Digital Commons Network^™

Boricua En La Luna: An Ethnographic Case Study On The Spatializations Of Puerto Ricans In New Mexico, Neritza Díaz Cruz

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

This ethnographic case study investigates the spatializations of Puerto Ricans in New Mexico, a state where the community is small, dispersed, and often invisible. The purpose of this study is to examine how Puerto Rican identity is shaped, expressed, and contested across New Mexican spaces. Drawing from critical spatial theory, this study investigates how broader structures such as language ideologies become spatialized in the everyday lives of five Puerto Rican adults living in the Albuquerque area. Data was gathered through interviews, observations, and participatory mapping. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data with a focus on how lived, perceived, …

Multi-Neutrosophic Ayni Method Based On Ancestral Logic And N-Alectic Reasoning For Ethical Ai And Sustainability, Maikel Y. Leyva Vázquez, Noel Batista Hernandez, Edwin Alberto Callejas, Florentin Smarandache

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This article presents the Multi-Neutrosophic Ayni Method, a novel framework that integrates Latin American Indigenous philosophies with neutrosophic logic to guide ethical and sustainable AI development. Grounded in ancestral principles such as Ayni, Buen Vivir, In Lak’ech, ch’ixi, and nepantla, this approach models plural, ambiguous, and context-dependent ethical judgments through Multi-Neutrosophic Sets (MNS). A key contribution is the introduction of the Euclidean Multi-Neutrosophic Consensus Measure, which quantifies the degree of alignment among diverse stakeholders' evaluations without erasing epistemic differences. This measure enables the detection of convergence thresholds in intercultural deliberation, offering a rigorous yet flexible tool for decision-making. The method …

Intercultural Dialogue In The Meeting On Neutrosophy And Latin American Worldviews: A Perspective From The Náhuat Indigenous Chair Of The Technological University Of El Salvador, Morena Guadalupe Magaña

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This article presents a reflective analysis of the intercultural forum held during the Meeting on Neutrosophy and Latin American Worldviews, focusing on the contribution of the Náhuat Indigenous Chair at the Technological University of El Salvador. Drawing on philosophical and decolonial frameworks, it explores how the revitalization of the Náhuat language serves as both an act of cultural resistance and an epistemological statement. The Chair's initiatives—including teacher training, language certification, and community-based educational projects—are examined as concrete expressions of intercultural commitment. These efforts are contextualized within a broader critique of historical erasure, media manipulation, and social forgetting that have affected …

Co-Parenting With The Land In Amazonian Ecuador: Speech, Breath, And Personhood Among The Napo, Runa, Kate R. Nielsen

Anthropology ETDs

This paper explores the processes of personhood in lowland Amazonia and specifically, Kichwa-speaking communities in Ecuador. In lowland Amazonia, personhood is developed through a multitude of social processes in contrast to the Western perception of birth as the defining moment of personhood. As noted in the current literature, an infants' personhood emerges through their relationships with family and community This thesis investigates whether a similar process exists among Kichwa speakers. While Kichwa infants undergo processes akin to their lowland Amazonian neighbors, such as body manipulation and food taboos, shared breath, often through speech, is vital to the ebbs and flows …

A Comparison Of Museums From The U.S. And Mexico Within National History, Leticia M. De León

Museum Studies Theses

With the creation of nation-states, the implementation of museums within a society is used to propagate a national agenda. A Comparison of Museums From the U.S. and Mexico Within National History will discuss the social and historical contexts of public museums in the modern nations of Mexico and the United States of America. Using Benedict Anderson’s definition of a nation, this thesis will conduct a comparison between the two countries in how their museums uphold their chosen national identities. The topics of religion, politics, colonization, race relations, and more will be explored in a discussion of how these phenomena play …

Between Two Countries: The Impact Of Globalization And Deglobalization On Generation 1.5 Chinese International Students In The U.S., Meiyi Jin

