by North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com
“Our History Our Voice” Celebration Set for September 6 at Centennial Village Museum
GREELEY – A first-of-its-kind book is shedding light on the stories of Mexican Americans in Greeley, as told in their own words. Our History Our Voice was created through a collaboration between the Mexican American History Project: Greeley (MAHPG) and the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area (Cache NHA), with support from the National Park Foundation.
The publication encompasses more than a century of lived experiences, culture, and contributions from 1920 to the present. Forty-four narrators share stories spanning immigration, labor in agriculture and energy, education, civic engagement, and social justice. The book combines historical research with personal oral histories, building a cultural archive for Northern Colorado.
“This book will help give a voice and perspective of Greeley Mexican Americans that is seldom heard and validate our history and contributions in a place we call home,” said Emma Pena-McCleave, Project Coordinator for MAHPG.
To mark the release, the community is invited to a free celebration, Fiesta in the Plaza, on Saturday, September 6, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Centennial Village Museum. The event will feature live Mariachi music, Ballet Folklorico Orgullo Latino dancers, demonstrations of tortilla-making and blacksmithing, museum tours, cultural displays, and book sales with signings by the authors.
“Our partnership didn’t just fund a project, it rescued a dream, giving us the resources we needed to bring Our History Our Voice to life,” added Pena-McCleave.
Copies of the book will be available at the event, and bilingual editions will also be distributed to local schools, libraries, and museums. More information about the project is available through the Cache la Poudre National Heritage Area.
Source: Mexican American History Project: Greeley and Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area