About the Friends of Coronado & Jemez Historic Sites
We are a tax-exempt group supporting two State Historic Sites; the ancient village of Kuaua (Ka-wa-wa, circa 1300 AD) on the Rio Grande; and the Jemez Historic site of the village of Gisewa in the Jemez Mountains. More than that, we are an eclectic group of about 400 fun-loving people who delve deeply into southwestern history, archaeology, geology, anthropology.
We mix in the excitement of wandering remote areas not always available to the public. We also provide lectures, field trips, workshops and behind-the-scenes tours of museums and art centers, guided wilderness hikes, social gatherings, and opportunities to support the Historic Sites physically and financially.
Above all, we have fun!
Over the years (we have been helping the Coronado Historic Site since 2003, the Jemez site more recently), we have provided tens of thousands of volunteer hours and accounted for thousands of dollars of financial assistance from our members, Gift Shop sales, fund-drives and legislative supporters.
We are the Docents, the shop volunteers, the trail workers, the archaeological diggers, the event planners, the Zoom lecture managers, the researchers and Board members-
all of whom support the sites on a purely volunteer basis.
And we would love for you to join our mission! Thank You.
FCHS MISSION STATEMENT
The Mission of the Friends of Coronado Historic Site is to support the conservation and restoration of historical assets and museum exhibits, and to promote through community outreach, the historical and cultural significance of the Coronado and Jemez Historic Sites – including the ancestral pueblos of Kuaua and Giusewa, the Coronado Expedition, and the Mission of San Jose de los Jemez.
MEETINGS
We have monthly Board Meetings, usually on Tuesday at the Coronado site. During the pandemic, we met via Zoom.
Our Annual Meeting is in March. We usually precede the business meeting with a presentation of interest to our members, followed by a business meeting summarizing the activities of the year, an election of officers and, of course, we finish with a social hour.
A bit of history from a former president of The Friends...
From Brian Gilmore, President (2015-2018)
We celebrated our 10th anniversary in 2013. Starting with a dedicated group of five, the organization has grown to over 400 members. And as our membership increases, so does our ability to support Coronado Historic Site.
Over the years, while we have contributed thousands of hours in volunteer time, and tens of thousands of dollars to preserve the Painted Kiva and the Ma-Pe-Wi murals, we have also spread the word about the historic pueblo that is named Kuaua.
Our monthly programs are well attended, so much so that we now sometimes turn away people because of fire code regulations. The variety and quality of our programs bring in people from all over the state, and they return with friends and family.
Trips to places “off the beaten path” (or sometimes located only on a beaten path) entice individuals to join the Friends. Some of the places we’ve visited are only open with special permission.
So we should celebrate—pat ourselves on the back for a job well done! But let’s not forget that there is still much to do. The ruins at Kuaua need restoration, the museum exhibits need a facelift, and other buildings need continual maintenance. And while some of these projects are not within our range of influence (i.e. any museum changes need to come through the State Historic Preservation Office), we can focus on things within our reach.
Join the effort, become a member to help preserve, enhance and share Kuaua Pueblo with visitors.