Pueblo of Isleta website: www.isletapueblo.com (2022)

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What actually matters in this document.

Text

Volume 17 Issue 4

Isleta Pueblo News

Pueblo of Isleta website: www.isletapueblo.com

Governor’s Report

Ma Gu wam,

Hello everyone. I hope this email finds everyone

in good health. As we see the Covid-19 surge

decrease over the past month, the Covid Mitigation

team has made the decision to amend the Health

Order. The following changes to point out are:

•

All persons 2 years of age and older are

recommended to wear a mask while in indoor

public settings, except when eating or drinking,

or with members of the same household.

• Masks are recommended in outdoor settings

in areas with high numbers of Covid-19 cases;

consider wearing a mask in crowded outdoor

settings and for activities with close contact

with others who are not fully vaccinated or are

high-risk for complication related to Covid-19.

• Masks may still be required at the

discretion of the Governor and or Traditional

Leaders during traditional activities or

gatherings that may pose a risk to individuals.

•

Any gatherings of greater than 75

individuals on the Pueblo of Isleta will be required

to have a Covid-19 Safety Plan completed and

documented with the Public Health Services

Department.

•

Limited access will be granted to persons

who are participating in Pueblo of Isleta

sponsored activities or programs, such as

recreation events and religious services.

See the attached Public Health Order. Please be

respectful to one another and mask up if asked to

wear a mask. Covid Booster vaccinations are still

available. Call the Covid-19 Hotline at 505-8699720 for appointments and clinic days.

We have received questions regarding the use

of the Chical Reception Hall and Parks. At this

time, the Chical reception hall will not be rented

out along with tables and chairs until further notice.

The parks can be reserved for use for parties

following all Covid-19 safe practices. Please get in

contact with the Parks and Recreation department

to reserve at 505-869-9777.

The Pueblo of Isleta is working with New Mexico

Gas Company for payment assistance. NM Gas

has agreed to credit qualifying Tribal Members

with this assistance. The credit will appear on

the qualifying account in May or June. To qualify,

you must be a Tribal Member and live within the

reservation boundaries and have not received

HEAT NM assistance in 2022. If you think you

qualify, please call the Governor’s office to submit

your name. You will be asked to provide the

Customers Name, Account Number and Service

Address. The Deadline to submit your information

is Friday April 22, 2022.

During the COIVD-19 surge, many services were put

on hold. One of those services was land transfers.

The Survey and Mapping Department is working

diligently to get the surveys completed as well as

getting transfers signed and filed. I have agreed

to schedule on Saturdays if necessary to complete

land transfer signing of paperwork. Please contact

the Survey and mapping Department to schedule

a Saturday appointment if necessary. It is very

important to keep your appointment if you are

scheduled for a land transfer. If you are scheduled

and do not show or cancel, you will be placed at

the back of the line to be rescheduled.

( Continued Page 2 )

April 2022

Page 2

Isleta hosted the Six Middle Rio Grande Pueblos

Coalition meeting March 3, at the Golf Course.

This was the first in person gathering since COVID

required virtual meetings. The BIA was the only

entity that still participated virtually. The meeting

was well attended and everyone was in good spirits

to discuss important and current water issues in

person. The next meeting will be hosted by Sandia,

April 7, and will be in person as well.

Tribal Administration, Environment, UXO, Police,

and Fire departments met with Sandia National

Laboratories Emergency Management Team to

discuss processes and protocols in the event

of any emergency. This was a meet and greet

meeting to generate more discussion as to what

kind of partnerships may be available for training

and participating in mock drills. More information

will be provided as it becomes available.

We continue to be contacted by companies

regarding establishing solar energy development

on Isleta. The last meeting was held with a company

named Cenergy. Discussions are also on going

with SunShare to name another. Companies like

these and others are looking to take advantage of

the NM Community Solar Act that allows electricity

customers to opt into solar power from a shared

facility larger than residential solar panels but

smaller than a utility-scale solar farm. The Act

allows NM tribes not to be bound by some limitations

while taking advantage of others. Tribal projects

can be larger than the five (5) megawatt (MW)

without constraint on the number of subscribers

(tribal members) or size of the subscriptions

(financial models). Tribes/tribal entities are able

to keep and sell renewable energy credits (RECs)

generated from their community solar facilities to

name a couple. However, these solar projects

need to be constructed near existing transmission

lines. Additionally, before Isleta can consider such

a project Isleta and Tribal Council would need to

determine and better yet guided through a land

use plan where any type of developments can or

cannot occur.

Also in the realm of power news, we met with Public

Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) on their

upcoming Isleta 12 Feeder Rebuild Project. This will

be a large project and will involve a full line rebuild of

distribution lines that feeds portions of the Pueblo.

PNM will upgrade all existing equipment to new

and safer standards to address the overall aging

infrastructure and various outage related issues.

The project will comprise of two phases, Backbone

(main three phase line) to be completed this year;

and Laterals (single phase lines connecting homes)

next year. The Backbone Rebuild will cover 8.2

miles of reconductor to larger more reliable size,

230 poles replaced and upgraded, 95 overhead

transformers, 7 overhead switches, 3 reclosers, 50

sets of lightening arrestors. The Lateral Rebuild

will consist of 1000+ poles and 400+ transformers

to be inspected/replaced depending on condition.

Earlier this year, one of the contractors jumped

the gun on the project and was present on Isleta

without permission which raised concerns by tribal

members. This problem was corrected and PNM

apologized and will make every effort to work

with Isleta to make sure their Rebuild Project will

be done respectively and in coordination with the

Pueblo. Going forward with the project all PNM

contractors/subcontractors will be known and

be issued our Permission Agreement to Enter to

confirm acknowledged presence. The Backbone

phase is scheduled to start in July and updated

information will be provided throughout the project.

May we continue to be protected and safe from the

bad both outside and inside our community and

meet our challenges together as one.

Haw-wu

Vernon B. Abeita

Governor

Isleta Pueblo News

April 2022

Isleta Pueblo News

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

DEADLINE for May Newsletter articles is set for

Wednesday, April 20 , 2022, at 4:30 pm. Articles may be

dropped off at the Library or emailed to Nathaniel.Lujan@

isletapueblo.com. Should you email your article, expect a

confirmation email. If you do not receive a confirmation

email, odds are it never made it to me and then it’s time to

panic, so call Nate at 505.869.9808.

People who wish to submit an article or flyer are responsible

for generating their own article or flyer. Should you need

help, please call the Library at 505.869.9808 and set up a

date and time to sit down with a Library staff member who

will help you throughout the process. The Library will NOT

accept notes dropped off at the Library or information over

the phone to generate your article.

PROBATES need to be published in the Newsletter for

two consecutive months. Probates are considered court

documents, therefore, all submitters must provide: 1)

Name of Deceased, 2) Date of Deceased 3) Court Case #

and 4) Date of Court Date. A Probate form can be found on

the Newsletter Archive page at http://www.isletapueblo.

com/newsletters.html .

CLASSIFIED ADS: The new administration has requested

that the Newsletter start a Classified Ad section for Tribal

members selling land, houses, mobile homes, vehicles, and

farm equipment. Leasing of houses and mobile homes will

be accepted. Smaller items which can be sold at the local

flea markets or weekly yard sales will NOT be accepted.

Currently, this service is FREE to Tribal members. Land,

houses, and mobile homes must be within the reservation

boundaries. Ads must meet the 160 character limit. Ads

that exceed the 160 characters will NOT be submitted into

the Newsletter. A single picture may be submitted with

the ad. Submitters of classified ads are responsible for

generating their own ads as this is a FREE service.

As a reminder, Tribal business owners may submit a small

flyer at no charge. Like the classified ads, business owners

are responsible for generating their own flyers as this is a

FREE service.

Classified ads and business flyers will be posted no

more than two consecutive months. In the event where

the Newsletter may exceed the 24-page limit, classified

ads and business flyers will be “bumped” for newsletter

articles. Again, this is a FREE service for Tribal members.

The Isleta Newsletter is owned and operated by the Pueblo

of Isleta. Therefore, the Governor of the Pueblo of Isleta

has the final say of all articles and contents within the

Isleta Newsletter.

For additional questions, you may call the Library and

speak with Nate or Diane at 505.869.9808.

Thank you,

Nathaniel Lujan

Newsletters may be found at the fifteen distribution

locations listed below. Remember, Digital copies of the

Newsletter may be obtained from the Newsletter archive

at http://www.isletapueblo.com/newsletters.html

The fifteen Newsletter distribution locations are:

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

TR 2 & TR 22 - Chical SE of Community Hall

TR 10 - Behind the old 47 Sales

TR 1 & TR 5 – Ranchitos / Bosque Farms

Reservations Line

Ranchitos Park

Post Office - Big Tree

TR 82 & TR 84 - Teller Road

TR 78 & TR 82 - Carlos Trujillo Sr.