Communication ETDs

This study examines how Generation 1.5 Chinese international students, those who moved to the U.S. as teenagers and completed secondary education there, construct their identities amid globalization and the growing trend of deglobalization. Through in-depth interviews with 10 participants, it explores how they navigate their transnational experiences, negotiate belonging, and respond to shifting cultural expectations and perceptions from both China and the U.S. Using critical thematic analysis, the study goes beyond identifying recurring themes by analyzing the power relations, discourses, and sociopolitical dynamics that shape participants’ experiences. Findings reveal that geopolitical tensions, restrictive policies, and evolving public discourse in both …

Physiological Regulation And Paths To Social Status In Chimpanzees, Megan F. Cole

Anthropology ETDs

In this dissertation, I leverage longitudinal comparative data from naturalistic chimpanzee populations to examine the evolutionary context for healthy aging and cooperative leadership. First, I use health data from semi-free-ranging chimpanzees living at African sanctuaries (2012-2023) to demonstrate that the effects of diet and exercise that promote healthy aging in humans are shared with chimpanzees. Semi-free-ranging chimpanzees exhibit a slower pace of biological aging compared to sedentary laboratory chimpanzees (Chapter 2). Sanctuary chimpanzees also have healthier inflammatory profiles, with no evidence of chronic inflammaging (Chapter 3). Second, I use hormonal and behavioral data from wild chimpanzees at Kanyawara (2005-2019) to …

El Presidio Hispano-Colonial: Estudio Del Discurso Moderno De Fortificación Del Imperio Español A Traves De Planos Y Mapas, Javier E. Astorga Villarroel Ph.D.

Latin American Studies ETDs

This dissertation project delves into the processes of ideation, design, projection, and knowledge-transfer around the Presidio, an iconoclastic fortification system deployed by the Spanish Empire while projecting its colonial power toward the Transatlantic region. Based on Bruno Latour’s classic theory on the agency of networks of meanings (also known as new materialism) applied to historical cartography, my investigation examines the production of techno-military knowledge around the presidios as they were depicted through plans, maps, and manuals while mapping out border areas over North America and the Caribbean, from the 17th to the 19th centuries. With archival research work performed at …

Architecture And The Organization Of Labor At Tsegi Phase (Ad 1250-1300) Cliff Dwellings, Navajo National Monument, Katharine M. Williams

Anthropology ETDs

This study focuses on the organization of architectural labor at Betatakin and Keet Seel during the Tsegi Phase (AD 1250-1300). The goal of this project is to identify whether people worked together as households, suprahouseholds, communities, or had specialists come in to build. I document variability in architectural attributes across rooms within individual houses, which is then linked to builder choices, and thus allows for the identification of architectural products associated with discrete production groups. Builders that work together share their decisions to the extent that their output is distinct from the work of others. This project expands on traditional …

Becoming Sephardic: Historical Consciousness And Emergent Ethnoreligious Identification In New Mexico, Sarah Leiter

Anthropology ETDs

In recent years, an increasing number of Hispanic Catholic New Mexicans have discovered that they descend from Iberian Jewish victims of the Spanish Inquisition. For some, this new information has prompted them to identify as Jewish in various ways. However, many have faced considerable difficulty in gaining recognition of their newfound ethnoreligious ancestry among family members, normative Jewish communities, and the Spanish and Portuguese governments that offered reparative citizenship to Sephardic (Iberian Jewish) descendants. In this ethnographic context, this dissertation explores how shifting understandings of religious identity and ancestral pasts affect identification practices in the present. Drawing on theoretical analyses …

A Navajo Corpus Of Historical Narratives, Lukas Denk, Melvatha R. Chee

A Navajo Corpus of Historical Narratives

The Navajo Corpus of Historical Narratives is a digital compilation of morphologically annotated narratives. They were first published by Robert W. Young and William Morgan in the 1950’s in the volumes Navajo Historical Selections (1954) and The Trouble at Round Rock (1952). Nine out of 28 narratives are included in the corpus, totaling over 10,000 Navajo words. The corpus contributes to the understanding of the Navajo language by offering interlinear glosses of words, morphemes, morphs, and a free translation. These different interlinear tiers bridge the gap between the original Navajo text and the free translation provided by Young and Morgan, …

