# Pueblo of Isleta website: www.isletapueblo.com (2021)

> Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more.

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Apueblo_isleta%3Aeb1132f030a3fecb

## Record

- **Collection:** Tribal code
- **Document type:** Tribal code

## Text

Volume 16 Issue 9

Isleta Pueblo News
Pueblo of Isleta website: www.isletapueblo.com

Governor’s Report

Maguwam,
Hello to everyone and hope this newsletter
finds everyone in good health. By the time
this newsletter is published we will have
honored our Patron Saint, St. Augustine
with a mass and a procession around the
plaza. On September 3rd and 4th there will
be a mass celebrating Little St. Augustine.
We hope our Patron Saints hear our prayers
for our continued protection of our families
and community.
Again we are faced with a bit of uncertainty
in regards to COVID-19. Cases of COVID
are on the rise with the lifting of restrictions
by the State of New Mexico. The Pueblo
took a conservative and safe approach to
the state’s move to open. We continued
the mask mandate within the Pueblo. As
time went on the cases of COVID increased
within the state. With the increase of
COVID cases in the state, the state of New
Mexico issued another Public Health Order
of a mask and vaccine mandate. We did
see an increase within the pueblo; however,
we did not exceed the limit of positive
cases to discontinue any events within
the pueblo. We still encourage everyone
to consider receiving the Vaccination. As
reported from our Health Officer with the
COVID Mitigation Team, those individuals
who are not vaccinated are the majority
of cases we have seen in the past couple
weeks. The average number of individuals
isolated due to COVID has risen to 9. Let
us protect our families and community. We
urge everyone to continue to social distance
and use all safety measures that have been
recommended, i.e. wearing of masks, use
of hand sanitizer and or frequent washing
of hands. Getting vaccinated prevents you
from being hospitalized and reduces the
symptoms of COVID. The COVID Incident
Command Team has been working hard to
provide the best recommendations for the
Pueblo of Isleta. If you feel sick or experience
symptoms, please stay home and get tested.
Call the COVID Hotline for any questions
or scheduling an appointment to receive the
vaccination, 505-869-9720.
Recently we have been made aware of
vandalism at the Post Office. An unknown
individual has been using a sharp object
to scratch the boxes. They have also
attempted to peel or scrape off the adhesive
numbers on the boxes. As everyone knows,
the Post Master does not lock the door to
allow access to boxes after hours. If this
trend continues the Post Master has stated
that they will be forced to lock all doors at
close of business. They want to continue
to provide that access to those who cannot
make it during normal business hours. We
ask that if you see any unusual activity
in or around the Post Office to please call
Isleta PD.
Also with the recent incident of the
individual who fled from Albuquerque
Police and made it onto the Pueblo. We
encourage Pueblo residents to sign up for the
community alert system. The system will
notify those who willingly sign up for any
alerts or community information sent out

September 2021

by the Pueblo of Isleta. If you should have
any questions, please call the Governor’s
office for more information. Please see the
attached information and QR code (pg 3).
Please be on the lookout as Tribal
Administration and Isleta probation will
be planning a volunteer cleanup of the
Isleta Cemetery. We will be coordinating
efforts to prepare for upcoming events
such as All Souls Day and Veterans Day.
We encourage all to come out and assist in
the effort to beautify the cemetery. Once
dates have been planned we will post that
information throughout the community. If
you may be interested in assisting, please
call the Governor’s Office and speak to Lt.
Governor Lucero.
We want to congratulate Charles Jojola
for being selected as an umpire for the
2021 Little League Softball World Series
in Greenville, South Carolina. We all
know Charles as Tata Gene Jojola. Gene
has been an umpire with the Isleta Little
League since the establishment in 2005.
He received his training in Williamsport,
Pennsylvania through the Little League
Organization and gained his experience
umpiring a multitude of baseball and
softball games throughout District 9, the
state level, regional level, and the world
series. His career as an umpire expands
over 15 years. Below are the highlights of
his umpire career.
2005-2021: District & State Tournaments
2005: Isleta Little League chartered;
Umpire in Chief & District Umpire
2014 & 2015: Southwest Regional Little
League Softball Tournament; Waco, Texas
2016: Little League Softball World Series;
Portland, Oregon
2017: Southwest Regional Junior Softball
Tournament; Isleta, New Mexico
2021: Little League Softball World Series;
Greenville, South Carolina
The most recent selection as an umpire has
given Gene some TV air time on ESPN+ and
ESPN2 in all different positions of being an
umpire. He was selected as the home plate
umpire for the 1st game of the series.
Being a Little League umpire is a volunteer
position and a big commitment to the
community and all the children involved
in the Little League Organization. Gene,
we are all very proud of you and thank you
for representing District 9, Isleta Little
League, and your community of Isleta
Pueblo. (photo credits to D. Lucero and
LLWS)

