Erna Fergusson

Erna Fergusson (January 10, 1888 – July 30, 1964 ) was a writer, historian, and storyteller, who documented the culture and history of New Mexico for more than forty years.

Early life

Erna was born to a wealthy and well-known family. Her mother was Clara Mary Huning, the daughter of a very successful merchant by the name of Franz Huning. While at the Herald, Erna also began a touring company alongside friend Ethel Hickey. The touring company they founded in 1921, Koshare Tours, provided guests with tours of the southwest, introducing them to native cultures. Her descriptions of the dances were also aided by the work of sixteen New Mexico artists.

In 1936 she published an article criticizing a bill sponsored by Senator Holm Bursum attempting to settle land claims of non-Native people on Pueblo lands. In 1948 her article, "Navajos: Whose Problem," she criticized the lack of government investment in Navajo communities, even though Navajo people were taxed for commodities.

In 1943 Erna Fergusson was awarded as an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of New Mexico. In 1947 she helped found the Old Town Historical Society, which later became the Albuquerque Historical Society. In 1958 Theta Sigma Phi, the national women's journalistic fraternity, awarded her an honorary membership in the Albuquerque Alumni chapter. and greatly contributed to the historiography of New Mexico. Her writings were well received during her lifetime, and she was an advocate for the preservation of Southwestern and Native American cultures. However, her works have more recently been criticized as Anglo-centric and patronizing to Native American and other cultures. and participated on the Ernie Pyle Memorial Committee that opened a library in his previous house. In 1966 the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System opened a branch library bearing her name.

Works Dancing Gods (1931) Fiesta in Mexico (1934) Mexican Cookbook (1934) Guatemala (1937) Venezuela (1939) Our Southwest (1940) Our Hawaii (1942) Chile (1943) Cuba (1946) Murder & Mystery in New Mexico (1948) Hawaiian Islands (1950) Hawaii (1950) New Mexico: A Pageant of Three Peoples (1951) Mexico Revisited (1955)