Bridging Ancient Wisdom And Modern Logic: Neutrosophic Perspectives On Body, Mind, Soul And Spirit, Maikel Y. Leyva Vázquez, Florentin Smarandache

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Women And The African Diaspora In The Films Of Aida Bueno Sarduy, Aida Bueno Sarduy

LAII Events

Tuesday, April 15, 2025 12:30-2:00 pm

Ortega Hall Reading Room (335)

Join us for a talk with Cuban anthropologist and filmmaker Aida Bueno Sarduy, whose work centers on women’s leadership in African and Afro-descendants’ religions in Cuba and Brazil from the perspective of gender and feminist theory and criticism.

Aida Esther Bueno Sarduy's research and documentary work has focused on women’s leadership in African and Afro-descendents’ religions in Cuba and Brazil. She is researching letters of freedom and freedom-purchasing documents of African or Afro-descendant women in Brazil in the 18th and 19th centuries. Dr. Bueno Sarduy has a Ph.D. in …

The Social Life Of Plants: Botanical Representations In Moche Art, Breanna Fae Reiss

Art & Art History ETDs

The Moche were semi-autonomous communities who thrived in the ten fertile riverine valleys of Peru’s northern coast between the late fourth and ninth centuries CE. Phase IV (c. 590–700 CE) Southern Moche ceramics feature intricate fine line visual narrative scenes with many multivalent symbols and motifs. This dissertation intends to understand why plants begin to play a more significant role in the Moche iconographic corpus in this period. I explore the interests of elites, the ecological web interweaving image and environment, and species identification. The local flora was affected on one hand by naturally occurring changes in weather and environment …

Complexity, Coordination, And The Politics Of Global Health Emergencies: Institutions, Actors, And Responses, Jennifer M. Kerner

Political Science ETDs

This dissertation examines the politics of global health emergencies through three interconnected studies. First, it analyzes the declaration of Public Health Emergencies of International Concern (PHEICs), revealing that while World Health Organization (WHO) protocols influence decisions, political factors may also play a role. Second, a case study of the 2014 Ebola outbreak explores the complexities of international response coordination. It highlights the importance of established protocols, clear leadership, and effective communication, while also noting the challenges posed by resource constraints and inter-organizational dynamics. Third, the research investigates the impact of military involvement in global health emergencies. It reveals that military …

Sharp Knives, Dark Hearts: Class, Colonialism, And Rebellion On Anthony Bourdain's Bookshelf, Carl Cactus Warmuth

American Studies ETDs

Though often characterized as a celebrity chef, Anthony Bourdain achieved stardom from his lively writing rather than skills in the kitchen. As such, the sociopolitical importance of his life and work is greatly illuminated by his compulsive literary references. Through George Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London, Émile Zola’s The Belly of Paris, Graham Greene’s The Quiet American, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, and the personas of William S. Burroughs and Hunter S. Thompson, the tensions central to Bourdain’s legacy are unveiled. This thesis offers a portrait of Bourdain as a complicated figure of …

The Emotions Of Uncertainty: Science, Politics, And The Social Dynamics Of Decision Making, Alisa N. Rogers

Sociology ETDs

This dissertation examines how social and emotional factors influence attitudes toward science and decision making regarding science-based policy recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic. I examine boundary work practices among the public as they evaluate experts during the pandemic and the social sources of information people used to construct knowledge. Then I examine the social and emotional factors that participants indicated influenced their own attitude formation and decisions to act regarding public health recommendations during the pandemic. I find that emotions influence each element of the decision process: information gathering, information evaluation, attitude formation, and decisions to act. Affective commitment and …

