Inhabitants came to New Mexico from all directions; Native Americans, Europeans, Latin Americans and Mexicans from the south. Each of their histories and cultures accumulated and intertwined to form the diverse and rich culture that exists there today. The Spanish colours and the Native American ‘Zia’ symbol on the state flag are a reminder of this diversity. However New Mexico is sparsely populated and dominated largely by an unforgiving desert into which few visitors venture.

The state is one of those which formed the ‘frontier’ onto the wilderness where lawlessness and anarchy presided. The literature of the state recognizes that ‘Wild West’ past; Michael Ondaatje’s The Collected Works of Billy the Kid records the trials and tribulations of one of the most notorious outlaws of the South-western states, Billy the Kid. Angie Debo’s Geronimo, on the other hand, portrays the Native American experience within the state and the tragic conflict between the indigenous people and the American settlers.

The films of the state are also of this category with the most prominent being Stagecoach, widely considered a classic of the Western genre, and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, which again features the exploits of the famous criminal.