Ana Pacheco

Ana Pacheco was the historian for the city of Santa Fe from 2015 to 2017. She was the founding publisher and editor of La Herencia, a quarterly magazine on New Mexico history that she published from 1994 through 2009. From 2007 through September 2013, Pacheco wrote the weekly column A Wonderful Life for the Santa Fe New Mexican, documenting the oral histories of the elder community. In 2010 she published the official magazine for Santa Fe’s 400th anniversary.

Pacheco is the daughter of Jesús Pacheco and Natalie Ortiz. Her Ortiz ancestors settled in Santa Fe in 1694. Her mother, Natalie Ortiz, was a descendant of Diego de Vargas who led the resettlement of Santa Fe after the Pueblo Revolt in 1692. Don Gaspar Avenue is named after Natalie’s great grandfather, Don Gaspar Ortiz. The Ortiz Room at the Santa Fe Hilton Hotel and Ortiz Street located in the plaza area is named in honor of her grandfather seven times removed, Nicolás Ortiz. Her Pacheco ancestors arrived in Santa Cruz, N.M. in 1739 and moved to Santa Fe in the late 1800s. The busy thoroughfare Pacheco Street is named after Ana’s great-great grandfather Jose de la Cruz Pacheco. Learn more »

Most Popular Books

New Mexico's Death Rituals

Spirituality, Last Ceremonies and the Afterlife New Mexico’s harsh terrain, countless wars and epidemics were a challenging and fascinating environment for the many cultures and people who settled there. When tragedy struck, their faith and religious rituals allowed them to mourn, celebrate and commemorate their dead. From Pueblo Indians and Spanish colonists to Jewish immigrants and American veterans, many old traditions have endured and blended into modern society. The area is also home to many unique death sites, including the graves of Smokey Bear and Billy the Kid, and the largest contemporary collection of human bones in the world. Author Ana Pacheco guides you through the history of Christmas death rituals, roadside descansos, communal smallpox graves, Civil War memorials and more.