe that it is time to move on.
Thank you for your very generous comment. I too believe that Trespassers on Our Own Land is the first and only comprehensive study of the land grant issues from the nineteenth century to present: That it offers a complete picture of the maltreatment of the grantees and their heirs by a government that wasn't concerned in the least that it was destroying their ability to survive as they had for generations. Thank you!
This entire country has to be educated on what the united states did to the Native Americans, the Spanish, and Mexican citizens land grants. either by more books, or a motion picture. to open the minds of many bias ignorant people. I am of Spanish decent and my family have been here in New Mexico for hundreds of years. Thank you!! Henry L.
Hi Mike, You have presented a wealth of information on your blog. After reading your "Trespassers on Our Own Land," I was able to understand a little more of the history. My grandparents were from New Mexico and so were their parents. I came across your blog while doing some genealogical research and I thought maybe you could answer a question I have about the land grants. I found a copy of the 1910 U.S. census record for my grandfather's family and he is listed as living in the Nambe Pueblo Grant.
What is the Nambe Pueblo Grant? To me it implies that this is Pueblo land or some sort of reservation but now after learning more about the issues with the land grants I am not sure.
Would you be able to offer some clarity on this issue? Thanks for your help, Jennifer
Thank you for your comments, Jenny. Nambe Pueblo Grant is an Indian grant, but that fact alone does not mean that because your uncle lived there that he was a member of the Tribe. In researching genealogies we ofter find people who were living on a grant who were not a member of that particular grant. Nambe Pueblo grant is east of U.S. 84/285 about 15 miles north of Santa Fe, adjacent to Pojoaque. If you are familiar with the town of Espanola another 8 miles north of the Nambe Grant a considerable portion of it is within the exterior boundary of the Santa Clara Pueblo Grant but more than half of the properties within the town are owned by Non-Indians. If you wish to know more about your grandfather's genealogy email me (rather than commenting in the blog and I will briefly look into it and send you any information I find that may be helpful regarding your grandfather's family. I hope you were able to purchase the book after the price was reduced. I lowered the price of the printed copy from $19.95 to $14.99 and the e version from $5.99 to $3.99. Thank you again for reading and commenting on the book. I have been remiss lately in posting new information on the blog but hope be do so in the near future.
Mike, I have read your book and must say is it the first "complete history" I have ever seen. I enjoyed the oral history of a Grandfather, Juan Valdez, who chronicles his family's sad past and the politics of the era to a grandson in twenty-six riveting conversations.
ReplyDeleteThe forty five facts as you present them here is definitely a sad and dark period of Southwest history and the primary focus of Manifest Destiny. The government knew no bounds. It is so revealing how willingly and unlawfully the government took land from people who had every right to remain there.
Your book, Trespassers is a treasure trove of historical facts about the period which often corrects previous versions of the history.
I found your book a must read for historians and scholars who have become to believe that it is time to move on.
Thanks Mike, look forward to more.
Thank you for your very generous comment. I too believe that Trespassers on Our Own Land is the first and only comprehensive study of the land grant issues from the nineteenth century to present: That it offers a complete picture of the maltreatment of the grantees and their heirs by a government that wasn't concerned in the least that it was destroying their ability to survive as they had for generations. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThis entire country has to be educated on what the united states did to the Native Americans, the Spanish, and Mexican citizens land grants. either by more books, or a motion picture. to open the minds of many bias ignorant people. I am of Spanish decent and my family have been here in New Mexico for hundreds of years. Thank you!! Henry L.
ReplyDeleteHi Mike,
ReplyDeleteYou have presented a wealth of information on your blog. After reading your "Trespassers on Our Own Land," I was able to understand a little more of the history. My grandparents were from New Mexico and so were their parents. I came across your blog while doing some genealogical research and I thought maybe you could answer a question I have about the land grants.
I found a copy of the 1910 U.S. census record for my grandfather's family and he is listed as living in the Nambe Pueblo Grant.
What is the Nambe Pueblo Grant? To me it implies that this is Pueblo land or some sort of reservation but now after learning more about the issues with the land grants I am not sure.
Would you be able to offer some clarity on this issue?
Thanks for your help,
Jennifer
Thank you for your comments, Jenny.
DeleteNambe Pueblo Grant is an Indian grant, but that fact alone does not mean that because your uncle lived there that he was a member of the Tribe. In researching genealogies we ofter find people who were living on a grant who were not a member of that particular grant.
Nambe Pueblo grant is east of U.S. 84/285 about 15 miles north of Santa Fe, adjacent to Pojoaque.
If you are familiar with the town of Espanola another 8 miles north of the Nambe Grant a considerable portion of it is within the exterior boundary of the Santa Clara Pueblo Grant but more than half of the properties within the town are owned by Non-Indians.
If you wish to know more about your grandfather's genealogy email me (rather than commenting in the blog and I will briefly look into it and send you any information I find that may be helpful regarding your grandfather's family.
I hope you were able to purchase the book after the price was reduced. I lowered the price of the printed copy from $19.95 to $14.99 and the e version from $5.99 to $3.99.
Thank you again for reading and commenting on the book. I have been remiss lately in posting new information on the blog but hope be do so in the near future.
Mike Scarborough