Northern New Mexico College presents the “Bombs in Our Backyard"

Courtesy of Arin McKenna, M.F.A., NNMC Staff Writer/Reporter
​
For Immediate Release
​April 22, 2025

Press Contact: Tobe Bott-Lyons, Northern New Mexico College, tobe.bottlyons@nnmc.edu or 505-795-9147

Northern New Mexico College presents the “Bombs in Our Backyard"
“First We Bombed New Mexico” film screening and a discussion about “New Mexico’s Nuclear Weapons Boom” are free and open to the public
 
ESPAÑOLA, N.M. — What happens when the stories of our backyards are left out of history books? This spring, Northern New Mexico College invites the community to confront the legacy of nuclear weapons testing and development in our state—often erased from national memory but deeply felt in our communities. “Bombs in Our Backyard” is a two-part event series that lifts the voices of those who have lived in the shadow of the nuclear industrial complex. Through powerful storytelling, film and dialogue, we aim to spark awareness and conversation around New Mexico's past and present role in the nuclear weapons industry. These events are free and open to the public.
 
The series opens with a screening of the acclaimed film, “First We Bombed New Mexico” (https://www.firstwebombednewmexico.com/) at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 1, at the Nick Salazar Center for the Arts, 921 N. Paseo de Oñate, Española, N.M. The film reveals the hidden history of the world’s first nuclear detonation at the Trinity Site in New Mexico, just one month prior to the bombing of Hiroshima. We will be joined by Lois Lipman, the director of the film, and Tina Cordova, whose organizing and activism is featured in the film. They will be in conversation with Nathana Bird from Tewa Women United.
 
At 12 p.m. Thursday, May 8, we will have an open conversation about recent developments in nuclear activity across New Mexico, inspired by the New Yorker article by Abe Streep, “New Mexico’s Nuclear Weapons Boom.” This powerful piece highlights the growing role of the nuclear industry in our region—and features stories about Northern New Mexico College students and academic programs. We’ll be joined by special guest Alicia Inez Guzmán of Searchlight New Mexico, an investigative journalist who focuses on nuclear issues and the industry's local impact.
 
The “Bombs in Our Backyard” series is sponsored by a New Mexico Arts grant, NNMC Office of the President, Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area, NNMC Arts & Human Sciences Department, NNMC Youth & Community Praxis Lab, New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard, and Bryan Ortiz.
 
The details:
“First We Bombed New Mexico” film screening
6 p.m. Thursday, May 1
Nick Salazar Center for the Arts
Free and open to the public
 
“New Mexico’s Nuclear Weapons Boom” Community Reading and Conversation
12 – 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8
The Small Auditorium @ the Nick Salazar Center for the Arts
Free and open to the public

About Northern:
 
Northern New Mexico College has served the rural communities of Northern New Mexico for over a century. Since opening in 1909 as the Spanish American Normal School in El Rito, NM, the College has provided affordable access to quality academic programs that meet the changing educational, economic and cultural needs of the region.
 
Northern is an open-admissions institution offering the most affordable bachelor’s programs in the Southwest. Now one of the state’s four regional comprehensive institutions, with its main campus in Española, Northern offers more than 50 bachelor’s, associate, and certificate programs in arts & human sciences, film & digital media, STEM programs, business, education, liberal arts, and nursing. The College has reintroduced technical trades in partnership with two local unions and five public school districts through its new co-located Branch Community College, the first of its kind in the state’s history.  Northern is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and has earned prestigious program specific accreditations for its engineering, nursing, education, and business programs. Learn more at https://nnmc.edu/