Rethinking Hewett: New Lecture Series Explores the Legacy of a Pivotal New Mexico Cultural Figure

This spring, Santa Fe, New Mexico comes alive with a compelling new public program that invites deeper engagement with one of the state’s most influential and complex historical voices. Rethinking Hewett, a four-part lecture series presented by the New Mexico History Museum and the School for Advanced Research (SAR), offers fresh perspectives on the life, work and lasting impact of Dr. Edgar Lee Hewett—the archaeologist, educator and cultural leader whose ideas helped shape the region’s identity.

Unlocking the Past: Digitizing the Hewett Collections

At the heart of this series is the recent completion of the digitization of the Edgar L. Hewett manuscript and photograph collections by the New Mexico History Museum’s Fray Angelico History Library and Palace of the Governors Photo Archives. Thanks to support from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, these archives—spanning personal correspondence, fieldwork documentation and photographic records—are now available online for scholars, students and the public to explore.

“Digitizing the Hewett Collection allows us all to engage with the historical record in new ways. It opens space for conversation about the stories these records tell—and those they’ve misunderstood or left out,” says Hannah Abelbeck, Curator of Photographs and Archival Collections.

This initiative not only strengthens access to primary historical resources, it aligns with broader efforts in the museum and archival communities to rethink how cultural memory is preserved, interpreted and contested—especially in the context of Indigenous and Hispano histories of the American Southwest.

What to Expect: A Four-Part Lecture Series

All Rethinking Hewett events take place at the School for Advanced Research (660 Garcia Street, Santa Fe), with hybrid access via YouTube livestream to expand reach beyond New Mexico. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for SAR and Museum of New Mexico Foundation members.

January 27, 2026 — Edgar Lee Hewett, Virginia McClurg and the Politics of Preservation
Professor James E. Snead (CSU Northridge) leads the series with an examination of early preservation movements in the Southwest and the historical rivalries, particularly with Virginia McClurg, that shaped the Antiquities Act and heritage policy.

February 24, 2026 — Mythmaking and Cultural Conflict
Alicia Romero (Albuquerque Museum) and Hannah Abelbeck explore how Hewett’s work helped construct New Mexico’s enduring “tricultural fantasy” and how these narratives influence public memory and identity today.

March 24, 2026 — Hewett Through Indigenous Eyes
Joseph “Woody” Aguilar (San Ildefonso Pueblo) brings Indigenous perspectives to the conversation, highlighting how contemporary ethics and Native voices are reshaping archaeological practice and cultural storytelling.

April 21, 2026 — Reconsidering Hewett’s Legacy
Dr. Bruce Bernstein—scholar, curator, and preservation leader—offers a closing reflection on Hewett’s enduring influence on cultural institutions in New Mexico, recognizing both the constructive achievements and complicated challenges of his legacy.

Why Rethinking Hewett Matters

This lecture series is part of an ongoing dialogue about cultural heritage, representation and how societies remember their past. Participation—whether in person in Santa Fe or online—gives audiences a chance to engage with history in ways that are reflective, critical and rooted in lived experience.

Key themes include:

  • The formation of early museum and preservation infrastructures in the Southwest

  • The evolving role of archives in public understanding

  • Indigenous and community voices in historical interpretation

  • How 20th-century ideas still influence identity, memory, and cultural institutions

Plan Your Visit and Stay Connected

Rethinking Hewett events offer Santa Fe residents and visitors alike an opportunity to connect with the New Mexico History Museum’s mission to foster inclusive dialogue about the past and its implications for the present and future. For details, livestream access, and registration, visit the School for Advanced Research events calendar or the New Mexico History Museum’s website.

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About the New Mexico History Museum

New Mexico History Museum (NMHM), a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, offers a welcoming place for exploration of multifaceted views on history, dialog that bridges social and cultural divides, and reflection on the conditions needed for a more resilient, just, and sustainable future. The NMHM campus is located on the north side of the historic Santa Fe Plaza. Learn more at nmhistorymuseum.org.

Photo: Edgar L. Hewett at Salinas Pueblo National Monument, New Mexico.