Sobre El Arcoíris: The Queering Of Mariachi, Tyician Charles Knight

Music ETDs

Mariachi is an internationally renowned artform and tradition whose history spans over decades and several continents. However, there are many aspects still embedded in mariachi culture that remain problematic; machismo (toxic masculinity), alcoholism, and homophobia to name a few. While there has been an increase of mariachi scholars who have critically examined these issues, mariachi culture itself has yet to address the challenges brought forth by its history of gender discrimination and homophobia and embrace practical changes that would enable the creation of a more equitable environment and further develop this living tradition. This thesis analyzes the trajectory of queering …

Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies 2025 Apr Self-Study & Documents, Unm Academic Program Review

UNM Academic Program Review

UNM Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies APR self-study report, review team report, response report, and initial action plan for Spring 2025, fulfilling requirements of the Higher Learning Commission.

Africana Studies 2025 Apr Self-Study & Documents, Unm Academic Program Review

UNM Academic Program Review

UNM Africana Studies APR self-study report, review team report, response report, and initial action plan for Spring 2025, fulfilling requirements of the Higher Learning Commission.

Classification Of Organizational Behavior At The National Agrarian University Of La Selva Based On Plithogenic Sets, Ketty Marilú Moscoso-Paucarchuco, Lucila Maribel Justiniano-Advincula, Monica Gisela Justiniano-Advincula, Manuel Michael Beraún-Espíritu, Inocente Feliciano Salazar-Rojas, Carlos Walter Mayta-Molina, Juan Dionicio Paz-Soldán Chávez

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

In human organizations, there are group ways of conducting themselves, the interaction between members, and internal dynamics, among others that make the organization maintain a specific behavior as if it were an individual. This is the so-called Organizational Behavior, which is important to identify within a particular organization to improve the performance and efficiency of the entity. There are four types of organizational behavior models, namely, autocratic, custodial, supportive, and collegial. This paper aims to classify the organization that belongs to the office of the Academic Vice-Rector of the National Agrarian University of La Selva in Peru. To do this …

Andean Epistemology, Ch’Ixi, And Neutrosophic Logic, Maikel Y. Leyva Vázquez, Florentin Smarandache

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This article explores the potential of Andean epistemology—rooted in principles of complementarity (yanantin), interdependence, and indeterminacy—to enrich contemporary science and artificial intelligence (AI). By transcending binary logic through concepts like ch’ixi (simultaneous coexistence of opposites) and yanantin, Andean thought aligns with Florentin Smarandache’s neutrosophic logic, a system that formalizes truth (T), falsehood (F), and indeterminacy (I) to navigate ambiguity. Smarandache’s MultiAlism, which emphasizes the coexistence of multiple perspectives, further resonates with Andean cosmovision, offering a framework to reinterpret mythology and folklore beyond rigid dualities. Integrating these principles into AI could foster systems that better handle uncertainty, cultural context, and ethical …

Wagon Tracks Volume 40, Issue 1

Wagon Tracks

Table of Contents

2 On the Cover

4 Trail Writings by Chris Day

5 Joanne’s Jottings by Joanne VanCoevern

7 In Memorium: Vern Osborne

8 Save the Dates: SFTA Celebrates 40^th Anniversary

9 DAR Marker Gets Rededicated at Bent’s Fort by Larry Bourne

9 Upcoming Events

10–28 Pikes Peak or Bust: The Untold Story of the Colorado Gold Rush by Larry Obermesik

29 Chapter Reports

32 Calendar

2025 Annual Ancestors Lecture Fishing Through Flux: Economic Strategies For Managing El Niño Risks In Coastal Peru, Dr. Jo Osborn

LAII Events

Thursday, February 113, 2025 @ 6:30

UNM Maxwell Museum

Hibben Center Rm 105 + Zoom

How do communities confront challenging climatic circumstances? This talk explores the development of community economic specialization at Jahuay (200 BC–AD 150), a fishing village on the Peruvian south coast where full-time maritime specialists made a living through fishing, shellfish collection, and the hunting of marine birds and mammals. These products were consumed locally and exchanged regionally. I propose complementarity between independent specialized communities exploiting distinct resources was a regional strategy that buffered against periodic scarcity and made communities more resilient to El Niño cycles.

