Fall 2011 Issue Guide

Enhancing the Lives of Native Americans

The Native American Advised Endowment Fund supports initiatives that enhance the lives of Native Americans in northern . Allan Houser, renowned artist, teacher and Ft. Sill , and other generous donors established the Fund in 1993. By making grants, which promote a spirit of sharing and a tribal commitment to self, family, community and the environment, the Fund honors Houser’s legacy. It is valued at more than $350,000 and

has awarded 86 grants to date. Allan Houser with his sculptures (also photo above) Native Americans in New Mexico face several broad areas of need, Through programs such as the Yiya Vi Peacekeepers is designed to provide including health, the environment, Kangingdi Community Doula program, services that bridge both these worlds economics, and education. The the group encourages women to and is tailored to individual and specific following Programs That Turn the become advocates for their own needs.” Tide are examples of organizations healthcare as well as learn about that work effectively at addressing indigenous healing traditions. Wings of America these challenges. Many of them have Santa Fe-based Wings of America received grants from the Fund. Peacekeepers (WOA) uses running as a vehicle for Peacekeepers, a victim-led change in Native American Health Programs organization, serves tribal members communities. Running and fitness That Turn the Tide and their spouses or partners in the camps as well as regional and national Eight Northern Indian . It cross-country competitions give young Tewa Women United provides direct services to the many Native Americans a chance to take From a grassroots beginning in 1989 people affected by domestic violence, pride in their athletic accomplishments as a women’s support group, Tewa from free transitional housing, while boosting their sense of hope and Women United has grown into an women’s support and batterers’ self-esteem. A leadership camp intertribal non-profit working to end re-education groups to legal advocacy develops high school and college sexual violence and related trauma, and educational outreach. Director athletes into the next generation of support strong Tewa women, and Ingrid Bekhuys notes that, “There is a role models, while an annual clinic foster peace in New Mexico. The group need for services that combine the best trains coaches working with Native aids children, women and families as of contemporary western practice in American runners. WOA runners they heal from the trauma of sexual domestic violence prevention and succeed academically and in their violence. They also help women gain intervention with the traditional broader lives, with 94% of them leadership skills and call on the Pueblo ways of restoring balance headed to college. knowledge of elders and grandmothers. to the individual and to the community. Sustainable Approaches for

Tribal Nations Tesuque Pueblo Agricultural Resource Program

Environmental Programs Economic Programs That Turn the Tide That Turn the Tide Tesuque Agricultural Initiative (TAI) The New Mexico Native By transforming 40 acres of land into a Green Loan Fund productive farming operation, TAI is Plans are underway to create the reintroducing sustainable agriculture New Mexico Native Green Loan to the Pueblo of Tesuque. The farm Fund. The project would offer a new grows a variety of crops including fruit solution to the problem of financing trees, traditional plants and medicinal green community-development herbs, which it supplies to the Pueblo projects for Native Americans in the and surrounding communities. The TAI state. The Fund hopes to supplement Seed Bank collects and stores heirloom $12 million dollars in state grant seed varieties in order to preserve funds for tribal infrastructure native plant diversity. projects with a projected $10 million from philanthropic partners through Renewable Energy Building Projects program related investing. Targeted projects might include solar power Many tribes are introducing plants or natural wastewater sustainable energy components to treatment. The Fund offers a building projects to help reduce the pioneering approach to coupling effects of environmental degradation public and private dollars to help on their land. For example, Jicarilla address pervasive infrastructure Apache Nation installed a photovoltaic needs on tribal land. project on the roof of Dulce High School. Students and teachers monitored the system and learned about renewable energy generation. Taos Pueblo uses a biomass-fueled boiler to heat a greenhouse where food for the Pueblo is grown. Forest thinning projects, which reduce the risk of wildfires, supply the wood.