With the recent rainfall and the fall season
approaching, and speaking with traditional
leaders, a decision was made to open the
mountain range area. As we plan for the
fall and winter to gather wood and enjoy
the mountains please be careful and stay
safe. Wood permits are available at the
Governor’s office, Police Substation, and
the Open Space office. Please keep our
mountains clean and trash free.
As we enter into September, many tribal
members are excited and preparing for
hunting doves here in the reservation or big
game in the State of New Mexico. We ask that
everyone stay safe and utilize safe practices
of hunting. Here on the reservation, Open
Space will be out patrolling the rangeland
and mountain areas to ensure the safety of
the community. Please use good judgement
and safe gun and archery handling while
out hunting. Please keep in mind hunting
on the reservation is for tribal members
only.
May the creator bless you with a good
and healthy life and we pray to keep our
community safe.
Governor Vernon B. Abeita

Page 2

Isleta Pueblo News

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
DEADLINE for October Newsletter articles is set
for Tuesday, September 21, 2021, 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:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
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)

September 2021

PROBATES
IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF:
Rafina Montoya (DOD: 08/29/1995)

Case No. CV-PR-0118-2021

First Notice
TAKE NOTICE that in accordance with notice requirements, a Petition to Probate
the Estate of Rafina Montoya, deceased 08/29/1995, has been filed in the Pueblo
of Isleta Tribal Court. Any person claiming an interest in the Estate is hereby advised
to notify the Pueblo of Isleta Tribal Court Clerk in writing within thirty (30) days of this
notice being posted. Claims must be filed in writing. A hearing in this matter has been
scheduled for Wednesday, August 11, 2021 at 9:00 am at the Isleta Tribal Court,
located at the Tribal Services Complex, 3950 Hwy. 47 SE, Building A, Albuquerque,
NM. If you have any questions, please contact the Isleta Tribal Court at (505) 8699699.
IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF:
Joseph L. Juancho (DOD: 04/25/2021)

Case No. CV-PR-0084-2021

First Notice
TAKE NOTICE that in accordance with notice requirements, a Petition to Probate
the Estate of Joseph L. Juancho, deceased 04/25/2021, has been filed in the
Pueblo of Isleta Tribal Court. Any person claiming an interest in the Estate is hereby
advised to notify the Pueblo of Isleta Tribal Court Clerk in writing within thirty (30)
days of this notice being posted. Claims must be filed in writing. A hearing in this
matter has been scheduled for Thursday, August 19, 2021 at 10:45 am at the Isleta
Tribal Court, located at the Tribal Services Complex, 3950 Hwy. 47 SE, Building A,
Albuquerque, NM. If you have any questions, please contact the Isleta Tribal Court
at (505) 869-9699.

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF:
Anthony Velardez (DOD: 12/26/2020)

Case No. CV-PR-0052-2021

Second Notice
TAKE NOTICE that in accordance with notice requirements, a Petition to Probate the
Estate of Anthony Velardez, deceased 12/26/2020, has been filed in the Pueblo of
Isleta Tribal Court. Any person claiming an interest in the Estate is hereby advised
to notify the Pueblo of Isleta Tribal Court Clerk in writing within thirty (30) days of
this notice being posted. Claims must be filed in writing. A hearing in this matter
has been scheduled for Thursday, September 19, 2021 at 9:15 am at the Isleta
Tribal Court, located at the Tribal Services Complex, 3950 Hwy. 47 SE, Building A,
Albuquerque, NM. If you have any questions, please contact the Isleta Tribal Court
at (505) 869-9699.

September 2021

Isleta Pueblo News

Page 3

ISLETA HEALTH CENTER

CHR Program
Hello everyone!

