Michael Gallegos and Katie Gallegos
Recorded
April 19, 2023
Archived
April 19, 2023
34:23 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
mby022644
Description
Michael Gallegos (62) and his mother Katie Gallegos (88) discuss surprises they found when researching their ancestry and the importance of learning where you come from.Subject Log / Time Code
Michael Gallegos (M) talks about family members who were listed as "Genízaros," enslaved Indigenous people living around Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Katie Gallegos (K) talks about not knowing much about her family history and finding out later in life that her grandmother was Apache.
M discusses the importance of ancestry research.
K and M discuss the shock of learning about this family history and learning about different types of slavery throughout history.
M remembers being told he was "Native" growing up but not knowing "which Native" he was.
M reflects on the significance of his Native friends going home to visit reservations in Northern Arizona.
M talks about how DNA tests have continued to complicate his understanding of identity.
M talks about how exploring his ancestry has strengthened the connection he had always felt with his Native side.
M explains what pushed him to start exploring his ancestry.
M remembers an impactful visit to San Felipe de Neri.
Participants
- Michael Gallegos
- Katie Gallegos