Tesuque Pueblo Agricultural Resource Program

2 Facts

z Domestic and sexual violence Although Native Americans account for 10% of the New Mexico population, they represented a disproportionate 15% of victims of domestic violence in 2008. (Source: Incidence and Nature of Barrel Cactus in Bloom Domestic Violence in New Mexico IX). The average annual rate of rape and sexual assault among Native High Poverty Americans is 3.5 times higher than % of Native Americans Living Below the Poverty Level for all other races. Source: American Indians 40% and Crime 1999

35% 34% z Alcohol and drug addiction 30.5% Native Americans die from alcohol- 30% related deaths at substantially 25.5% 25% higher rates than other populations 22.0% in the state. (Source: NM Racial and 20% 19% 16% Ethnic Health Disparities Report Card 15% 2010). In 2011, approximately one 10% 9% in six Native American high school students reported having used 5% prescription pain killers to get high. 0% 0% Source: New Mexico Substance Abuse U.S. NM Los Alamos Mora Rio Arriba San Miguel Santa Fe Taos Epidemiology Profile, July 2011 z Obesity and diabetes Source: American Community Survey 2005-2009 Native American youth present the highest rates of obesity and all Native Americans have the highest age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes High School Graduation Rate by Ethnicity in NM (2008) (nearly 17%) among all US racial and ethnic groups. 90% Source: 2010 NM Dept of Health Racial 80% and Ethnic Disparities Report Card; 80% 71% American Diabetes Association 70% 60.5% z  60% 55% Infrastructure needs 50% Tribal communities lack basic 50% infrastructure, including water 40% and wastewater systems, 30% roads, healthcare facilities and 20% electrical service. An estimated 10% $1 billion is needed by 2015 to replace or develop critical tribal 0% infrastructure. Asian Anglo African-American Hispanic Native American Source: 2010 State-Tribal Leaders Source: NMPED Assessment and Accountability Div. Summit Planning Committee

3 Next Generation of

Community Leaders Through fitness camps, Wings of America provides leadership development to Native American youth

Educational Programs Digital story workshops bring That Turn the Tide together an ancestral appreciation Facts for the importance of storytelling with high-tech multimedia tools. z Achievement gap Summer Policy Academy at the Santa Fe Indian School Student testing shows an The Power of Philanthropy achievement gap across ethnic The Summer Policy Academy at the In northern New Mexico, individual and racial groups in New Mexico, Santa Fe Indian School teaches Native giving —whether of time, money or with Native Americans trailing in American high school students about other resources—can have a powerful reading and math to a greater indigenous issues at the federal, state and far-reaching effect in the lives of degree than other students. and tribal level. Students take two summers of intensive classes, Native Americans. Source: NMPED Assessment and participate in community service Philanthropy must do everything in Accountability Div. 2008 projects and attend a workshop held its power to end the need for charity. z Language preservation at Princeton University. They can then All New Mexican tribal continue the program through an Interested in Knowing How languages are considered internship after their freshman year of You Can Make a Difference? endangered because children college. In addition to honing research, and youth are not regularly writing, public speaking and critical Contact the Santa Fe Community speaking or using their thinking skills, the Summer Policy Foundation at 505.988.9715 or heritage languages. Academy is shaping students to [email protected] become the next generation of Source: Indigenous community leaders. Language Institute A copy of this issue guide The Pueblos of Ohkay Owingeh, Indigenous Language Institute can be found on our website: www.SantaFeCF.org Nambe, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, Based in Santa Fe, the Indigenous Santa Clara, and Tesuque speak Language Institute seeks to preserve Tewa. The Pueblos of Taos and endangered native languages while Picuris speak Tiwa. The Jicarilla there are still speakers left to pass on Apache speak Eastern Apache. their knowledge. Classes make smart use of language software that customizes keyboards, allowing participants to create printed materials in their native language.

The Santa Fe Community Foundation is a tax-exempt public www.santafecf.org charity under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. P.O. Box 1827 Santa Fe, NM 87504-1827 A member of the New Mexico Association of Grantmakers and Council on Foundations. tel: 505-988-9715 fax: 505-988-1829 Confirmed in compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations. email: [email protected]