My name is Brandi
Lucero and I am the
new coordinator for the
CHR Program at Isleta
Health Center. I am
an enrolled member
and have served as
a community health
worker (CHW) for over
5 years. I received my
Bachelors in Public
Health with a minor in Chemistry from Fort Lewis
College. My start as a CHW began by working with
a nationally known non-profit in 2015 serving the
Four Corner region with access to comprehensive
sexual health education, HIV testing and counseling,
professional training, and linkage to essential
resources. Before leaving the non-profit world, I helped
establish the Native Community Health Network
(NCHN), which is a community health workers
program that serves Indigenous communities within
the Southwest Region. Transportation is a new realm
for me but I am very appreciative of the current CHR
drivers, Renee and David, for teaching me and helping
get up to speed with our services. I am happy I was
given this opportunity to work with my community
and provide a much-needed service for our people. I
hope to have your support and welcome all feedback
from our community members.
Brandi Lucero
CHR Coordinator
Pueblo of Isleta Health Center
Brandi.lucero@islclinic.net
Below is a reminder of the CHR services available to
enrolled tribal members residing with the reservation
boundaries:
The Isleta CHR Program provides tribal community
members’ transportation services to and from their
scheduled non-emergency medical appointments and
can provide medication delivery services from Isleta
Health Center.
•
Medication delivery services are for those whom
are on COVID quarantine, home-bound, or elderly.
A completed Medication delivery form is required
BEFORE anyone can receive delivery services. Our
medication delivery services only pick-up medication
from Isleta Health Center and requires a 24-hour
notice. A signature is required upon delivery.
Medication Form can be accessed from CHR office at
the Health Center or our CHR team member can start
one for you over the phone.
•
Our transportation services can help transport
you or a loved one to their scheduled, non-emergency
medical appointments within Isleta, Los Lunas, and
Albuquerque areas. We transport throughout the week.
A completed transportation form is required BEFORE
anyone can receive transportation services. Please
keep in mind that our transport services strongly
recommends a 48-hour notice and services are on a
space available basis. If we are unable to transport
you or your loved one, our team can provide linkage to
another transit provider that services our community.
We are implementing COVID safety precautions while
transporting approved by our COVID Mitigation Team.
Transportation Form can be accessed from CHR office
at the Health Center or our CHR team member can
start one for you over the phone.
If you are interested in our services or need a
ride to your next appointment please, call our
office at 869-4485. *POI departments can make
referrals to our program and are encouraged.

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.

September 2021

September 2021

Isleta Pueblo News

Page 5

Pueblo of Isleta Career Opportunities

Position Posting

Office Location

Closing Date

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT II
AUTO & DIESEL MECHANIC
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH MANAGER -REPOSTED
BOSQUE RESTORATION TECHNICIAN
BUS DRIVER- (PART TIME)
BUSINESS MANAGER
CAREGIVER ( 2 positions)
CARPENTER I,II, or III - REPOSTED
CEO HEALTH SERVICES
COMPUTER IT SPECIALIST - REPOSTED
DIRECTOR - IPHA
DISPATCHER
EDUCATION ASSISTANT
EMT INTERMEDIATE - REPOSTED
EMT INTERMEDIATE (PRN)
FACILITIES WORKER -REPOSTED
FEDERAL PROJECT MANAGER
GENERAL COUNSEL
HEAD START TEACHER
HOME CARE ATTENDANT
HOME OWNERSHIP COORDINATOR
HOME OWNERSHIP COUNSELOR
HVAC TECHNICIAN - REPOSTED
INSTRUCTIONAL COORDINATOR - REPOSTED
LAND SURVEY TECHNICIAN AIDE - REPOSTED
LANGUAGE TEACHER
MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN
MENTAL HEALTH & ADDICTIONS COUNSELOR
OFFICE CLERK
PAINTER
PARKS & MAINTENANCE WORKER
PERSONAL CARE SERVICE AIDE (2 Positions)
PHYSICIAN- AMENDED
PLUMBER
POLICE OFFICER I CERTIFIED - REPOSTED
PURCHASED REFERRED CARE ACCOUNTING CLERK
REGISTERED NURSE (Part-Time)
ROADWAY MAINTENANCE WORKER I
SALES ASSOCIATE - REPOSTED
SCHOOL COUNSELOR - REPOSTED
SHIFT LEAD
UTILITY WORKER
VAN DRIVER
VICTIM ADVOCATE

Elder Center
Within Only
Construction Operations
Health Services
Water Resources
Within Only
Head Start
Isleta Elementary School
Assisted Living Facility
Housing Authority
Health Services
Department of Education
Housing Authority
Police Department
Isleta Elementary School
Health Services
Health Services
Head Start
Housing Authority
Legal Department
Head Start
Elder Center
Housing Authority
Housing Authority
Public Works
Department of Education Within Only
Survey & Mapping
Department of Education Within Only
Public Works
Health Services
Isleta Elementary School
Housing Authority
Parks & Recreation
Elder Center
Within Only
Health Center
Isleta Pueblo Housing Authority
Police Department
Health Services
Assisted Living Facility
Transportation Services
C-Stores
Isleta Elementary School
C-Stores
Public Works
Elder Center
Prosecutor

