New Mexico WWII Veteran And Voting Rights Advocate Miguel Trujillo Presented Posthumously American Democracy Award

From left, New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way, Miguel H. Trujillo’s granddaughter Patricia Abeita and New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver. Photo by Philip Smith

The 2022 Margaret Chase Smith American Democracy Award presented posthumously to Miguel H. Trujillo. Photo by Philip Smith

NASS News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Miguel H. Trujillo, the World War II veteran, educator and Isleta Pueblo tribal member has been posthumously presented the 2022 Margaret Chase Smith American Democracy Award for political courage for his work championing Native American voting rights.

The award was accepted at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. by Trujillo’s granddaughter Patricia Abeita, Feb. 16, 2023 during the National Association of Secretaries of State’s (NASS) 2023 Winter Conference.

Trujillo was nominated for the award by New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver.

“Miguel Trujillo’s selfless efforts to expand the franchise are a high mark in the fight for voting rights in the United States,” Secretary Toulouse Oliver said. “Though less known than other civil rights pio­neers, the consequences of Mr. Trujillo’s actions have had an enormous impact on expanding the most fundamental of our civil rights. The legacy of Miguel Trujillo is one of dignity, sacrifice, and unwavering dedication to furthering the civil rights of Native Americans and I’m proud to see him recognized as the recipient of the 2022 Margaret Chase Smith American Democracy Award.”

In 1948, Trujillo initiated a court challenge to a provision in New Mexico’s constitution, which barred Native Americans from voting. During that time, Native Americans in New Mexico were denied the right to vote under a provision in the state constitution which barred suffrage for “Indians not taxed”, essentially meaning any Native American living on a reservation or pueblo. Trujillo triumphed in court and is credited by Pueblo Indians for winning them the right to vote, 24 years after the Indian Citizenship Act granted citizenship to all Native Americans in the United States.

Read the full award submission here.

As the NASS website explains: “Established in ,1992, the Margaret Chase Smith American Democracy Award is named after the former U.S. Senator from Maine, who jeopardized her career by speaking out against the red-baiting tactics of Senator Joseph P. McCarthy in the 1950s. Award recipients are recognized for individual acts of political courage, uncommon character and selfless action in the realm of public service.”

Previous winners and more information about the Margaret Chase Smith American Democracy Award can be found here.

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