TR 90 @ Y - CF Padilla

Mouse Town Park –

Health Center – South end of Health

Center Parking lot

Library Sunlight & Moonlight Intersection

TR 6 - 47 Intersection

TR 12 - 47 & 147 intersection (Old Smoke & Save)

TR 71 & TR 54 @ Y - Holiday Robot / Paved Road /

Railroad Tracks

TR 45 & TR 40 @ Y - Tata Mel (POI Signage)

Page 3

Page 4

Isleta Pueblo News

Job Postings

Visit us online at

http://www.isleta.com/career-opportunities.aspx

Fax: 505-244-8232

OUR LOCATION

Isleta Resort and Casino is located 7 minutes south of downtown Albuquerque at Interstate 25 and Hwy 47, exit 215.

The Human Resources office can be found on the east side of the building through the Employee Entrance doors.

April 2022

Isleta Pueblo News

Page 5

St. Augustine Parish

Isleta Pueblo

Ministry of Consolation

MISSION STATEMENT

We are a ministry of consolation at St.

Augustine Parish to offer spiritual comfort

and support to families who have experienced

the loss of a loved one. We will continue to

honor and respect our traditional teachings.

Isleta Pueblo News

Page 6

April 2022

Pueblo of lsleta Career Opportunities

Position Posting

Office Location

Closing Date

ACCOUNTANT

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

AGRICULTURAL IRRIGATION TECHNICIAN

ASSISTANT MANAGER

AUTO & DIESEL MECHANIC

BILLING TECHNICIAN

BUS DRIVER (Part Time)

CAREGIVER (2 Positions)

CERTIFIED CODER II

CERTIFIED FITNESS INSTRUCTOR

CHILD CARE PROVIDER

CLINICAL THERAPIST

CONSTRUCTION FOREMAN

CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM COORDINATOR

COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSE

COURT CLERK

COVID CUSTODIAN (2 Positions)

CUSTODIAN

DIRECTOR, CONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS

EARLY HEAD START TEACHER

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, IPHA

FACILITIES WORKER

GAMING INVESTIGATOR

GRANTS & CONTRACTS MANAGER

GROUNDS KEEPER

GROUNDS MAINTENANCE WORKER

HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGER

HOME CARE ATTENDANT

INSTRUCTIONAL COORDINATOR

INTERNAL AUDITOR

JR. SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR

LANGUAGE TEACHER

LEAD CUSTODIAN

LIBRARY AIDE I

LIFEGUARD

MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN

MEDICAL ASSISTANT

PARKS & MAINTENANCE WORKER

PERSONAL CARE SERVICE AIDE (2 Positions)

PHYSICIAN

PLUMBER

POLICE OFFICER I - CERTIFIED

PRESENTING OFFICER

PROBATION/CHILDREN’s INTERVENTION OFFICER

RECORDS CLERK

REGISTERED NURSE

ROADWAY MAINTENANCE WORKER I

SALES ASSOCIATE

SECURITY OFFICER

SEPTIC TRUCK DRIVER

SHIFT LEAD

SHIFT SUPERVISOR

SYP-AQUATICAIDE (3 Positions)

SYP-RECREATION AIDE (16 Positions)

SYP-WEED & LITTER (16 Positions)

TRIBAL COUNCIL COORDINATOR

TUTOR I

TUTOR II

VETERAN SUPPORT SERVICE MEMBER

W-WW APPRENTICE/ W-WW OPERATOR IV

Treasury

Tribal Administration

Agricultural Division

C-Stores

Construction Operations

Health Services

Head Start

Assisted Living Facility

Health Services

Head Start

Health Services

Housing Authority

Health Services

Tribal Court

Public Works

Health Services

Construction Operations

Head Start

Housing Authority

Head Start

Gaming Regulatory

Treasury

C-Stores

Public Works

Health Services

Elder Center

Department of Education- Within Only

Gaming Regulatory

MIS

Department of Education- Within Only

Health Services

Library

Parks & Recreation

Public Works

Health Center

Parks & Recreation

Elder Center- Within Only

Health Center

Housing Authority

Police Department

Police Department - Open Space- Within Only

Tribal Administration

Tribal Court

Tribal Administration

Health Services

Construction Operations

C-Stores

Health Services

Public Works

C-Stores

Assisted Living

Parks & Recreation- Within Only

Tribal Council

Department of Education

Elder Center-Within Only

Public Works

Open Until Filled

04/04/2022

Open Until Filled

03/25/2022

Open Until Filled

03/26/2022

Open Until Filled

April 2022

Isleta Pueblo News

Department of Education

The Department of Education would like to thank all who

participated in the Isleta Recycles! poster contest and all

those who voted. It is important to spread the awareness

of recycling for our future generations. Congratulations to

our poster winners. The first place winner is Armani, who

won a night at the movies with an ice cream treat. The

second place winner is Darin, who also won a night at the

movies. The third place winners were IES Ms. Pagett’s 3rd

grade class who won a pizza party. The grand prize poster

was created by Armani. The grand prize poster will be

permanently displayed at the Isleta Transfer Station to

remind everyone to recycle.

ARMANI

Grand PRIZE

PAGGETT 3nd PLACE

ARMANI 1st PLACE

DARIN 2nd PLACE

Page 7

Page 8

Isleta Pueblo News

April 2022

Scholarship Criteria for the 20222023 Tibien (Elk Mountain)

College Fund

Purpose: In honoring the memory of our son and

nephew, Aaron Robert Dailey, the Tibien College

Fund will award one $1000 scholarship for school year

2022-2023 to a college-bound or college student.

Criteria: Students eligible to apply for the Scholarship

are graduating high school seniors or persons who

graduated from high school within the last 4 years

from the date of application, who are enrolled in a

federally recognized tribe in New Mexico or California,

and pursuing a college degree. Consideration will be

given to academic achievement and the student’s

community service record. Students should submit a

scholarship application.

Amount: One Scholarship of $1000 will be disbursed

in two equal installments in August 2022 and January

2023. The disbursement will be made to the Financial

Aid office of the recipient’s college.

Guidelines: The recipient must continue to attend

classes and maintain a 2.5 grade-point average each

semester.

Deadline: The application deadline is August 3,

2022. Applications must be received by that date to be

considered. Award will be made no later than August

31, 2022.

Application Process: Call (505) 869-3836 or email

swlopc@outlook.com for application.

Submit applications by August 3, 2022 to:

Sh’eh Wheef Law Offices

P.O. Box 167

Isleta, New Mexico 87022

swlopc@outlook.com

April 2022

Isleta Pueblo News

Page 9

TRUANCY

Happy Easter to you and your families. We hope you

have a wonderful Easter celebration.

Before you know it, it will be summer time and you will

be enjoying the outdoors with family and friends. It will

be a combination of fun and school as some will have

to attend summer school to make up missed credits.

Keep in mind that although you may feel that you are

missing out on all the fun, your hard work will pay off

when you are back on track with your class credits. By

then you will be ready to enjoy graduation and class

time with your peers.

Summer school is the last thing on your child’s mind

as they would rather hang out with friends or have a

summer job to make some money. It’s always a good idea

to remind your child(ren) that even though a summer

job is great that there will always be opportunities to

work, as it is important to focus on graduating on time

with their class and friends.

Studies have shown that during the summer when

students are not engaged in learning, they lose up to

two months of academic knowledge in reading and

math.

Benefits of Summer School

•

Smaller classes: with smaller classes, there is

more of a relaxed environment, with less students

in each class and a better teacher student ratio.

•

More likely, you will have a different teacher

and with that, a different teaching technique

which may help with the way you learn and

understand.

•

You will focus on one particular class

•

Summer school can help you by not getting

overwhelmed with multiple classes and focus on

the subject that is needed.

•

Summer school will give you the opportunity

to raise your GPA by replacing any failed grade.

Remember to meet with your school counselor to

our Department for assistance

The Truancy Department hopes that you have a safe

and wonderful Easter. Remember that if you attend

summer school this will help you get back on track

again or even possibly get ahead with your high school

class credits; this can also lead to having to take one

less core class or dual credit during the regular school

year.

Pueblo of Isleta

Veterans Association

(POIVA)

After last month's meeting in March 2022, the

Association unanimously voted to hold monthly

meetings on the third Thursday of each month

at 6:00 PM. Membership is open to all honorably

discharged veterans. Annual fees are $10.00 per

year.

Also, on the first Tuesday of each month, from

10:00 AM -12:00 PM, the POIVA Veterans

Service Officers will be at the Isleta Health

Clinic to answer questions on Veterans issues,

i.e. recovery of military records, medical benefits,

etc.

