Miguel Trujillo
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Miguel H. Trujillo (1904–1989) was an American activist from
Isleta Pueblo Pueblo of Isleta ( , ; ) is an unincorporated community and Tanoan pueblo in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States, originally established in the . The Southern Tiwa name of the pueblo is (Shee-eh-whíb-bak) meaning "a knife lai ...
, who was instrumental to the case ''Trujillo v. Garley'' in 1948; before the case, New Mexico, like many other states, had a ruling that "Indians not taxed" were not legally allowed to vote. With the case Miguel successfully challenged this ruling.


Early life

Miguel H. Trujillo was born on April 30, 1904, at the
Pueblo of Isleta Pueblo of Isleta ( , ; ) is an unincorporated community and Tanoan pueblo in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States, originally established in the . The Southern Tiwa name of the pueblo is (Shee-eh-whíb-bak) meaning "a knife laid o ...
, in New Mexico to Juanita (née Jaramillo) and José Trujillo. José was a farmer, but died when Trujillo was seven years old, leaving Juanita to raise their four children. Both Trujillo and his older brother, Manuel, known as "Bob", took odd jobs to help until they were old enough to go to school. He attended the Albuquerque Indian School until the tenth grade and then went to high school at the
Haskell Institute Haskell Indian Nations University (Haskell or HINU) is a Public university, public tribal university, tribal land-grant university in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Founded in 1884 as a residential boarding school for Native American children ...
in
Lawrence, Kansas Lawrence is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Kansas, United States, and the sixth-largest city in the state. It is in the northeastern sector of the state, astride Interstate 70 in Kansas, Interstate 70, between the Kansas River ...
. Eventually, he earned a bachelor's degree from the
University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; ) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Founded in 1889 by the New Mexico Territorial Legislature, it is the state's second oldest university, a flagship university in th ...
. He went on to serve in the
US Marines The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the Marines, maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expedi ...
during World War II.


Family

Trujillo married to Ruchanda Paisano and had two children who both went into the field of medicine, a daughter, Josephine Waconda, and a son, Michael Trujillo, the director of the
Indian Health Service The Indian Health Service (IHS) is an operating division (OPDIV) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). IHS is responsible for providing direct medical and public health services to members of federally recognized Native ...
under President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
.


Native American vote in New Mexico

Prior to 1948, Native Americans living in
New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
were disenfranchised. It was until after
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
that the returning veteran Miguel Trujillo started a legal and political campaign to advocate for the voice of Native Americans until those rights were extended. Miguel, after returning as a Marine after the war, confronted the harsh reality that although he was a citizen and veteran, he was not allowed to vote in the country in which he had served. Miguel was turned down by the county registrar Eloy Garley when he tried to register. Miguel sued him in the court case of ''Trujillo v. Garley'', decided by a three-judge panel in
Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...
. At the time, New Mexico, like many other states, had a ruling that "Indians not taxed' were not legally allowed to vote. The case successfully challenged this ruling.


See also

*'' Harrison v. Laveen''


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trujillo, Miguel 1904 births 1989 deaths Native American activists Activists for Native American rights Pueblo of Isleta people Educators from New Mexico 20th-century Native American people Laguna Pueblo people Native American military personnel Military personnel from New Mexico United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II People from Bernalillo County, New Mexico Haskell Indian Nations University alumni University of New Mexico alumni