New Mexico History

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how the books "We Fed Them Cactus" and "A Zuni Life" represent two of the cultures who settled and created what is now the state of New Mexico. The paper relates that "We Fed Them Cactus" is told from the Spanish and Hispanic point of view, while "A Zuni Life" offers a Native-American point of view. The paper highlights the differences and common aspects shared by these diverse views of times in New Mexican history.

From the Paper:

"In "We Fed Them Cactus," the descendent of a Spanish conquistador remembers her family's ranch in the Llano Estacado (great or Staked Plains) of New Mexico, and she celebrates her Spanish ancestry. She also gives a rich account of the geography, politics, and culture of New Mexico in the early days of settlement, and shows how so much of the fabric of New Mexico depends on the Hispanics who settled the area hundreds of years ago. One of the details she covers is the many names that have come from Spanish sources throughout the state. She also follows the history into the twentieth century when she taught school in a tiny schoolhouse in rural New Mexico."

Sample of Sources Used:

• De Baca, Fabiola Cabeza. We Fed Them Cactus. 2nd ed. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1954.
• Wyaco, Virgil. A Zuni Life: A Pueblo Indian in Two Worlds. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 1998

More papers on New Mexico History:

• Analytical Essay # 111497 : "New Mexico State Analysis"
• Essay # 34933 : "The Geology of New Mexico"
• Term Paper # 111251 : "U.S - MEXICO WAR"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: