"Our history shapes how we see the world:" A talk with Colorado’s first Latina state historian

In 2021, Nicki Gonzales became Colorado’s first Latina state historian. History is a lifelong vocation for the Regis University professor, one that has helped Gonzales to pay tribute to her family’s legacy and inform her own identity.

Gonzales’s work has helped to provide us with a fuller picture of Colorado’s cultural landscape, uncovering state history and acknowledging its problematic details. In 2020, she was appointed by Gov. Jared Polis to serve on the state's Geographic Naming Advisory Board, which helps replace the names of geographic features and areas bearing derogatory titles - something Gonzales says helps the state reckon with problematic elements of its racial racist past. She and board members recently took on the high-profile renaming of Mount Evans, the namesake of a disgraced Colorado territorial governor. The iconic 14er is now Mount Blue Sky. 

On today's episode, Gonzales reflects on her search for identity and deeper meaning, starting with her own family history.

We're celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a series of conversations featuring Hispanic and Latino changemakers, innovators and creators.