Rethinking Hewett: Mythmaking and Cultural Conflict

Rethinking Hewitt is series of talks co-presented by the New Mexico History Museum and the School for Advanced Research.

Edgar Lee Hewett’s legacy is deeply entwined with conflict, myth-making, and contested authority. In this talk, Alicia Romero examines Hewett’s role in constructing New Mexico’s “tricultural fantasy,” a myth centered at the Museum of New Mexico and in public events like the Santa Fe Fiestas. Hannah Abelbeck explores Hewett’s cultural conflicts within Santa Fe, including debates about what—and whose—stories were represented. Together, they trace how Hewett’s decisions shaped enduring narratives about identity, culture, and belonging in the Southwest.

Hannah Abelbeck is the Curator of Photographs and Archival Collections at the New Mexico History Museum and oversees the Fray Angelico Chavez History Library and Palace of the Governors Photo Archives. She holds an M.A. in English from Pennsylvania State University and advocates for public engagement and interdisciplinary approaches to history.

Alicia Romero is the Head Curator and Curator of History at the Albuquerque Museum. She earned her Ph.D. in History from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and has curated exhibitions on labor history, Albuquerque neighborhoods, and the history of the Museum of New Mexico. Her research explores Mexican and New Mexican history, immigration, and cultural role of women in Southwestern archaeology in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Photo credit: Hewett, E. L. (n.d.). "First Indian Fair" - Standing in center on left, Kenneth Chapman, center Santiago Naranjo from Santa Clara Pueblo, and Harry Mera on right, Santa Fe, New Mexico (PAAC.056.0478a) [Photographs, photographic prints]. New Mexico History Museum. Retrieved December 10, 2025, from https://archives.newmexicoculture.org/first-indian-fair-standing-center-left-kenneth-chapman-center-santiago-naranjo-santa-clara-pueblo