08/22/2021
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
08/20/2021
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
08/24/2021
Open Until Filled
08/31/2021
Open Until Filled
08/25/2021
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
08/29/2021
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
08/31/2021
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
08/27/2021
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
Open Until Filled
08/30/2021

Page 6

Isleta Pueblo News

September 2021

Pueblo of Isleta
Veterans Association (POIVA)
POIVA has now continued having regular meetings,
on the first and second Thursday of each month at 6:00
PM. POIVA is located in Los Charcos, approximately
three miles south of the “Little Casino”.
Beginning on September 7, 2021, POIVA Veterans
Service Officers (VSO’s) will be providing outreach
services at the Isleta Health Clinic Lobby on the first
Tuesday of each month from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
If you should have any questions on Veterans benefits,
please come by and visit with the VSO’s, or call us for
more information. VSO’s will schedule to meet with
you if you are unable to meet at the above times.
•
•
•

Tony Munoz 505-948-8630
Marcus Lujan 505-514-7332
Ulysses Abeita 505-264-4110

If you plan to visit with us, bring with you a copy of
the Veteran’s DD-214. A DD-214 is a Certificate of
Release or Discharge from Active Duty. (DD simply
stands for Department of Defense). If you are a
Veteran and you have misplaced your DD-214…
we can help you to order one. A DD-214 is a very
important document, it is required if you, the Veteran,
your spouse, and or your children plan to claim VA
benefits, i.e. education, medical, VA Home Loans,
military headstones, funeral flags, burial at national
cemetery, etc. (Spouses, widows, and, or children may
be eligible for VA benefits.)
If a DD-214 has been lost, contact one of the VSO’s,
and we will help you prepare the proper forms to
replace your DD-214. If you have your DD-214…keep
it in a safe place. POIVA has contacted POI Census
and they will file your DD-214 along with your tribal
records.
For any more questions you may also call Commander
Fred R. Lujan at 505-573-3733.

2021 FIRE SEASON
Isleta Fire Department
Fire season is here! The Isleta Fire Dept.
will be available to assist and stand-by for
community members with agricultural burns.
Burn permits
will be required, instructions on burn
permits must be followed.
For more information contact the
numbers listed below.
505-869-9725
505-869-9724
Isleta Dispatch 505-869-3030

September 2021

Isleta Pueblo News

Page 7

Head Start, Early Head Start,
and Child Care
P.O. Box 579 Isleta, NM 87022
Office: (505) 869-9796
Welcome families to the beginning of
the new school year 2021-2022. We are
excited to announce our reopening of
the Isleta Head Start, Early Head Start,
and Child Care Center for full capacity
in person services. Our reopening plan
has been approved by the Isleta Pueblo COVID-19
mitigation team and we will be practicing all safety
measures to keep all children and families safe and
healthy. The following procedures are being followed
to ensure the health and safety of all children,
families and staff:
·
·
·

·
·

Daily COVID-19 screening and temperature
checks
Daily sanitation schedules and rotation of
sanitized toys.
Masks are required for all individuals 2
years and older. There is an area available
in each classroom for mask breaks when
needed.
Frequent hand-washing in the classrooms.
3 ft. Social distancing will be encouraged.

We look forward to an awesome year with you
and your family to ensure your child’s learning
experience is fun, successful, and safe!

Upcoming Dates:
September 1, 2021- Family Night/Open House
September 6, 2021- Labor Day (NO SCHOOL)
September 7, 2021- Professional Development

Day (NO SCHOOL)
September 16, 2021- Policy Council Meeting @ 5pm

Important Parent Reminders:
•
Daily COVID-19 screening must be
completed:
“Bus Riders” (Head Start only): Parents
must submit online screening by 6:30am.
“Child Drop-Off” (All Programs):
Parents must submit online
screening by 7:15am.
•
Child Drop-Off: Pay attention to traffic control
staff, drive slow, watch for pedestrians crossing,
and be mindful we are only allowing 15-25 families
to enter the building at a time.

Isleta Health Center Program
Postponements
The Isleta Health Center (IHC) is doing our part
to encourage social distancing, by continuing
to postpone the following programs until further
notice:
The IHC Programs below are postponed:




ICAP Moccasin Making Class on Tuesday
evenings
Isleta Diabetes Prevention Exercise
Classes (Eagle HIIT) held Mondays
and Wednesdays
Isleta Diabetes Weight Training held
Tuesdays and Thursdays
(Wellness Center available by
appointments only)

Isleta Pueblo News

Page 8

September 2021

ISLETA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
KINDERGARTEN
Dear Parents,
I am very glad to be working with your
child this year in kindergarten at the Isleta
Elementary school. I would like to tell you
a little about myself.
I have lived in New Mexico all my life. My
parents were both teachers in Albuquerque
and their love of teaching rubbed off on me.
I became an educator in 1983 and have
had experiences in many different areas of
teaching over the last 38 years.
In regular education, I have level 3-A
Instructional Leader Teacher Certifications
in early childhood education, K-8
Elementary Education, and Pre-K through
12th Physical Education. I have earned a
master’s degree from the University of New
Mexico and have taken over 47 hours of
continuing education in a variety of fields.
I have taken trainings each year at Isleta
Elementary to help with current topics.
In addition to my training in regular
education, I have earned a level 3-A
Instructional Leader Teacher Certification
in Pre-K through 12th Special Education.
I have experience working with profoundly
physically disabled students.
This is my fifth year of teaching at Isleta
Elementary. I am proud to say that I have
helped many children who struggled with
reading to advance in their reading skills
using the Orton Gillingham and Spaulding
methods.
It’s been a joy working with the children,
parents and staff of Isleta Elementary. I
am looking forward to getting to know your
child and helping them to grow this year.
So far, we have been learning how to hold
a pencil, how to cut properly, how to write
numbers 1-4, recognizing letters of the
alphabet, and sounds of the alphabet. In
science, we are learning what animals need
and in social studies we are learning how to
work with others.
August Birthday Celebrations go to Amais
Abeita on August 11th and Liliana Perea
on August 18th.
Happy Birthday!
Thank you,
Ms. Melendrez

FIRST GRADE
I just wanted to touch base and let you guys
know that we have started off this year
with a great effort in class. These students
have been through a lot with last year
mainly being online, so we are excited to
see each other and work together this year.
I have had the pleasure of meeting all the
students, and we discuss everything from
the importance of sharing, to the importance
of giving our best work. We have discussed
the importance of communities, and how we
are tied together in many communities. We
have also talked about the school rules and
how we can be successful this year as we
come back to learn and start working. We
are starting off with some review lessons
and beginning steps, but I see students that
are ready to learn and have had a wonderful
time getting to know them.

The students have been pretty good in
following the social distancing and keeping
up with the mask as well. I know that is
a challenge for us, so it is more impressive
seeing these younger students push through
and follow the rules in order to maintain a
safe environment. I am really excited to see
the progress this year and look forward to
hearing any feedback from you so we can
help give these students the best education
possible. Thanks in advance for all of your
time and efforts,
Go EAGLES!!!
Sincerely,
Mr. Bellamy

SECOND GRADE
Ms. Rosana
In addition to making new friends, being
reminded of important new COVID
classroom procedures, and getting used
to some school/bus physical changes, our
students spent the first week thinking about
good citizenship by reading Clark the Shark
and Spoon. By sharing about themselves,

they engaged in questioning and discourse.
It was a great first week and 2nd grade has
great attendance and participation!

THIRD GRADE
Mrs. Barbara’s
Fabulous Third Grade
Third grade class is adjusting to the
changes of our school. They are getting into
the routine of coming in the morning and
switching out their home mask for a school
mask. Then they switch it back at the end
of the day.

Isleta Pueblo News

September 2021

Page 9
In Math we have nearly mastered our first
standard in numbers and base ten. We
are now using properties of multiplication
to solve problems. In Social Studies we
are discovering the four Native American
regions prior to the birth of the United
States.
I am pleased to have happy, sweet, and
eager to learn students who have been
working very hard. I look forward to an
exciting school year!

SIXTH GRADE
In 6th Grade we are working on getting
back to learning in the classroom. After
nearly a year and a half of online classes
we are super excited to be back together!
Review has been the key focus for these last
couple of weeks. Each day I see that the
students are becoming more confident and
ready to tackle new skills! Our theme for
this month has been “The Path to Success.”
We are learning about various people and
how they have accomplished their goals in
life. This has opened the door to allow each
of us to start looking down the road to our
own future. You are never too young or too
old to set new goals for yourself!

Third Grade (Continued)
They are also getting used to eating
breakfast and lunch in the classroom to
avoid contact with too many students in the
cafeteria.
Students seem to be excited to be back
in school. They are back in the swing of
learning great things.
In math they are reviewing addition and
subtraction with regrouping.
In reading they are reading three
different stories per week and answering
comprehension questions and working on
different skills. This week they are working
on Point Of View.
In Social Studies they are reading and
learning about America’s Heritage and
Culture.
They also enjoy going to their specials.
(Music, Art, P.E, Library and soon TIWA
classes)
I am truly enjoying having the students
back at school.

FOURTH GRADE
Students are extremely happy to be back
at school. They wrote about their summer
break and shared about themselves.
Social Studies they are learning about
maps, longitude, latitude, and time zones.
Science they are investigating an object
of their choice and how to make it better
(engineering).

Math has been reviewing place value,
rounding, subtraction, and addition of
multi-digit numbers.
In reading we read The Story of You and
tied it into the student’s experiences,
cultural, and their own identity.
Ms. Ortiz

FIFTH GRADE
Greetings!

I am very pleased
with how students
have adjusted to
in-person learning
by following all our
safety
guidelines.
The new norm is
wearing masks in
the classroom and
sanitizing
work
areas.

This month we
started our Reading/
Language Arts with
a humorous fictional story by Louis Sacher
and are now reading a chapter book Wayside
School Gets A Little Stranger, by the same
author. Students are identifying story
elements within each wacky chapter that
has students laughing out loud. They’ve
been working hard creating a comic strip
illustrating and captioning conflicts and
resolutions within each chapter.

Page 10

Isleta Pueblo News

September 2021

TRUANCY
Hello from the Truancy Department,
After a year of not attending school in person,
we hope that you are enjoying returning back
to school with peers and classmates. At times
it seems that it can be challenging to modify
schedules to get back into the swing of things,
but we’ll learn to adapt to all the changes that
are occurring around us.
As the school year starts, we wonder what the
future of the school year will bring, but we are
here to support our students and their families
to ensure that your children continue their
education and will continue moving forward.
The slightest change in schedules and learning
can affect most children and the outcome of
their learning; patience and understanding will
allow us all to get through the bumps in the
road as they are presented to us.
In early August, the Truancy Department
was present at the Department of Education/
Johnson O’Malley School Supply Distribution.
While there, we had the opportunity to meet
our Isleta students and their families and
shared who we are and a bit of our policies
and procedures as well as the Tribal Law and
Order Code 30-05-06 FAILURE TO SEND
A CHILD TO SCHOOL. As we’ve reassured
many of our families, we are here to help assist
and help advocate for our students so that they
do not fall behind in their studies and become
disengaged by not attending school regularly.
The Truancy Department is here to assist with
referring students and their families to the
many resources that are available within the
Pueblo of Isleta.
We also had the opportunity to request that our
parents read and sign the Truancy Department
Student Release of Information, which
allows us to request attendance for our
students. Once this release of information is
shared, we can request information and follow
up on any attendance concerns, upon referral
from your child’s school. Before we request
information, the Truancy Department will
contact the parents/guardians to notify them of
any concerns. Not only does this release give us
permission to request attendance information,
but it also allows for the Truancy Coordinators,
Administrative Assistant or the Manager to
help advocate for the student in the event the
parent/guardian is unavailable.
With this being said, the Truancy Department’s
goal is to have all Pueblo of Isleta students have
a signed Student Release of Information on
file with our office by November 2021. Please
do not hesitate to contact our office so that we
can schedule a day and time to come fill out the
release or to schedule a home visit; we can also
email the release of information at your request.
At the end of September 2021, the Truancy
Department will compile all the student names
from the Release of Information forms that we
have received, and will have a drawing for each
of the following grade levels: K – 6th,, 7th –
9th, and 10th – 12th grade. Those students who
are picked will receive either a Gen 2 Tablet or
a gift card from a local eatery.
As always, the Truancy Department Staff look
forward to making this a successful school year.
Truancy Department Staff
Yolanda, Jared, Melissa & Kaylee

