On Sunday, October 29, 11:30 - 12:30 pm MDT at the Silver City Museum, Catalina Claussen and Javier Marrufo will present from their recent work on oral histories in Grant County.

Claussen will share her journey with Brandon Perrault collecting oral history, family photographs, newspaper articles, and public records to arrive at a history of the Mimbres Valley, post-Civil war to the present, through the lens of the Perrault family experience. George O. Perrault was an adventurer, a soldier, a miner, an entrepreneur, a rancher, and family man of Territorial New Mexico who took root and flourished along with many other early settlers. Their Claussen and Perrault's have resulted in “No Se Vende El Rancho” which will appear in an upcoming publication with the Mimbres Press.

Catalina Claussen is an award-winning young adult novelist, poet, and short story author who carries on a love affair with the land, language, and people of southwest New Mexico. She lives on a ranch in the Mimbres Valley.

Javier Marrufo will present his ongoing oral history project focused on early residents of Chihuahua Hill. His work has resulted in Silver City Museum’s latest exhibit “Nuestra Voz: The Chihuahua Hill Story” in the Dodge Gallery. This exhibit tells the story of Chihuahua Hill, one of Silver City’s oldest neighborhoods, primarily through audio recordings of people who've lived in the neighborhood, many for their entire lives.

The exhibit centers on themes of struggle and resilience, including poverty and discrimination, along with social issues such as education, economics, and cultural preservation.

Javier Marrufo is a native of Grant County who, in his current position as historian and curator at the Silver City Museum, works toward a fair representation of all residents.

This presentation is free and open to the public. Visit the Southwest Word Fiesta website for a full schedule of events: swwordfiesta.org