The much-anticipated Borderlands of Southern Colorado exhibit opened at El Pueblo History Museum on May 4, expanding the knowledge and definition of “borderlands” – historical, political, cultural, sociological, environmental and theoretical – and honoring the many cultures that make up Colorado’s identity and that influence U.S. history. The exhibit includes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the original Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, the historic document that ended the Mexican-American War, now on loan from the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C., through July 4.  This is the first time the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo has ever been on exhibit in Colorado.

Visitors to San Luis Valley Day at El Pueblo History Museum will get an insider's view of the exhibit on a tour guided by exhibit adviser and Adams State University professor Nick Saenz at 10:30 am. At 11:15 am, Dennis Lopez will share his research on the history of the various place names of the San Luis Valley. "Los Cancioneros del Valle, an award-winning San Luis Valley-based musical trio, will provide music during lunch at 12:30pm. And at 1:30 pm, guests can hear the Land Rights Struggle in the SLV: From Treaty to Modern Day, a presentation from Shirley Romero Otero on the 16th anniversary of the Lobato v. Taylor Colorado Supreme Court decision on the struggle for land rights.

San Luis Valley Day is free and open to the public, though current and former residents of the Valley and their descendants are specially invited. Free transportation from Alamosa and Fort Garland is available and seats may be reserved by calling Fort Garland Museum at 719-379-3512.

The Borderlands of Southern Colorado exhibit is supported by the Southeast and San Luis Valley Regional Partnership Councils of El Pomar Foundation. Funding from the two Councils supported the costs for security, temperature and humidity control and other technical requirements necessary to host the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. San Luis Valley Day is further supported by the San Luis Valley Regional Partnership Council, including by providing transportation from the Valley.

El Pueblo History Museum, located at 301 N. Union Avenue in historic downtown Pueblo, marks the site of the international border between Mexico and the United States prior the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. It is open daily, 10 am to 4 pm. Admission to the museum is $5 for adults; and $4 for students, seniors (65+) and children (up to 18); and free for children under 6. Borderlands of Southern Colorado is included with museum admission.

El Pueblo History Museum showcases the city's history and the region's many cultural and ethnic groups. The property includes a re-created 1840s adobe trading post and plaza, and the archeological excavation site of the original 1842 El Pueblo trading post. El Pueblo History Museum is a Community Museum of History Colorado. For more information, visit www.ElPuebloHistoryMuseum.org.