For any questions or concerns, please call Fred

R. Lujan at 505-573-3733, or Ulysses Abeita at

505-264- 4110.

Page 10

Isleta Pueblo News

April 2022

Bike Rodeo

Isleta Health Center Health Educator: Stephanie Barela, 869-4479

Do you wear your helmet every time you ride a bike? Well, as the 4th grade students learned, this is a very important thing to do to

PREVENT INJURY. The Isleta Health Center Health Educator teamed up with the Albuquerque Parks and Rec to present to the

Isleta Elementary School 4th graders on March 4, 2022 on Bike Safety. The 4th graders learned about the importance of wearing

a helmet whenever they ride a bicycle and then they had the opportunity to try out their newly learned skills through participating

in a BIKE RODEO. A bike rodeo is a skills course, which provides a fun and safe environment for a class to learn various bike

safety skills and practice them. This rodeo consisted of a bike riding course designed to simulate actual road conditions, a stop sign

to help practice their starting and stopping, as well as, using their directional signals, a chance to practice their skills when they

are approached by a dog and many other important bike safety skills. Bike riding is a lot of fun, but accidents happen. Every year,

many kids go to the emergency room because of bike injuries. Some of these injuries are so serious that children die, usually from

head injuries. A head injury can mean brain injury and as the 4th graders learned; OUR BRAIN IS THE MOST IMPORTANT

PART OF OUR BODY, so we need to PROTECT IT!! That's why it is so important to wear your bike helmet.

Some skills the 4th graders learned were:

•

STOP and Look Left, Right, Left, before crossing the street

Use your hand signals when turning

If you are ever chased by a dog while your are riding your bike, you

should stop peddling and coast (continue to move forward without using

your peddle), if the dog continues to chase you, get off your bicycle and

put it between you and the dog and back up slowly.

ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET!!

•

THANK YOU, ALBUQUERQUE PARKS and Rec for teaching our students how to ride safely!!

Acequia Madre

Ditch Association (AMDA)

2022 Ditch Work Scheduled for April 2, 2022

Irrigation season for 2022 shall commence with annual ditch work scheduled

for April 2, 2022, at 7:30 a.m. All Acequia Madre Ditch Association

members are to meet at the front of the Isleta Governor’s office for proper

sign-in and instructions from the current Mayordomos. Mayordomos for

irrigation season 2022 are:

Matthew Lente, Head Mayordomo, Phone Number: (505) 440-0275

Clint Lente, Assistant Mayordomo, Phone Number: (505) 480-7556

Diego Lujan, Treasurer/Secretary, Phone Number: (505) 238-8826

Members are reminded of their obligation to pay their annual ditch

assessments on the day of ditch work or within fifteen (15) days of such

work. The following are the fees for the 2022 irrigation season:

Assessment of $15.00 for all members who irrigate off the Acequia

Madre Ditch system.

Penalty payment of $60.00 for all members who do not participate

in the annual ditch work on April 2, 2022.

It is hoped that all Farmers have a prosperous 2022 farming season.

April 2022

Isleta Pueblo News

DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AND

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

Ma ku wum from the Department of Cultural and Historic

Preservation! We are very happy to share the news that we

have two wonderful interns working with us this summer:

Felicia Bartley and Alexis Scalese. Felicia will begin her

second year in the Public Humanities & Cultural Heritage

Graduate Program at Brown University in the fall and

is writing her thesis on the history of the Indian Pueblo

Cultural Center. Alexis will begin her senior year at the

American Studies Program at Amherst College in the fall

and would like to pursue a career as an archivist. Please

drop by the Yonan An Cultural Center to say hello!

History of the Yonan An Cultural Center Building: This

August marks one year since DCHP staff moved our offices

into the Yonan An Cultural Center. Located in the newly

renovated tribal day school building, the 13,926 square-foot

cultural center houses DCHP offices, an exhibition space,

lecture hall, classrooms, and 1,207 square feet of climatecontrolled storage and work space for the tribal archive.

Funded by the Public Works Administration and built

by Isleta tribal members who worked with the Civilian

Conservation Corps—Indian Division in the late 1930s,

the school opened in 1940 and remained in use through

2009. Constructed of adobe in the Pueblo Revival Style,

the school building reflected the regional architecture

design ideals of the period and featured state-of-the-art

facilities and modern classrooms. During the building’s

history as a school for Isleta students, two additions were

made to the original design: a small vestibule on the

west end and a larger addition with locker rooms at the

southeast corner. Additionally, the courtyard garden was

converted to a gym. For a short period of time after the

opening of Isleta’s new elementary school, the Cultural

Committee conducted meetings in the Pueblo Revival Style

building. In 2013, a historic preservation plan was drawn

up for the preservation and renovation of the building, in

accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act,

the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Secretary

of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic

Properties. In 2020, renovation and construction of the

building were completed, providing a beautiful site for the

Pueblo of Isleta Yonan An Cultural Center.

Community members whose friends or family members

were a part of the CCC crew who originally built the

building in the 1930s are encouraged to contact POI Tribal

Archivist at (505) 869-5376. Additionally, tribal members

with class photos, school memorabilia, and other memories

of their time as students at the school are encouraged to

consider sharing those with the POI Tribal Archive as

well. Ms. Smith is interested in housing and exhibiting

some of the tribal history associated with the school in a

special Isleta Day School Archival Collection.

Isleta Heritage Garden Planning: If you are a community

member with farming experience, gardening knowledge, or

are interested in learning more about Isleta’s agricultural

practices and putting that knowledge to use, consider

being a part of the up-and-coming Isleta Heritage Garden!

Planning is now underway for clearing some land and

identifying the types of desired plants. If you are interested

in contributing, we are making a call for seed donations,

Tiwa plant knowledge, and equipment to help clear a plot

of land. The next meeting for planning the garden will be

August 3rd at 1:00 PM in the lecture hall at the Yonan An

Cultural Center (the former Isleta Elementary School).

For more information, visit the “Heritage Garden

Project” tab on the Pueblo of Isleta website: https://

www.isletapueblo.com/tribal-programs/dept-of-culturalhistoric-preservation/dchp-projects/heritage-gardenproject/

Thank You: Lastly, DCHP staff would like to extend

our heartfelt thanks to the following individuals for

their gifts and long-term loans to the Yonan An Cultural

Center: Frances Abeita, Ramona Abeita, Loraine Padilla,

Stephanie Padilla, Margarite Analla, Frank Jiron, and

Miriam and Mike Lucero.

Kheurkim! We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Page 11

Isleta Pueblo News

Page 12

April 2022

ISLETA POLICE DEPARTMENT

APRIL - 2022

SPRING arrived on March

20, 2022 but everyone was

fooled when there was an

unexpected snow storm on

March 23, 2022. And by

the end of the day the snow

was gone, the sun was

shining and it was pleasant. Weather is

always changing and we ask all who travel

are prepared for wind, rain, “snow”, hail

etc. Keep in mind the smallest amount

of moisture will change roadways and one

should always prepare for slick roadways.

CONGRATULATIONS!

WELCOME:

You may have seen a new face patrolling

the Pueblo of Isleta and responding with

Animal Control. We welcome Nicklaus

Jones who joined Animal Control last

month.

CHRIS PADILLA, Supervisor

TANIKA GRANT

MATTHEW TORREZ

Congratulations are in order for our two newest state certified dispatchers, Tanika

Grant and Matthew Torrez. The two attended the three-week academy in Santa Fe

and graduated on March 18, 2022, Class 154. The two are now fully certified and will

be able to work solo as needed. Thank you for your hard work!

Key Findings

■ In 2019 there were 7,214 people 65 and

older killed in traffic crashes in the United

States accounting for 20 percent of all

traffic fatalities. From 2018 to 2019 there

was a 3-percent increase in the number of

people 65 and older killed in traffic crashes.

Hello, my name is Nicklaus Jones and

I am from Albuquerque. My passion for

interacting with animals has led me to this

position as a part of the Animal Control

Team. I have enjoyed working in this

department in my short time here. Before

joining the Animal Control Team I was a

service dog trainer for veterans. During

my free time I enjoy spending time with

my wife and our 4 dogs, a Turkish Kangal

named Baymax, a Mastiff mix Arlo, and

2 smaller mixed dogs, Athena and Oliver.

I am grateful for this opportunity to help

protect the people and animals of Isleta

Pueblo.

■ In 2019 there were 54.1 million people—16

percent of the total U.S. population—who

were 65 and older. The population of people

65 and older increased by 34 percent from

2010 to 2019. Traffic crash fatalities in this

age group increased by 31 percent over this

period.

■ From 2010 to 2019 older male driver

fatalities increased by 39 percent, compared

with a 12-percent increase in older female

driver fatalities.