Exploring The Role Of Cyclin D1 In Regulating Thermogenic Program In Brown Adipose Tissue, Chengrui Qiu

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Abstract Adipose tissue plays a multifaceted role in regulating metabolic health and contributing to the pathophysiology of various diseases. Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT), a vital organ that senses different environmental cues such as cold stress and diet and then undergoes non-shivering thermogenesis in mammalian animals, enhancing energy expenditure to combat obesity. In our recent published study, we found that the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway exhibits doubleedge effects in regulating thermogenic function, with opposite role in BAT and white adipose tissue (WAT). To further investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the dual role of mTORC1 in thermogenic …

Exploring The Role Of Cyclin D1 In Regulating Thermogenic Program In Brown Adipose Tissue, Chengrui Qiu

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Scholarship

Adipose tissue plays a multifaceted role in regulating metabolic health and contributing to the pathophysiology of various diseases. Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT), a vital organ that senses different environment cues such as cold stress and diet and then undergoes non-shivering thermogenesis in mammalian animals, enhancing energy expenditure to combat obesity. In our recent published study, we found that the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway exhibits doubleedge effects in regulating thermogenic function, with opposite role in BAT and white adipose tissue (WAT). To further investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the dual role of mTORC1 in thermogenic regulation, …

The Sublimity Of Vampirism And Vampiric Transformation In Stoker’S Dracula, Raychel Giles

2026 Award Winners

No abstract provided.

Significado Neutrosófico: Partes Comunes De Cosas Poco Comunes Y Partes Poco Comunes De Cosas Comunes, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

Esta investigación explora la Neutrosofía, un enfoque filosófico que se centra en la identificación de elementos comunes entre conceptos opuestos y en el análisis de las diferencias entre conceptos semejantes. En este contexto, se estudian las Partes Comunes a Cosas No Comunes, que se manifiestan cuando elementos como y < antiA > comparten aspectos en su intersección, y las Partes No Comunes a Cosas Comunes, donde conceptos iguales como y difieren al exhibir elementos únicos. Este análisis permite comprender mejor la neutralidad e indeterminación representada por < neutA > y < neutB >, situados entre sus respectivos opuestos. La investigación abarca diversas áreas como la Dialéctica, el Yin …

Family Roots And Research Journal Unm Emeritus Professor José A. Rivera, José A. Rivera Ph.D

Faculty Publications

This article is an abbreviated life narrative of UNM Emeritus Professor of Community and Regional Planning, José A. Rivera. It begins with highlights of his family ancestry and continues with an account of his educational experiences K-12 and into a decade of university life as a student while earning a bachelor’s, two master’s and a doctorate. He taught at UNM for 35 years while also conducting research in his areas of interest, mostly in community irrigation studies, mutual aid societies, and rural development. The main body in the article focuses on positions he held at UNM and on publications that …

The Re-Presentation And Mis-Re-Presentation Of The “Indigenous Woman” Throughout Mexico’S Colonial And Early Independence Periods (1521–1830), Alejandra Daosiri Rodriguez

Art & Art History ETDs

This research examines the visual and textual representations of Indigenous women in colonial New Spain and early independent Mexico (1521–1830), revealing how these images evolved alongside dynamic colonial political, social, and cultural shifts. Through an analysis of codices, portraits, and other material culture, this study demonstrates how colonial authorities, artists, and patrons manipulated these depictions to serve wider colonial agendas, from evangelization to social stratification. These representations often used Indigenous women as symbols, rather than as individual subjects, to reinforce hierarchical colonial structures, shape racial and gender identities, and support efforts to ‘civilize’ the native population. By focusing on pivotal …