Trujillo v Garley: the Landmark Case for Native American Voting Rights in New Mexico

Encounter Culture

The right of every United States citizen to vote in local, state, and national elections is as American as the laws that have barred many groups from accessing the ballot box. Women, people of color, the unhoused––all have fought to claim their rightful place at the table of democracy. So, too, have Native Americans.

This season, we’ve partnered with the New Mexico History Museum (NMHM) to bring you the fascinating story of Native American suffrage before and after Trujillo v. Garley, the landmark case of 1948.

In 1948, Miguel Trujillo (Isleta Pueblo) walked into the Valencia County clerk’s office with the intent to register to vote as a Native American. He was denied, of course. This affront set in motion a legal challenge that would eventually topple decades of institutionalized discrimination. But the story of Trujillo v. Garley doesn’t end there. Nor does it begin on that fateful day.

Stephanie Padilla (Isleta Pueblo), attorney for the Children's Court, State of New Mexico, joins Charlotte Jusinski as co-host this season. Stephanie worked directly with the NMHM as Guest Curator to preserve Miguel’s achievement through the recollections of those who know his story best:

Laura Harris (Comanche), executive director of Americans for Indian Opportunity;

Michael Trujillo (Isleta Pueblo), MD, former director of the Indian Health Service, and son of Miguel Trujillo;

Gordon Bronitsky, PhD, president, Bronitsky and Associates;

Karen Waconda (Isleta Pueblo), community health educator, Native healer, and granddaughter of Miguel Trujillo;

John Waconda, Jr. (Isleta Pueblo), restoration partnership coordinator with U.S. Forest Service, and grandson of Miguel Trujillo;

Dr. Porter Swentzell (Santa Clara Pueblo), executive director, Kha’p’o Community School, and tribal leader;

Dr. Maurice S. Crandall (Yavapai-Apache), associate professor of history, Arizona State University School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies;

Kara Bobroff (Diné/Lakota), executive director of One Generation Fund, founder of the Native American Community Academy (NACA) and NACA-Inspired School Network (NISN), and advisor to the Miguel Trujillo project; and

June L. Lorenzo (Laguna Pueblo/Navajo (Diné), chief judge, Zia Pueblo.

Visit http://newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours, and more.

To celebrate this season’s collaboration with the New Mexico History Museum, we’d like to thank you for being a part of our listening community at Encounter Culture.

Enter to win a package of four CulturePasses and a one-year subscription to El Palacio magazine all valued at $145 by visiting https://podcast.nmculture.org/giveaway

Whether you’re a local resident, or you’re visiting us on your travels, CulturePass is your ticket to each of our 15 museums and historic sites.

Enter by August 31, 2023. You must be 18 years or older to apply, and there is no purchase necessary. This opportunity is made possible by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs and the Museum of New Mexico Foundation.

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Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.

Hosted by Stephanie Padilla (Isleta Pueblo) & Charlotte Jusinski, Editor at El Palacio Magazine

Technical Director & Post-Production Audio: Edwin R. Ruiz

Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe

Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann

Consulting Producer & Editor: Monica Braine (Assiniboine/Lakota)

Associate Producer & Editor: Alex Riegler

Show Notes: Lisa Widder

Social Media Design: Caitlin Sunderland

Theme Music: D’Santi Nava

Instagram: @newmexicanculture

For more, visit podcast.nmculture.org.

Special thank you to Clark Tenakhongva, along with Gary Stroutsos and Matthew Nelson, for the incredible Hopi music featured throughout all 6 episodes of this season. Their new album Hon Muru is set to release in August 2023 and will be available for purchase along with their other recordings on Bandcamp and at ongtupqa.com.

This season was made possible due to the generosity of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the family of Miguel and Ruchanda Trujillo.