WELCOME ABOARD!

INDIAN HIGHWAY SAFETY

PROGRAM

Under this program, patrol saturations

were held in March and continue through

April. Officers will be conducting traffic

enforcement throughout the Pueblo but

will be focusing much more on Tribal

Roads. Many complaints and concerns

have been received regarding speeding

vehicles on these roads leading to the

higher concentration of enforcement. So

please take heed of speed limit signs, stop

signs, yielding right of way and watching

for school bus pickup and drop off zones.

Patrol officers will also be in these areas as

well enforcing traffic laws.

DON’T TEXT AND DRIVE!

DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE!

ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEATBELT!

ENSURE CHILDREN ARE

IN APPROPRIATE CHILD

RESTRAINTS!

COMMUNITY SAFETY

A beautiful plaque was received recognizing

the Police Department’s “pursuit of

community policing experience in 2021 for

Special Olympics New Mexico which was

awarded February 4, 2022”.

This month we will focus on Older Drivers.

As taken from the National Highway Safety

Administration:

Overview

If you are an older driver or a caregiver,

NHTSA encourages you to talk about

driving safety. We offer material to help you

understand how aging can affect driving

and what you can do to continue driving

safely as you age, such as adapting a vehicle

to meet specific needs.

Older Population For the purposes of this

fact sheet, the term “older”—in relation

to population, drivers, occupants, and

nonoccupants—refers to people 65 and

older.

■ Among the older population, the traffic

fatality rate per 100,000 licensed drivers

in 2019 was highest for the 80-to-84 age

group.

■ Older drivers made up 20 percent of all

licensed drivers in 2019 and 15 percent of

drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes in

2019.

■ In 2019 most traffic fatalities in crashes

involving older drivers occurred during the

daytime (72%), on weekdays (69%), and

involved other vehicles (66%). This is an

increase compared to all fatalities (49%

during the daytime, 60% on weekdays, and

45% involving another vehicle).

■ Among passenger vehicle occupants

killed in crashes in 2019, those 65 and

older were restrained 71 percent of the

time, compared to 48 percent for those

under 65.

■ Sixty-nine percent of older pedestrian

fatalities

2019

occurred

nonintersection locations, compared to

84 percent for those under 65. This fact

sheet contains information on fatal motor

April 2022

vehicle traffic crashes based on data from

the Fatality Analysis Reporting System

(FARS) and non-fatal motor vehicle traffic

crashes from the Crash Report Sampling

System (CRSS). Refer to the end of this

publication for more information on FARS

and CRSS. A motor vehicle traffic crash is

defined as an incident that involved one

or more motor vehicles in transport that

originated on a public trafficway, such as a

road or highway. Crashes that occurred on

private property, including parking lots and

driveways, are excluded. The terms “motor

vehicle traffic crash” and “traffic crash” are

used interchangeably.

Important Safety Reminders For

Older Drivers:

■ Age-related changes may undermine your

driving ability. Understanding how changes

that are a part of normal aging, as well as

any medical conditions you have, affect

your driving allows you to make informed

decisions about continuing to drive. By

accurately assessing these changes, you

may be able to adjust your driving habits

Isleta Pueblo News

to remain safe on the road or choose other

kinds of transportation.

■ Stay safe while driving by adjusting

your seat and mirrors properly, knowing

how to use your vehicle’s driver assistance

features, and making sure your vehicle is

properly maintained.

■ Explore how to adapt a vehicle to meet

your specific needs. For Friends and Family

Members: Talking with an older person

about their driving is often difficult. Most

of us delay that talk until we believe that

the person’s driving has become dangerous.

Such conversations can be awkward for

everyone involved, but there are ways to

make the conversations more productive. If

you decide to initiate a conversation with

an older adult about their ability to drive

safely, consider taking these three steps:

■ Collect information. Note specific concerns

about the person’s driving, and about their

ability to carry out routine non-driving

tasks such as cooking or yard work, as

changes in the ability to do such tasks may

indicate declines that affect driving as well.

Page 13

■ Develop a plan to (a) convey your concerns

to the driver, (b) assist the driver to identify

strategies to avoid unmanageable driving

contexts, and (c) show them how to access

and use alternative transportation options

to maintain their mobility without driving.

■ Follow through on the plan. For more

details and additional information, visit

www. nhtsa.gov/road-safety/older-drivers.

— NHTSA’s Research and Program

Development

THE ISLETA POLICE

DEPARTMENT WISHES ALL A

HAPPY EASTER!

Isleta Pueblo News

Page 14

April 2022

Isleta Historical Society

Protect the Land • Preserve the Culture • Honor the Ancestors

This continues a monthly series of articles about historic Isletans and significant happenings at Isleta.

The Isleta Historical Society is an independent, inclusive group looking to broaden understanding through

vigorous research, interviews, visits to museums and other historical sites etc. We are interested in your

reaction to these stories and encourage you to contact us with ideas for future publications. Visit us on

Facebook and Instagram @isletahistoricalsociety or email us at isletahistoricalsociety@gmail.com. We

will not use any information without your permission. Thank you!

Members: Randy Jiron, Kateri Jojola, Malcolm Ebright, Valentino Jaramillo, Rick Hendricks, and Ted Jojola

Verna Teller is one of several contemporary

Native American women over the last 50

years who has worked tirelessly to pursue

the rights of Native Americans in this

country. Her accomplishments are similar to

other noted female Native Americans such

as the late Wilma Mankiller, President of

the Cherokee Nation; Ada Deere, Chairman

of the Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin and

former Assistant Secretary of the Interior;

Deb Haaland, former U.S. Congresswomen

from New Mexico and now, currently U.S.

Secretary of the Interior.

Former Governor Verna Teller,

Geraldine Lujan, photographer

Verna Teller became involved in Isleta

politics at an early age. Her father and

brother took her to tribal council meetings

in the 1950s and 1960s, where she became

familiar with the procedures and the council

members. When she was in middle school,

her brother John and her sister Maria put

out a newspaper called, The Town Crier.

Her siblings would give her assignments to

interview people. Armed with her tablet of

paper and list of questions, she would knock

on peoples’ doors, write down their answers

to their questions, and her siblings would

publish her interviews in The Town Crier.

Verna comes from a family that had served

Isleta for many years. Her parents were

Jose Rey Olguin and Caroline Garcia Olguin

(a Laguna descendent). Verna’s paternal

grandfather, Patricio Olguin, served as

Tribal Judge for several years in the 1940s.

Verna remembers that he held court in his

house. She and her siblings had to be quiet

when people came to see him, she recalled.

Verna’s grandmother, Isabel Olguin, was

married for eighty years and died in the

early 2000s at the age of 100. Other family

members who served Isleta were her

brother John Olguin, who was appointed to

the tribal council by Governor Andy Abeita

when he was only twenty-five-years-old

and her eldest brother, Frank, who was

lieutenant governor in 1964 and became

president of the tribal council in 1980-81.

Besides the men in her family, Verna had

the watchful eyes of several women in her

life. Her mother, Caroline Olguin, and older

sister, Maria Roybal, were there to provide

her guidance and strength. And Agnes Dill,

an Isleta educator, mentored her on the

ways of the outside world. Another woman

of inspiration was Josephine Waconda, a

fellow tribal woman who was Area Director

for the Albuquerque Indian Health Service.

Her

early

community

involvement

meant that Verna was well known in the

community. People often asked her to be

their advocate in tribal court where she

felt at ease speaking to the judges and

other tribal officials in her native Tiwa

language. One day, a little girl knocked

on Verna’s door and told her, “my tata and

other tatas want to talk to you.” When she

later met with these elders, they told her

they were very concerned because foam was

coming down the river. They were religious

leaders who used the water in their

ceremonies; they asked if she might be able

to do something about it. Verna agreed to

investigate, though she told them she knew

nothing about water quality in the Rio

Grande River or who might be responsible

for polluting the river.

Verna soon learned that it was probably

wastewater from Albuquerque that was

causing the problem. In 1985, a year before

the tribal election, the elders asked her to

consider running for governor so she could

speak for them and do something about

the water quality in the Rio Grande River.

At first, she thought it was not possible

because she was too young. She was thirtyfive at the time, but the elders pointed out

that she would be thirty-six, the minimum

age, when she would be eligible to serve.

She agreed to run. Her mother didn’t find

out until she saw her name on the ballot.

Verna figured she could at least get on the

tribal council because the candidates who

received the second and third most votes

gained seats on the council. She began to

campaign and received support from the

elders, her family, and her peers. Then

she ran into a roadblock when the tribal

council declared her ineligible to serve

because she was a woman and because the

Constitution uses the masculine pronoun

“he” in referring to the Tribal Governor. In

1970, an amendment to the Pueblo of Isleta

Constitution gave women the right to vote

in tribal elections. Finally, Verna took the

matter to tribal court, which upheld her

position. When the primaries were held, the

outcome was very close. The Albuquerque

press became interested in the election and

the possibility that Pueblo of Isleta would

elect its first Female Governor and came

out endorsing her. When the election was

held, Verna won to many people’s surprise,

including her own.

In 1987, Verna Teller (then Verna

Williamson) was elected as the first

female governor of Isleta Pueblo. Her first

lieutenant governor was Isidor Martin,

who handled religious matters, and Paul

Shattuck served as second lieutenant

governor. For the tribal council, Verna

chose Charlene Seidel, Rey W. Abeita,

and Josephine Padilla. For tribal judge

she appointed Rosemary Abeita, the first

woman appointed to serve in the position.

Isleta potter Robin Velardez, who also

championed clean water, served on a later

tribal council. With the support of the

council, Governor Verna Williamson, as she

was then known, began the fight for cleaner

river water.

Front Row: First Lt. Gov. Isidor

Martin, Gov. Teller, Second Lt. Gov.

Juan Paul Shattuck

Back Row: Sheriff Isidor Jaramillo,

Under Sheriff Robert Lujan,

Richard “Dikki” Garcia, photographer

During her tenure, and with the help

of a supportive tribal council, she was

able to greatly improve water quality

in the Rio Grande River by establishing

stricter water quality standards than the

upstream City of Albuquerque. This led to

a lengthy legal battle which Isleta Pueblo

eventually won, forcing Albuquerque’s

wastewater treatment plant to implement

new technologies that led to cleaner water

in the river that feeds Isleta’s acequias.

Besides irrigation, other historic uses were

for religious ceremonies, agriculture, and

recreation, and to partially feed two lakes

on the pueblo.

Verna also had the support of Lamar

Parrish, tribal attorney, who pointed out

that Section 108 of the Clean Water Act

allows tribes to establish their own water

quality standards. The battle to accomplish

that goal got a boost when Verna met an

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

employee at one of the many water quality

meetings she attended. He agreed to assist

the Pueblo of Isleta in establishing its own

April 2022

water quality standards and stayed in touch

with Verna on a regular basis. The next

step was to raise community awareness of

the problem. The Indian Health Service

(IHS) assisted with community education

by setting up water fairs where people

could test the water that came out of their

residential taps. The Bureau of Indian

Affairs (BIA) installed monitor wells along

the north boundary to test the river and

ground water. University of New Mexico

(UNM) hydrology students working on

their master’s theses started conducting

research on Isleta’s water and gave the

results to the tribal government. The goal of

all this research was to discover what toxins

were coming into the river and where they

were coming from. Besides Albuquerque’s

wastewater treatment facility, there was

concern about what toxins were coming

from Sandia Labs and Kirtland Air Force

Base. They also looked at the South

Broadway wrecking yards, slaughterhouse,

the chicken farms, and dairies house where

high levels of manure, gas, oil and antifreeze might possibly be leaking into the

groundwater.

Verna and her associates decided to set

Isleta’s water standards for toxins such as

arsenic higher than the Federal standards.

Later, as Isleta worked closely with the

EPA, Isleta’s standards were lowered but

remained higher than those of the state

standards. Finally, the head of the EPA

came to a tribal council meeting and agreed

to approve Isleta’s strict water quality

standards. The next step was for the City

of Albuquerque to comply with those

standards.

Isleta set high standards of water quality

based on several uses, including ceremonial

use. As Williamson and tribal council

members like Robin Velardez pointed out,

the river's purity is a spiritual issue for

the people of Isleta. Clean water is part of

their daily life and part of their religion;

the two cannot be separated. The City

of Albuquerque objected to the stricter

water quality standards, claiming that to

implement them would require the city to

expend millions of dollars on an expansion

of its Wastewater Treatment Facility. It

also challenged in federal court the EPA's

authority to apply Isleta's standards to

the city. The Pueblo was not a party to the

lawsuit although it filed a friend of the court

brief on appeal. The city argued that there

was no scientific basis for Isleta's standards

and that the requirement for clean water

for use in religious ceremony violated the

separation of church and state enshrined

in the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. District

Court, however, upheld the EPA's approval

of Isleta's proposed water standards in a

1993 Decision that forced the city to start

renovation of its wastewater treatment

plant to meet Isleta's standards. The Pueblo

of Isleta was granted Treatment as State

(TAS) status for the purpose of monitoring

upstream discharges into the river.

The decision was another victory for Isleta,

proving as it did the Pueblo's right to

establish higher water quality standards

than the City of Albuquerque. The EPA had

empowered Isleta, in a sense strengthening

the tribe’s sovereignty when the agency

amended the 1972 Clean Water Act in 1987

Isleta Pueblo News

to treat tribal governments the same way it

treats states. Not only were tribes allowed

to create water quality standards, but these

standards also had "to be equal to or more

stringent than federal standards."

Concerned over the district court decision

against its position, the City of Albuquerque

started renovating its water treatment

plant to better meet Pueblo standards,

while it appealed the decision. When the

Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld

the district court in 1996, the city went

ahead with its $60 million renovation of its

treatment facility which opened in 1998.

The new facility met Isleta's standards for

nitrate and ammonia but not for arsenic,

and the US Supreme Court refused to

review the appellate court's decision. The

city and Pueblo finally began negotiating in

1998 over the issue of arsenic levels. They

jointly commissioned a study that revealed

that much of the arsenic in the water from

the Rio Grande delivered to Isleta did not

originate in Albuquerque; rather, it was

present in the river upstream from the city.

Since EPA had delayed issuing the city a

new permit, in 2002, the Pueblo relaxed

the arsenic standard, allowing renewal of

Albuquerque's EPA permit, although the

standard is still more stringent than the

state and federal limit. By using the court's

favorable decisions, Isleta compelled the

city to clean up the water pollution affecting

the Pueblo and other downstream users.

Former Governor and

Councilwoman Verna Teller,

Greg Sorber, photographer

Verna Teller has continued her efforts

to clean up the river and to work for the

benefit of Isleta Pueblo. After the City of

Albuquerque renovated its wastewater

treatment plant, there was an immediate

improvement in the water quality in the Rio

Grande River. No longer was there foam

coming down the river. The elders thanked

Verna for listening to their concerns and

doing something about them. Though the

quality of river water has not improved as

much as Isleta would like, it has not gotten

worse. Verna Teller has earned her positive

reputation as the Pueblo governor who

fought for cleaner water in the river which

feeds the Pueblo’s acequias and is used in

its cultural ceremonies. After serving as

Page 15

governor, she served as president of the

tribal council for 8 years. Recently, Teller

has served as a tribal judge for several

years.

Since the election of Deb Haaland of Laguna

Pueblo to serve in congress, and now her

appointment as Secretary of the Interior,

the pueblos have experienced visibility.

Verna Teller helped bring the Pueblos to

center stage when she appeared before

the House of Representatives as guest

Chaplain on November 13, 2019, to offer

the Opening Prayer at the request of thenRepresentative Haaland. In Deb Haaland’s

introduction of Ms. Teller, she said:

“…I am honored to have a fierce woman from

my District to deliver a historic Opening

Prayer. Isleta Pueblo Chief Judge Verna

Teller is the first Native American to deliver

the Opening Prayer in the U.S. House. This

is a special time in our country’s history

and in honor of Native American Month,

a time to reflect on the contributions of

Native Americans to this country. Chief

Judge Teller made her own history in New

Mexico. She broke barriers when she was

elected the first woman Pueblo Governor [at

Isleta] . . . I am proud to stand with Chief

Judge Teller to highlight the resilience of

Indigenous women and our perseverance to

uplift our girls and our women in all of our

communities.”

Chief Tribal Judge Verna Teller and

Representative Deb Haaland

Photo courtesy of

Indian Country Today

• • •

Again, we want to thank everyone who

has been reading these articles. We invest

a great deal of time and energy into these

articles, and we do so because we are

interested and passionate about the topics

we cover. We believe that by sharing

these stories with the community it may

instill a sense of confidence in who we are

as Isletans. We are grateful for all of our

readers and have been receiving feedback

from the community. Some of you have

even reached out with ideas about what

topics to cover next or areas of interest for

the Historical Society to dig deeper into. We

thank you for your interest in the stories we

are telling about the Pueblo and the people

and encourage you to reach out to us with

any information, ideas, or comments that

you feel would be helpful to us. This will

be the last article for now in our series of

historical articles. Please continue to send

us your suggestions for future historical

articles.

Isleta Pueblo News

Page 16

April 2022

Pueblo of Isleta Public Library

A lot has been happening at the library within the past month. We have been planning our upcoming

months along with our Summer Reading Program. We would like to send out an invitation to our

community members to come to the library and see what services and resources we have to offer

in case some of you forgot. We would like to see you ALL back at the library checking out books,

movies and participating in programs once again.

News

The Library will be closed for the

morning of Tuesday, April 12, 2022

from 8:30 am to 1 pm for training with

the Isleta Police Department.

apologize for any inconveniences this

may cause. Should you need to use the

computers during this time period, the

Department of Education’s computer

lab will be available for usage.

In observance of Good Friday on April

15th the library will be closed along

with other POI departments. All library

media checked out on Wednesday,

April 13th will have a due date of

Monday, April 18th. We apologize for

any inconvenience this may cause. We

will resume regular business hours on

Monday.

The library now has laptop checkouts for in

house use only for library patrons with a

valid ID. Laptops are available on a firstcome, first-served basis. Wi-fi is available

and laptops will automatically connect to it

for easy internet access. Laptops must be

returned to the checkout desk after each

session or before the end of the business

day. Laptop checkouts are only for use

inside the library and cannot be taken

home. If you would like to learn more about

this service or have any questions, please

give the library a call at 505-869-9808.

Tax season is upon us and the 2021 income

tax form packets are now available here at

the library. Also, any forms that you may

need for tax season can be downloaded from

the Internal Revenue website irs.gov. Just

stop by the library and give us a call and

we can run out a tax form packet to you or

you can come in. If you have any questions,

please call the library at 505-869-9808.

Summer Reading Program Registration

will be May 6th starting at 7am.

Registration will be on first come, first

serve basis. We will have one single line for

registration for youth and junior groups.

This will insure that priority is given to those

whom showed up early for registration.

Summer Reading Program Calendars and

descriptions will be released in April so

keep a look out for that. Some reminders to

keep in mind before registering:

•

Only Parents/Legal Guardians of

students are allowed to sign up students

for the Summer Reading Program.

•

3 year olds MUST be potty trained.

•

We will be asking for BASIC

information on registration form.

If you have any questions regarding our

Summer Reading Program, please give us

a call at the library and speak with a staff

member at 505-869-9808.

Come join us for weekly Family Story Time

here at the library. Family Story Time is a

fun opportunity for parents, grandparents,

and caregivers to introduce their children

to reading and language. Open for ages 16

months to 5 years old but please keep in

mind that it is open for the whole family

to come. For the month of April after story

time we will be doing a variety of crafts

such as Pom Pom Easter Eggs, Easter

Bunny Trucks, Mess Free Earth Painting

and Heart Flowers. Story time will be every

Wednesday at 10:30am here at the library.

If you have any questions about our story

times, give the library a call and speak

with Cheyenne at 505-869-9808 or email at

Cheyenne.Castillo@isletapueblo.com.

Upcoming

Summer Reading Program is coming fast

and we are excited to share with you all

our new themes for our youth and junior

programs. Summer Reading Program will

start June 6th and end July 22nd.

Our Junior Program theme for 2022 will be

Oceans of Possibilities. The Junior Program

is open to children 3 to 6 years of age. Join

us this year as we dive into the ocean depths

this summer as come together and do ocean

related crafts and activities that include

art projects, science experiments, live

performances, field trips and so much more.

Students will also engage in daily recess

time and breakfast and lunch will be served

every day. For additional information

please refer to this year’s Junior Summer

Program Calendar.

Our Youth Program ages 7-14 years old,

will feature 4 different themes to choose

from. We will be accepting 20 students

with 5 spots available for the mentioned

programs below.

Discover the wonders of science, technology,

engineering, and math! Come and join the

Pueblo of Isleta Public Library’s Summer

Reading Program and join Cheyenne’s

Science group! This summer we will go over

different types of sciences each week. We

will study biology by looking at fruit DNA,

discovering what PH levels are in certain

foods (how acidic something is), creating

edible chemistry projects from everyday

things in your kitchen, making Harry

Potter circuit wands, and using magnets

to find out more about physics for the last

week of the program. Learn about the

fun, and gross, sides of science by growing

your own bacteria farm and discover what

happens when you mix certain acids to

make eruptions! Lastly, during the month

of June, we will be taking a field trip to the

National Museum of Nuclear Science and

History where we will take a tour of the

museum and have a scavenger hunt! For

more information regarding the curriculum

April 2022

please contact Cheyenne at cheyenne.

castillo@isletapueblo.com or by phone at

(505)869-9808.

Have you heard of this event called comiccon or an Anime con and see people dressed

up in different costumes from their favorite

TV shows, and movies? These people are

are called cosplayers. This summer join the

Pueblo of Isleta Public library's summer

reading program, this is where you can

learn different Methods to create props

for a costume. The program will have

various crafts from the Marvel Universe

that you have seen the superheroes use. In

June we'll create Iron Man's arc reactor,

Loki's helmet, and Spider-Man's iron

spider legs. In July we will create Black

Widow's gauntlets, Doctor Strange’s eye

of agamotto, and Wolverine's adamantium

claws. Also, in July we'll go on a field trip to

the movie theaters to watch Thor: Love and

Thunder. For more information regarding

the curriculum please contact Kyle at kyle.

lujan@isletapueblo.com or by phone at

(505)869-9808.

Would you be able to survive if dinosaurs

still roamed the Earth? Do you have what

it takes to be a paleontologist? Sign up

this summer for the Pueblo of Isleta Public

Library's Summer Reading Program, and

enroll in Kimberly's Dinosaur Program

to find out! We will use the same tactics

as paleontologists for our fossil fueled

activities. Ranging from chipping through

a dinosaur egg made of ice, to digging for

fossil shaped sugar cookies! We will even

be digging through some edible dinosaur

poop just like in the Jurassic Park movie!

If paleontology gets boring then we will

focus on Dinosaur themed crafts during

July, such as jelly soaps, egg bath bombs,

and shadow lanterns! All of this will lead

up to a field trip to the movie theater to

see Jurassic World: Dominion. If you want

to hear more about this program or have

any questions please contact Kimberly at

(505)869-9808 or email Kimberly.Lacsina@

isletapueblo.com.

What's better than enjoying your own home

cooked meals! Sign up this summer for the

Pueblo of Isleta Public Library's Summer

Reading Program. Each day the students

will be learning different recipes that they

can make for a quick snack, lunch, dinner,

even desserts. We will be learning how to

make healthy snacks, yummy desserts, and

traditional foods that can be made for feast

days! We will also be making different types

of sandwiches and a few ideas from Tik Tok!

We all love trying ideas off of Tik Tok. We

will take a field trip to Eldora Chocolate,

we will learn how they make their own

chocolate and get to taste different types of

the chocolate. If you would like to hear more

about this program or have any questions,

please contact Minewa at (505)869-9808 or

email minewa.jaramillo@isletapueblo.com

Thank You!

Recap

The library staff member Cheyenne

hosted an Anime Art Contest in March.

This program was open to all ages

and participants bring their artwork

to the library to be entered in the

contest. Participants could use any

medium of their choosing. Artwork

was then posted on our social media

accounts for a vote. Winners were

announced on March 22nd and prizes

are as follows: 1st place was a choice of

Isleta Pueblo News

on Next Page )

Page 17

( Continued

After School Students enjoy a field trip to Urban Air!

Students can’t get enough of the ball pit at Urban Air.

Library Anime Art Contest Submissions

Page 18

4 books, 2nd place was a choice of 2

books, and 3rd place was one book.

Votes were then tallied up and here

are the winners.

We would like to thank everyone who

participated in our Anime Art Contest!

We loved seeing all of your art work

and we look forward to having more

programs like this in the future.

For the month of March the library participated

in National HIV/AIDS Awareness Week. It was

the first time the Pueblo of Isleta community

observed National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness

Day (NNHAAD) on March 20th. The library was

Isleta Pueblo News

April 2022

a location for swag bags for the community that

included a FREE HIV testing kit. During this week

we shared information and resources through

our social media outlets to bring awareness to

NNHAAD. It was great seeing the community

getting involved and we look forward to next year.

field trips so much because it gives students a goal

to work towards. Some days they come in not so

eager to do reading or homework but if they know

they are working towards something like a field

trip it gives them that extra little push to complete

their assignments.

Things are finally feeling back to normal with

our After School Program. After two years to the

day, we once again got to take our students on

an incentive field trip to Urban Air and Golden

Corral. Students were so excited to get to go on a

field trip that they were soon asking when the next

field trip will be.

When planning field trips, we usually get students’

input on what they want to do or where they would

like to go. The school year is almost over and we

have two more incentive field trips in the works

for April and May.

Here’s a little insight on why we like incentive

For more information regarding our After School

Program, please call the Library at 505-869-9808.

My name is Jonna Toledo and I work out of the

Goodwill store in Los Lunas. What I do is help people

find jobs in the community. This is a FREE service

that Goodwill offers. I do work by appointment. The

first appointment I just get the information to help

with your job search. Example: What you are looking

for, your availability, experience, etc…we do meet

weekly until you find a job. Just because you find a

job does not mean we are finished! I will stay in touch

with you about once a month for 3 months just to

make sure everything is going well. We want to make

sure you are being treated well and that the job is

a good fit for you. I can give job leads, help fill out

applications electronically, make resumes, and we can

also practice interviewing skills so you feel comfortable

in an interview. I do know lots of hiring managers in

the area to help set up interviews. We participate in

job fairs as well as organize them and set them up at

Goodwill in Albuquerque and Los Lunas. Because we

are a non profit there is no charge for this service. It

is FREE to the community. Not a lot of people realize

that Goodwill does FREE services because they are

not really advertised. They just know that the store is

a good place to go and get good deals on merchandise.

It doesn’t matter what type of job you are wanting, I

can help! There are several different fields in the area

including administrative, custodial/janitorial, retail,

daycare, eldercare, warehousing, production, retail

and food services. Soon landscaping and outdoor type

positions will be opening up. Please contact if you need

help. It is always my pleasure to help with your job

search. Just call me to set up an appointment! Thank

you!

Isleta Pueblo News

Editor:

Nathaniel Lujan

Asst. Editor:

Diane Abeita

Published By:

Valencia Express

April 2022

Isleta Pueblo News

Page 19

Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking Part 1

Stephanie Barela | Isleta Health Educator | 869-4479

Smoking Causes Death

•

Cigarette smoking causes more than 440,000 deaths, or

nearly one of every five deaths each year in the United States.

•

More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by

human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol

use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined.

•

If nobody smoked, one of every three cancer deaths in the

United States would not happen.

•

Smoking causes an estimated 90% of all lung cancer deaths

in men and 80% of all lung cancer deaths in women.

•

An estimated 90% of all deaths from chronic obstructive lung

disease are caused by smoking.

Smoking and Increased Health Risks

Compared with nonsmokers, smoking is estimated to increase

the risk of—

•

Coronary heart disease by 2 to 4 times,

•

Stroke by 2 to 4 times,

•

Men developing lung cancer by 23 times,

•

Women developing lung cancer by 13 times, and

•

Dying from chronic obstructive lung diseases

(such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema) by

12 to 13 times.

Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease

•

Smoking causes coronary heart disease, the leading cause

of death in the United States.

•

Cigarette smoking causes reduced circulation by narrowing

the blood vessels (arteries) and puts smokers at risk of developing

peripheral vascular disease (i.e., obstruction of the large arteries

in the arms and legs that can cause a range of problems from pain

to tissue loss or gangrene).

•

Smoking causes abdominal aortic aneurysm (i.e., a swelling

or weakening of the main artery of the body—the aorta—where it

runs through the abdomen).

To learn more about the quit smoking program

“Thinking about Quitting”, please contact the Isleta Health Center’s

Health Educator Stephanie Barela at 869-4479

Page 20

Isleta Pueblo News

April 2022

PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT

April showers bring May flowers! We can

only hope, right! April already, wow, this

year seems to be going by pretty darn

quickly or so it seems that way. The good

news is that things seem to be getting better

every day now that Covid issues seem to be

tapering off more and more every day, what

a relief for all of us. I think all of us are

feeling much better about being able to get

back to a somewhat normal routine again.

I am not sure if we will ever get back to our

old normal but it sure is nice to be closer to

that old normal we all remember.

Here in the Parks & Recreation Department

things are also picking up. We’ve recently

changed our operating hours back to the

hours we had prior to the Covid pandemic.

The recreation center is now open from

5am to 8pm Monday through Thursday and

5am to 6pm on Fridays. Old Rec (Pickle

Heights) is now open from 4am to 7pm

Monday through Friday and 4am to 6pm on

Fridays.

The Fitness section is busy training tribal

members and helping them stay healthy.

Our trainers are once again teaching

classes (Spin, Yoga, Boot Camp, etc.) and

tribal members are coming back to those

classes. Our fitness section has also been

working closely with the Assisted Living

Center, Elder Center and Memory Care

facility, our fitness staff goes over to those

facilities to do some physical activities with

the individuals in those facilities. Keep

your eyes open for other fitness activities

and classes.

The youth recreation section is doing their

thing, as well. Our afterschool youth

recreation program is going strong and

numbers are picking up; I believe we now

have 14 children registered in that program.

We are also in the planning and preparation

stages of our upcoming youth summer

recreation program. If you are interested

in registering your child or children for that

program, please make sure you fill out the

paperwork to enter those children into the

summer program lottery.

The sports program section is also busy

planning events and actual runs again; it

is going to be nice to physically see tribal

members actually running in our runs/

events instead of us tracking them virtually,

as we have been doing. Our Volleyball league

is also doing well, everyone participating

in that league seems to be having a great

time. Please keep your eyes open for other

sporting events and activities as well. We

have been talking about a possible three on

three league, three point shooting contests,

Mini Tri-Athlon, and much more, so be on

the lookout for these and other activities/

events as well.

Our Parks Maintenance Section is once

again working hard on prepping our fields.

They and all of us are very excited to see

our Little League come back, and as of right

now Little League is scheduled to take

place this spring, barring things continue

to progress in a positive manner. The crew

is also out getting our parks ready for all

of you to enjoy, so make sure that you get

out and take full advantage of our beautiful

parks.

Our Aquatics Center is doing great as well.

We’ve had numerous steady lap swimmers

that consistently come in to do their thing.

We’ve also had our afterschool participants

swim on a regular schedule as well, it is

wonderful to see children in the pool having

fun again, I’ve missed seeing and hearing

them in our pool. Our pool staff is also doing

an awesome job with the swim lessons.

Those lessons are happening one on one

with our lifeguards and the participants

seem to be getting much more from the

one on one lessons. If you’re interested in

taking swimming lessons, please reach out

to the aquatics staff for more information.

After School Program News:

Spring Break participants had their hands

full of fun activities at the Recreation center.

Here are some highlights of activities

children made over their Spring Break.

Youth made wooden boats, fruit pizzas

snacks, painted animal rocks, leprechaun

traps and went on a nature walk and

collected shells.

AQUATICS INFORMATION

Isleta Aquatics is excited to announce we

have extended our hours! We offer lane

reservations by the hour, Monday-Thursday

from 5:30am-9:30am and 2:30pm-7:30pm as

well as family sessions Monday-Thursday

from 2:30pm-7:30pm (family sessions are

limited to 8 household members). Fridays

we will have sessions available from

5:30am-9:30am as well as 2:30pm-5:30pm.

The Wading pool is also available for

children 6 and under with an accompanying

adult. We are also offering our adults only

lap swim on Mondays, Wednesdays and

Fridays from 12pm-1:30pm. All three types

of swim sessions can be reserved by the

hour at the front desk of the Rec Center.

Isleta Aquatics is also excited to announce

we are now able to resume both our child

and adult swim lessons. The first session

of 2022 is wrapping up and the waitlist is

already filled for the second session, which

will begin the first week of April. Summer

session is now available but filling fast.

Registration forms are available at the

front desk at the Rec Center or contact Josh

or Connie at 505-869-9783 for more details

on availability and registration. Isleta

Aquatics is still looking to fill lifeguard

positions. If there are any prospective

candidates that are over the age of 15

that would like to apply for the Lifeguard

position, have them call the Aquatics Office

at 505-869-9783. We are flexible with

school and extracurricular activities, and

will provide training and certification upon

hire. For anyone interested in applying

or for any questions about the Lifeguard

certification or for information about child

or adult swim lessons and other aquatic

programming please call Josh or Connie at

505-869-9783.

FITNESS INFORMATION

The following is information and an

introduction from our newest fitness

instructor Anne Asman, please stop by the

new recreation center and meet her.

Mindful Breathing: Pathway to the

Present - By Anne ”AC” Asman

Are you breathing? Your immediate answer

might be, and understandably so, “Of

course I am.” But are you really breathing?

Asked another way, are you fully inhaling

to the point of air reaching the deeper part

of your lungs and then releasing this air,

exhaling as you feel your muscles relax?

If you just noticed yourself doing this

while reading this then–congratulations!

You have just achieved a practice called

“mindful breathing.” PsychCentral defines

mindful breathing, as “a simple concept–

it’s all about taking time to slow down and

bring a sense of awareness to your breath–

but there are many ways to incorporate

April 2022

it into your day." It suggests that these

various ways to practice mindful breathing

do not have to take place over long bouts

of time. In fact, you will most likely

notice a difference with several seconds of

awareness focusing on your breath for a few

inhalations and exhalations, as you may

have already experienced by reading above.

