Mother Magdalen and the Sisters of Loretto
In 1852 Jean Baptist Lamy, the first Bishop of the newly created Archdiocese of Santa Fe, traveled through Kentucky where he convinced six nuns to join him in New Mexico. Led by Sister Magdalen Hayden, the sisters from the order of The Friends of Mary at the Foot of...
Mela Lucero Leger
Born Manuelita de Atocha Romero (Mela) in Villanueva, New Mexico, Mela spent her formative years with her grandparents in Colonia, New Mexico. By the time she was four years old she could read Spanish, which she did by reading newspapers to her blind grandfather. She...
Matilda Coxe Stevenson
When Matilda Coxe Stevenson moved to New Mexico with her husband, she became interested in her husband’s research at Zuni Pueblo. While she initially only helped with his research, she soon started her own research projects, ultimately becoming a pioneer in Native...
Mary White
In 1927, fifteen years after the creation of the Girl Scouts of America, Miss Mary White, Commissioner of the Roswell Scouts, led a vigorous effort to ensure that young ladies would have the opportunity to have quality outdoor experiences. In support of her work, her...
Marjorie Bell Chambers, Ph.D.
Marjorie Bell Chambers has been described as “restless, multifaceted, and an indomitable spirit” who had “an unbounded legacy of deeds, thoughts, and inspirations for her children and her students…” She received a Doctorate of Philosophy in History and Political...
Maria Ramita Simbola Martinez “Summer Harvest”
Three Picuris women, Maria Ramita Simbola Martinez, Cora Durand, and Virginia Duran, helped to preserve the micaceous pottery tradition that remains important in Picuris and other nearby pueblos today. Picuris is a Tiwa speaking Pueblo located fifty-seven miles north...
Maria Gutierrez Spencer
María Gutiérrez Spencer seems to have found her calling at age five on her very first day of school: Maria, who spoke only Spanish, could not follow the English instructions her teacher was giving her, and she was sent to the principal’s office. She would go on to...
María Delores Gonzáales “La Doctora”
María Dolores Gonzáles devoted her life to the preservation of the Spanish language and bilingual education programs. Bilingual education programs aim to teach children in two languages, with proponents arguing that a child’s literacy in their home language correlates...