Voces de Nuestro País (Voices of Our Area) Podcast

12. Joseph and Ricky León

The León Brothers share stories of growing up in Cerro, NM and experiences from their careers. From simpler times, the brothers grew up farming and ranching, living on the acequia, helping with Leon’s store/bar and Texaco station, and experiencing loss at a young age.  Sharing antics from their youth and today, their dedication to family and contributions to the community of Cerro, Joseph also talks about his career with his Federal Government in two National Forests (Carson and Gila), one National Monument (Gila Cliff Dwellings), DOD (White Sands Missile Range), and Bureau of Land Management (Las Cruces, Santa Fe, and Wild Rivers).

11. Erica Vigil-Flores and Jada Grant Lew

On Saturday, June 20th the Voces de Nuestro País event features “Redemios de Nuestra Tierra” - remedies from our land, traditional knowledge of the Earth, plants, and their power to heal. Our guests are Erica Vigil-Flores and Jada Grant Lew. Erica is a Chimayó native, a Registered Nurse and a practitioner of Traditional Medicine of Northern New Mexico. She currently serves rural New Mexico as a home health and hospice nurse. She also has an impact initiative called Chimayó Seed, in which she teaches classes on traditional medicine, sees clients, sells remedios, and offers community outreach. She is a University of New Mexico graduate and returns to the University every year to share her traditional medicine knowledge at UNM’s Curanderismo program. Erica recently published a book on spiritual and traditional healing, called, Healing With Dirt. We are looking forward to learning from Erica; join us on Saturday, June 20, 2 - 4 pm at Questa Library.

10. Motherhood Stories 2026

The May Voces de Nuestro País event celebrates Motherhood and the Moms in our communities. Mothers play a central role in society and yet their profound impact, invisible labor, struggles, superpowers and personal journeys are often unacknowledged and unheard. This month, in honor of Mother’s Day, we feature the voices, experiences, stories and wisdom of local Mothers. Our tenth Voces de Nuestro Pais Event and podcast episode will feature Maria Gonzalez, Connie Long, Kristie Ritchlin, Karen Shannon, Cynthia Vigil, Valerie Vigil, Evie Trujillo, and Kyra Trujillo along with others. We are grateful to these women for being willing to share. Please join us in listening to their stories and honoring them!

Billy and John Archuleta

Recorded at the Questa Public Library on Saturday, April 11, 2026, for Voces de Nuestro País, a monthly gathering that celebrates local voices, stories, and culture. This month features a conversation with longtime Taos-area musicians and brothers Billy and John Archuleta of Des Montes. Billy is known for his work in Catholic music ministry and composition, while John is recognized for performing traditional Northern New Mexico Spanish music. Together and individually, they have shared their music widely across the region. Hosted by MC Michael Rael, these events bring people together through stories of family, history, love, and adventure. Episodes are also available as a podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music. More information at  https://questastories.org/ [https://questastories.org/]

7. Corinne Montoya & Kate Cisneros - Cerro Days

Voces de Nuestro País is featuring childhood memories and family stories from Cerro, NM. Recorded at the Questa Public Library Saturday, March 14, 2026, featuring Kate Cisneros and her niece Corinne Montoya, both originally from Cerro. Their stories will reflect on their shared experience of being raised by a single mother and grandmother in Cerro, and the skills, adventures, and cultural teachings they continue to carry with them. We look forward to gathering with community members in March to hear and share these meaningful stories. Michael Rael serves as MC and curator for these monthly gatherings and podcast episodes, hosted in collaboration with the Questa Public Library and Voices of the Northern Rio Grande, a program of the local nonprofit Localogy. Audio recordings, videos, and images from Voces de Nuestro País events are also being added to a digital community archive — a local repository and resource established by Voices of the Northern Rio Grande and the Questa Public Library with support from the Manitos Community Memory Project.  To learn more about the community archive and to listen to stories from community members, visit QuestaStories.org and QuestaLibrary.org. If you have stories you would like to share, please reach out to Michael Rael. You can often find him at Rael’s Market, or you can email him at rael870@gmail.com.