Email
Land grants are a definitive part of the rich cultural history of New Mexico. As part of the vast territory sought by the United States in the 19th century, New Mexico land – and land grants in particular – have been at the center of historical accounts and lawsuits for well over 150 years. Many in-depth studies, books, dissertations and legal briefs have documented this history. However, none of these accounts offer the thoughtful combination of historical facts, legalese, oral history and humor that Mike Scarborough’s “Trespassers on Our Own Land” provides. The book is an oral history that details not only the land-grant struggle in northern New Mexico from the 19th century to the present, but it also includes the family history of Juan P. Valdez, a descendant of Juan Bautista Valdez, an original grantee who acquired a large parcel of land from the Spanish government in 1807.
In “Trespassers,” Valdez reminds the reader of the value of those quotidian practices – such as oral history – as he relays to his grandson the story of his involvement in the 1967 Rio Arriba County Courthouse Raid, an event that brought attention to the issues of land confiscation and attempts at reclamation by land-grant heirs in New Mexico.
Through this story, Valdez reveals the ways in which he believes the U.S. government erroneously confiscated land that belonged to land-grant heirs, and with Scarborough’s insight and research, provides documentation from the Court of Private Land Claims, U.S. Forest Service bulletins, maps and surveys to suggest that many of the land grants in northern New Mexico were vastly reduced in size due to suspicious federal government actions.
 |
||
|
“Trespassers on Our Own Land” by Mike Scarborough Dog Ear Publishing, $19.95, 284 pp. |
|
|
This book demonstrates Scarborough’s commitment to documenting this important history, incorporating many details left of out of federally generated reports on land-grant issues.
The Valdez family history that guides the narrative reveals the significant impacts of the struggle of New Mexico land-grant heirs and shows that this isn’t solely a story of the past.
Karen R. Roybal is a visiting scholar at the University of New Mexico’s Center for Regional Studies.
Mike Scarborough discusses, signs “Trespassers on Our Own Land” at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8 in Botts Hall, at the Special Collections Library, 423 E. Central.
