As the nation celebrates its 250th birthday and our beautiful state commemorates its 150th anniversary of our entrance to the union, we are encouraged to undertake diverse, imaginative efforts to remember our shared past while visualizing a unified future. The AM250/CO150 Commission at History Colorado is committed to recognizing our shared history which includes the experiences of all who have called Colorado home. We will celebrate Colorado by acknowledging our complete shared history, honor what makes our state unique, and recognize our shared destiny. There are twelve signature initiatives which are designed to guide and inspire us in this commemoration.
Last week we talked about the Historic Preservation Initiative. Another initiative is Statewide Storytelling: A Portrait of Colorado at 150.
We know that stories are powerful vehicles that shed light on collective histories. In the museum, the stories are endless. They can convey personal backgrounds, shift perspectives, and uncover the ways in which our experiences shape our identities. Stories connect us as people.
The existing documented histories have revealed some gaps in experience and perspectives. Some communities have been misrepresented, underrepresented or not represented. The commission challenges us to uncover and highlight community voices.
The America 250 – Colorado 150 Commission is partnering with History Colorado on A Portrait of Colorado at 150, a storytelling initiative, to increase representation and voices in Colorado’s documented history. They are equipping us with inspiration. skills, tools, and training; and are empowering us to collect and share stories through oral history.
We are fortunate in Rio Blanco County because we have been gathering oral histories for a long time. The White River Museum staff is in the process of digitizing and transcribing the oral histories that have been gathered since the release of the 3rd Volume of This Is What I Remember, but have not been completed. We are also still collecting stories. The goal of the initiative is to collect at least 150 stories representing every region of our state. The Rio Blanco County Historical Society has set a goal to gather a few to contribute to the statewide collection.
The History Colorado team is available to support our storytelling efforts. Please help us to gather those stories before they are lost. We invite you to schedule an oral interview with museum staff or volunteers or to encourage members of your family to start asking questions and recording that information in written or recorded form. Of course we also hope you will share it with the museum team. We have equipment and a quiet space at the Meeker Herald and the museum, but we can also access the online Oral History Toolkit if desired.
You can find more information as well as the references presented here at historycolorado.org/colorado-150.
By TERESIA REED