Southwestern Mission Research Center
Committed to promoting and fostering education, research and preservation relating to the Spanish Borderlands for over 50 years
Welcome!
The Southwestern Mission Research Center is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization. We’re committed to the cause of supporting Spanish Borderlands research and education. Our Kino Missions tours introduce people to the history and culture of the Pimería Alta, in the Sonoran Desert of Mexico and Arizona. Proceeds from these tours enable us to sponsor important scholarship on a broader level, assist with publications, and promote education. Furthermore we engage in cooperative restoration projects with the mission communities.
Explore our website to learn more about Spanish colonial missions. Most of all you will find out about the work of the Southwestern Mission Research Center.
Upcoming SMRC Mission Tours
In the News…
Southwest Seminars presents “Suitcases of Cash & Handfuls of Punche: Preserving Chimayó History”
On Monday, March 23, 2026, the Southwest Seminars presents Suitcases of Cash & Handfuls of Punche: Preserving Chimayó History by Don J. Usner, M.A., a 13th generation New Mexican born in Embudo and raised in Los Alamos and Chimayó. Usner is a photographer, author,...
2026 California Missions and Presidios Conference
The California Missions and Presidios 2026 Conference will be held April 17-19, 2026, at Mission Dolores in San Francisco. Every year since 1984, the California Missions Foundation (CMF) Missions and Presidios Conference has provided a wonderful opportunity to...
The Susan Deeds Memorial Fund
SMRC recently learned about the passing of Dr. Susan M. Deeds (1943-2025), Professor Emerita of History at Northern Arizona University (NAU). Dr. Deeds graduated from the University of Nebraska, earning her MA degree in Mexican history in 1974. She earned her PhD. in...
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SMRC REVISTA
Highlights recent news and events, feature articles, and notes on recently published books and articles pertaining to the Spanish Borderlands.