What is Stolen?

Stolen is a digital exhibit featured in the StoryMaps platform, a GIS software. The exhibit was created by Maria Guadalupe Partida in collaboration with the Library of Congress. Stolen is an Indigenous messenger’s account of the Aztec Conquest. From background information all to the way to the epilogue, the exhibit is broken down into sections, each corresponding to something stolen: Stolen: Our City, Stolen: Government, Stolen: Our Faith, Stolen: Peace, Stolen: Fair Labor, and Stolen: Our Future.

The exhibit features a rich array of primary sources such as paintings, drawings, architecture, texts from explorers, etc. However, at the same time, there are mentions and comparisons to the present as well. At one point, the narrator mentions that Tenochtitlan was located where Mexico City currently is. There are also multiple images of present-day Mexico that are included.

How does it work?

The exhibit is navigated by scrolling through layers and sequences of material such as text, images, maps, and captions. A lot of the images and text is overlapped and corresponding. For example, when the narrator mentions that a Spanish explorer named Ferdinand Tomasso observed that the Aztec people called European visitors “White Gods,” in the background, there is a map of Mexico, with Tenochtitlan’s location pinned, and images of Tomasso’s book with the words “White Gods” underlined. There is complexity in the arrangement of multiple objects and text, but it all makes sense and is put together in a visually appealing manner.

A brief review

The exhibit is an amazing example of digital history and digital exhibits in general. It definitely gave the experience of visiting a museum from the convenience of a small screen. It offers hundreds of primary sources as viewing material and provided the historical context behind the sources through captions. Each source comes with a link to the Library of Congress’ website which offers a summary and notes about the source along with citation and technical information as well.

Technical history jargon aside, I loved the exhibit because it was from first-person perspective which made it feel like I was just reading a personal story. It was engaging and quite easy to follow and understand due to the simpler English language. The images and maps were fun little interruptions between the text and helped me learn better since I am a visual learner. Furthermore, the categorization of the exhibit through a table of contents makes it easy for readers and researchers to navigate and locate specific material based on the thematic breakdown.

The only downside that I experienced while going through the exhibit was that some material took a few seconds to load, and some was not available to view at all. But, overall, that was quite insignificant and negligible because it was rare.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Stolen is a valuable exhibit that illustrates an alternate way to present history all while making it engaging and fun to experience. Moreover, it highlights an important piece of Aztec history. As the narrator concludes, “[s]tolen voices remain hidden and suppressed,” in reference to Indigenous peoples. Thus, Stolen serves as an important exhibit highlighting Indigenous history amplified and presented through Indigenous voices.