So often as we go about our daily activities,

we get caught up in our thoughts and forget

to live in the present. It is all too habitdriven for us humans to be constantly

focusing on the past or the future. The past

by stressing about something, we could have

done differently or what another person

may have said to offend us. The future by

worrying about what might happen to our

children, our elders or our pets, or even as

routine as stressing about what we'll make

for dinner later in the day.

By turning our attention to our breath,

we are able to truly live in the now and

experience the mental, emotional and

physical benefits as a result.

"The good news is that mindful breathing

techniques can help you develop greater

conscious control over the stress response.

Your parasympathetic nervous system,

which is involved with “rest and digest”

processes in your body, responds to this

slow, controlled, mindful breathing,"

says Brett Klika of the American Council

on Exercise. "When you improve your

parasympathetic tone (i.e., the degree to

which the parasympathetic nervous system

is “in charge”), the more your physiological,

psychological, and neurological systems

work like they should. You feel better,

think clearer and act more rationally."

When you are able, perhaps try this exercise

and see if it benefits:

1. Find yourself in a comfortable seated

position and close your eyes.

2. Notice where in your body you might

be holding on to tension checking in with

your feet and all the way up through your

head.

3. When you are ready, take a deep

breath while counting to 3.

4. Hold your breath for 3 seconds.

5. Exhale and count to 3–truly empty

your lungs.

6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 several

times.

When you are ready open, your eyes, wiggle

your fingers and toes while reawakening

your body. How do you feel? Hopefully

rejuvenated, relaxed and ready to resume

your day.

Did you enjoy this exercise?

If so, you may enjoy taking Yoga at the

New Rec Center where we will do mindful

breathing exercises such as these. Mon/

Wed 5:30 p.m., Fri: 10 a.m.

AC (Anne) Asman teaches Yoga at

Isleta Recreation Center. She started her

practice at the Yoga Center of California

in Costa Mesa in 1997, where she learned

the physical postures and meditation

techniques of Hatha Yoga. For several

years, AC deepened her spiritual practice

at Self Realization Fellowship, which was

founded by renowned Hindu monk and

guru Paramahansa Yogananda. For more

than 6 years, she has taught Yoga to a

variety of populations at LA Fitness, at a

Southern California high school for a Lady’s

Varsity basketball team, and at Open Gym

Isleta Pueblo News

in Albuquerque. She holds Practical Yoga

specialization certification through the

Athletics and Fitness Association of America

and is completing her 200-hour certification

at Yoga by Julia in Albuquerque. With a

background in competitive dance, AC

has always had a love for fitness and for

staying physically active in general. She

is a certified personal trainer through the

American Council on Exercise with multiple

certifications including TRX Suspension

Trainer and National Academy of Sports

Medicine Fitness Specialist for Golf, a sport

she has played for 20 years.

SPORTS SECTION

From Coach Waquie’s Desk - Hello my

fellow tribal members, hope all is well and

everyone is staying safe. I am very excited

about the new equipment we purchased,

it’s called Dr. Dish shooting machine. It’s

going to help our youth kids develop a

good technique in their shooting as well

as free-throws and other drills. If you are

interested, please call and schedule a time

to use machine with George Waquie here

at the Rec center. I also want to thank

everyone who participated in our Isleta

Pueblo Family Fun Run; this virtual run

had great participation. Also keep a look

out for the next department virtual run/

walk challenge. I would challenge all

Directors to get involved. Sign off for now,

please stay Safe!!

Page 21

Senior Olympics

Summer Games

Announced for 2022

Senior Olympics planned for this June in

Las Cruces NM June 8-11

The "22 Summer Games” offers 17 sports

over the course of four days.

Registration is now open through April 30th

Website nsga.com State Information Page

Registration fee $60.00 per person

for a maximum of 5 sports

No out of state participants.

All fees will be refunded in the event

games have to be cancelled

due to the pandemic.

Olympians you may qualify for the

2023 National Senior Games

planned for Pittsburgh, PA

Getting Back on Track with the

Sports Clinic This Fall

Each clinic will have specific sport training

experts to work with seniors

Visit the website at

www.nmseniorolympic.org and

Page 22

Isleta Pueblo News

April 2022

Isleta Pueblo News

Isleta Behavioral Health Clinic

Kidney Awareness

How do you know if your kidney may be damaged from alcohol

misuse?

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIH) reports

that excessive alcohol use is the third leading preventable cause of

death in the United States.

Alcohol is a depressant. This means it slows down vital bodily functions,

including muscle coordination, reflexes and speech. “Binge” drinking

has harmful effects on the kidney that can even lead to acute kidney

failure. This often goes away after a time, but it can occasionally lead

to lasting kidney damage.

Alcohol misuse can affect the kidneys in the long term by dehydrates

your body, which can have negative effects on the function of your

kidneys and other vital organs. Excessive alcohol use can also lead to

high blood pressure, which can increase your risk of developing kidney

disease.

Possible signs of Alcohol-Induced Kidney Damage

● Decreased urination.

● Exhaustion.

● Swollen legs, ankles, or face.

● Problems breathing or shortness of breath.

● Nausea or vomiting.

● Confusion.

● Chest pressure or pain

While it is not possible to reverse kidney damage, you can take steps

to slow it down. Taking prescribed medicine, engaging in exercise, and

eating well will help. You will also feel better and improve your overall

well-being.

Here are some ways to help keep your kidneys healthy.

1. Keep active and fit.

2. Control your blood sugar.

3. Monitor blood pressure

4. Monitor weight and eat a healthy diet.

5. Drink plenty of fluids.

6. Don't smoke.

7. Be aware of the amount of over the counter pills you take.

8. Have your kidney function tested.

(Information taken from National Kidney Foundation,

http://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/alcohol)

Page 23

Page 24

Isleta Pueblo News

April 2022

E-Cigarettes:

Things Everyone Should Know

Stephanie Barela | Isleta Health Educator | 869-4479

From Journeyworks Publishing

Nicotine in E-Cigarettes is Addictive

•

Most e-cigarettes have nicotine, just like regular

cigarettes and other tobacco products. Nicotine is very

addictive, once you start it is very hard to stop.

Nicotine Poisoning Risk

•

Nicotine is a poison that can KILL.

•

There are no rules for safety labels or child proofing

on e-cigarettes or the liquid refill packs, which can really

put children and pets at risk.

Chemicals in E-Cigarettes Can Harm Your Health

•

Some e-cigarette liquids have toxins such as

antifreeze and other chemicals that are may cause

cancer.

E-Cigarettes are Not Regulated

•

Studies have shown nicotine is in some

e-cigarettes that claim to be nicotine-free. People who

buy them do not know what they are really getting.

Health Effects are Not Known

•

E-cigarettes are very new and no one really knows

how harmful they are.

•

Long term studies on the health effects have not

been done.

•

There is no proof that the vapor is safe for the people

smoking, or for those who breathe the secondhand

vapor.

•

E-cigarettes contain nicotine, which changes your

heart rate and raises your blood pressure.

Can E-Cigarettes Help you Quit Smoking?

•

People who sell e-cigarettes claim they can help a

person stop smoking, but there is no proof this is true.

•

In fact, some studies suggest they may keep

smokers hooked.

•

They may also cause people who have quit smoking

to start again.

•

E-Cigarettes are not regulated, so no one really

knows if they are a safe quitting aid.

•

Nicotine is NOT harmless.

•

Studies show it may increase problems with

diabetes.

•

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) has been

proven to help people stop smoking. NRT includes

nicotine patches, inhaler, nasal spray, lozenges and

gum.

You may be eligible to receive nicotine replacement

therapy from the Isleta Health Center Pharmacy if you

attend the “Thinking About Quitting” Program.

To learn more about the quit smoking program

“Thinking about Quitting”, please contact the Isleta

Health Center’s Health Educator

Stephanie Barela at 869-4479

Isleta Health Center

Quarterly Newsletter

The Isleta Health Center has been disseminating

Quarterly Newsletters with information on our

programs and services, as well as, other informative

health education information. The Isleta Health

Center Spring Newsletter should be coming out in the

beginning of April and can be found:

•

Isleta Health Center Building

Isleta Diabetes Program

Isleta Physical Therapy

Disseminated throughout the different Pueblo

of Isleta Programs

Can also be accessed on the https://islclinic.

com/

If you would like to receive a newsletter, please

contact, Stephanie Barela at (505) 869-4479 or Email:

Stephanie.Barela@islclinic.net.

April 2022

Isleta Pueblo News

Page 25

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Isleta Pueblo News

April 2022

Circle of Security Parenting

Presented by: Reyes Abeita