September 2021

Isleta Pueblo News

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Isleta Pueblo News

Parks & Recreation Department
Things are going well for us here; our numbers are
continuing to pick up daily in all areas. All our
staff, participants and users continue to follow all
the covid safe practices for everyone’s safety. Please
make sure that each and every one of you follow any
and all required mandates centered around covid
safety. Keep in mind that these mandates are put
in place to protect you and everyone else around
you as well, let’s all continue to work together to
beat this virus.
I’m sure many of you have noticed that there have
been a few outdoor events/activities that were held
in or at the Parking lot north of the recreation
center in August. The ones that stand out are
the National Night Out and the Environmental
Drive by Event, both of these events/activities
were fairly well attended and it was good to see
people out and enjoying each other again, it was
also awesome to see everyone following all the
covid safety guidelines. It almost felt like normal
again! If we all continue to follow those guidelines,
there is a distinct possibility that you will see
more of those types of events/activities happening
in the near future. With that being said, keep an
eye open for the possibility of a Halloween event/
activity taking place. We are currently putting
together a safety plan and working on the logistics
for a Halloween event/activity. If we can get our
safety plan approved and if the covid numbers stay
low or trend downwards we should be able to have
something for Halloween. Keep in mind that if we
do get approval to have something for Halloween,
it will definitely be much smaller and very different
than anything we’ve had in the past, so keep your
eyes open for information.
PARKS MAINTENANCE SECTION
The parks crew keeps plugging along! The staff/
crew in this division quietly bust their butts on a
daily basis to keep the parks, fields and grounds
weed free and looking awesome. If you’re like me,
you probably pass by our parks and grounds every
day without giving them a second look. Do me a
favor and the next time you pass by one of our parks,
fields or grounds, take a few minutes to really look
at them and see how beautiful they look. By doing
this you can truly get a feel for the workmanship
that this group of parks maintenance workers and
staff puts in to their craft. These individuals that
work in our Parks Maintenance Division and other
staff members that work in that division honestly
take pride in their work and it shows. If you
happen upon any of our staff working out there,
please don’t hesitate to stop in and tell them thank
you for the work that they do, I know they would
appreciate it.
SPORTS SECTION
Giving you an update on the events/activities
happening at the Recreation center. We just
finished up on the first Triathlon that we sponsored.
This wasn’t a normal Triathlon, we wanted to
make it a fun type of Triathlon Challenge that
was challenging but doable for individuals that
aren’t quite triathletes. Because of the social
distancing mandate, we scheduled the times for
each participant to compete and it seemed to work
out well. We hope to have more of these types of
events in the future. We will try to post the results
from our Triathlon in next month’s newsletter. If
you are ready to play some Volleyball, we will start
taking registrations for Co-Ed Teams interested.
So call the Recreation Center and sign your team
up for the upcoming season. It will be for Tribal
Members and POI employees only. Right now
the Volleyball League starting date has not been
determined, much like all other events/activities
we will need to get a safety plan put together
and approved before we are able to determine a
starting date and get a schedule put together,

September 2021

September 2021

Isleta Pueblo News

so it might be a little while before we get
the approval. Don’t let this stop you from
signing up your team. We will be limiting
the number of teams in the league, so call
and signup your team as soon as possible.
We are also working on an upcoming 3-point
shooting contest so lace–up your shoes and
come have some fun testing your shooting
skills against other tribal members.
Registration for this event/activity begins
on August 23rd and will continue through
September 27th. Due to covid restrictions
we will have to schedule your shooting
times if you sign up for the event/activity.
Contact our Sports Coordinator George
Waquie at 869-9777 for more information
about these events, or any other upcoming
events and don’t hesitate to call Mr. Waquie
to offer your suggestions as well.

will begin in mid-September. Registration
forms are available at the front desk at the
Rec Center. Swim lesson registration is on a
first come first served basis so get your forms
in as soon as possible to reserve your child’s
spot. Lanes are available by appointment
for lap swim in 1hr increments from 6:30am
to 6:30pm, Monday through Thursday and
6:30am-5:30pm on Fridays. We would like
to encourage anyone interested to call the
Rec Center at 505-869-9777 to reserve your
lane! We are also taking applications for
lifeguards and are looking for staff for the
fall. For anyone interested in applying
or for any questions about the Lifeguard
certification or for information about swim
lessons and other aquatic programming
please call 505-869-9783.

