This month, in recognition of Native American Heritage Month, The Santa Cruz Mission State Park is launching People Who Lived Here, a new multimedia tour through Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park that examines Spanish era history through the lens of individuals’ personal accounts of the Santa Cruz Mission.

The release of this exhibit marks the culmination of three years of effort in co-creation with Native American community members. They delved into the life story of an historical Indigenous person who was connected to the Santa Cruz Mission and to the adobe building. They each created scripts and then recorded powerful pieces that vary in perspective, tone, and style to produce a multifaceted narrative of life in the mission.

The recordings are accompanied by portraits and comprise a multimedia walking tour through the park and the adobe building using the free Virtual Adventurer app. An official mobile app of California State Parks, this platform offers a variety of educational and exploratory experiences for all ages and abilities.

The People Who Lived Here exhibit opens Sunday November 2. The public is invited to join the launch event starting at 1:30 pm. A presentation, including speakers and a panel of the parties involved in co-creation of the exhibit, will start at 2 pm. Exhibit tours will follow, with the last tour beginning at 4 pm. Space is limited, so please RSVP through the link in the orange button above.