Librarian records lives of American Indians

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Mary Alice Tsosie looks to add a long-unwritten chapter to UNM’s history — one interview at a time.

Tsosie is the program manager of UNM University Libraries and is composing the “Native American Oral History Project.” The project will include recorded interviews with past and current American Indian professors, faculty members and alumni. Tsosie’s project began in January when she noticed a lack of information available about American Indians who have attended the University.

Tsosie said her project helps give a tangible historical record to those whose history has gone undocumented.

“I think everybody wants their history recorded and written down. Everybody has a perspective, UNM has a perspective, the Native Americans have a perspective,” Tsosie said. “I think everybody wants their viewpoint to be acknowledged, to know that we exist, to know that we went through UNM. If we don’t have that recording, who’s going to do it?”

Tsosie has interviewed 14 participants so far, with a wish list of future interviewees that includes faculty members who used to be students. She said that while she wants to hear from a wide range of subjects, she also wants to focus on specific periods of history.

Tsosie said she would like to interview students who studied throughout the protests in the 1950s, as well as focusing on the past directors of UNM’s Native American Studies department.

This is the first compiled history of its kind at UNM. In that light, Tsosie said she feels inspired to share the stories of past students and faculty members who often did what they could to pave a path for the current generation of American Indian students and faculty members here today.

“I’m very proud of these Native Americans who have gone through and had a connection with UNM in some way, who have worked here for a long time,” she said. “And that dedication, their want to really make a difference for Native Americans and how they want to go beyond what’s expected so they could make a pathway for Native Americans to succeed and achieve and graduate, to go on, that’s one thing I think is not seen.”

Tsosie enlisted assistant professor Lloyd Lee’s help on the project. Lee is in charge of historical research to provide context to Tsosie for future interviews.

Lee said he is trying to decide how to compose Tsosie’s interviews in such a way that future historians could contribute and add to the work after it’s published. He said his work is one contribution among the many that ensure that history remains properly archived.

“Personally, I think it’s about making sure the legacy of Native students and Native people who have come to the University that they’re documented, written down to their experience here, and I’m just helping that process,” Lee said.