In the high desert of New Mexico sits Santa Fe, the nation’s oldest capital city noted for its vibrant Native American art scene, Southwestern flavors and rich culture— all uniquely influence by a complicated history.
Santa Fe’s intrigue is largely predicated on its tumultuous past. Through the years, New Mexico underwent Spanish conquest, Mexican rule under Spanish colonization and, finally, Anglo-American settlers heading west.
The history of Santa Fe is buoyed to the pueblos—or Native American communities—settled in New Mexico generations before Christopher Columbus struck Plymouth Rock. As one tribal member recounted to me during my visit, “My ancestors were here with the dinosaurs.”
On behalf of Unearth Women, I was invited to the City of Santa Fe to learn about Native American heritage that account for the oldest (and some say the strongest) history in the 400 year old capital city of the American Southwest. In this Feminist City Guide, we spotlight some female-owned businesses in Santa Fe, the city’s first Native American owned hotel, and—of course—captivating art installations and museums to visit.
Pro tip: before you embark to this Southwestern city, read ‘Ladies of the Canyons’ by Lesley Poling-Kempes as a prelude to influential women in America’s Southwest. The book details three pioneering ladies who, in the beginning of the twentieth century, traveled cross country to help invent a new era.