This teaching collection encourages students to think about all sides of an issue - in this case a cultural event - and then make connections to related issues of identity and nationalism locally, nationally, and internationally. The collection uses an article by Eduardo Díaz, director of the Smithsonian Latino Center, and Kevin Gover (Pawnee), director of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, as a jumping off point to explore changes to Santa Fe's annual Fiesta de Santa Fe, described by organizers as “the oldest, most colorful community celebration in the nation,” as part of an ongoing conversation across the country about how we choose to honor our "history, multicultural legacies and unique blend of traditions."

The exercise is scaffolded with global competence strategies to help students explore the Fiesta in successive detail, consider the various perspectives of the communities involved, and make connections to similar conversations happening across the US today. Students can share ideas in groups or through writing assignments, adding in outside research  if desired. 

Keywords: American Indian, Native American, Pueblo Indians, Hispanic, Latino, Entrada

#LatinoHAC, #EthnicStudies 

This collection supports Unit 3: Critical Geography and Current Issues, of the Austin ISD Ethnic Studies Part A course. "How do diverse groups of people become interconnected and aligned with different places and communities? What is the relationship between geographic space and different communities, and how does this interaction shape our society How does regional politics, economics, culture, and geography influence issues and events?"

This Smithsonian Learning Lab collection received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.