RECREATION PROGRAM

FITNESS SECTION

After School Program – Welcome back
students! We are happy to see new faces in
the After School Program. At this time, we
have 9 active students participating in the
program and still accepting students. The
program begins from 3:00pm to 5:30pm,
Monday through Friday. When students
arrive to program they are required to do
at least 20 minutes of homework or reading
then go into an activity for the afternoon
of gym play or craft time. Now that the
pool is open, the program is scheduled to
have swim days for the students! With
COVID-19 still here, we are still practicing
the COVID-19 guidelines in the program
with social distancing, wearing masks and
proper hand washing. If you are interested
in the After School Program for your child,
call the Recreation Center and we can share
more information about the program.
Distance Learning program – At this time
we are set up again for school closures due
to the rise of Covid-19 cases in the schools.
The program offers a classroom setting
for students who are in need of Internet
services for school purposes. The hours are
from 7:30am to 3:00pm, Monday through
Friday. Students are required to do a temp
check every day, wear masks at all times
and bring the necessary school materials
needed for the day.

Page 13

The recreation center has started boot camp on Wednesday evenings starting at 5:30pm.
Everyone is welcome of all ranges of athleticism, Novice to Advanced. Boot Camp is held
outside at the North track. This is a quick and fun way to stay in shape. We look forward
to seeing new faces. With the word new faces being said, masks are not required during
outdoor exercises at this time, but that may change. If you are interested, all you have to
do is show up. No sign-ups are required but if you need more information, please call the
Recreation Center at 505-869-9777.
All other functions in the fitness areas at both Fitness West and the Recreation Center
continue as normal, masks must be worn indoors at all times, the cleaning and sanitizing
continues daily two or more times a day, staff is available for one on one training
throughout the day.
The recreation Center fitness staff is working with the assisted living facility to once
again offer basic fitness opportunities to the residents there. At this time they are going
there twice a week to work with the residents and they seem to be responding great to the
class and our fitness instructors.

Summer Recreation Program – Summer
Recreation program went well, as planned.
This summer was different for the children
and summer staff. All activities were done
with an hourly rotation schedule to various
locations of the recreation center with the
five age groups. One of the major things
we all missed was going on field trips
this summer but we had to be safe due to
COVID-19. Children and staff learned a
lot from each other from socializing more
one on one and learning new things to do
together in a group and trying to make it
more fun each day.
AQUATIC CENTER
We hope everyone is doing well and we
hope everyone is having a great start to
the school year! The summer swim lesson
sessions were a big hit! Our participants
and instructors both enjoyed themselves
and we are proud of the progress in the
participants’ skills and comfortability
in the water! Our first fall swim lesson
session filled quickly and started August
16th and will run through September 15th.
We are currently taking registration forms
for the second fall swim lesson session that

Thank you Summer staff for all your dedication working for the summer program. You
all accomplished something with the children and with yourself, a Summer memory.
Looking back from day one to the end of summer program, you learned 50 new names
with a face and a parent and a car. You listened to stories from a child that may be funny
or sad. You comforted a child when he or she has fallen and scraped their knee and put
on 10 thousand Band-Aids each day. You purchased pizza for lunch time because your
group was tired of CHICKEN! You made slime until it came out right or cleaned paint
off your arms many times. You shared your own personal things like Pokémon card
collections, basketball moves, showing how far you can throw a Frisbee, and much more.
And even helped a little one fix their shoes when they were on backwards or finding their
backpack or water bottle. And one more thing, is being there for that one child who just
wanted attention from someone and it was from you. Thank you summer staff for a being
you and making this summer great!

Isleta Pueblo News

Page 14

September 2021

Pueblo of Isleta Public Library
With summer coming to an end, the warm weather is slowly disappearing and fall is soon approaching.
It’s hard to believe how fast this year has gone with only a few months left. School is in full swing
and as you are all aware school schedules can change very quickly. The library is here to assist
students with any help they may need with student hours, computers, Wi-Fi connection or a spot to
study. The library has resources available for students of all ages to have a successful year.

News
The library will be closed on Monday,
September 6th in observance of Labor Day.
All library media checked out on September
2nd and 3rd will be due on September 7th.
We apologize for any inconvenience this
may cause. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend
and the official mark of the end of summer.
The library will be having their monthly
staff meeting on Friday, September 10th
to discuss upcoming programs and address
any questions or concerns. The holiday
months are coming up so keep a look out for
family programs, arts and crafts and much
more.
The Library is now open to all Tribal
Members, Tribal Employees and Pueblo
of Isleta Residents starting on Monday,
August 16th. All Tribal Members are free
to come in and browse our collection! We
are no longer requiring appointments for
computer usage. Masks must be worn at
all times in the library. A screening will
take place before you enter the library.
We are asking that patrons disinfect
their hands before browsing through our
collection. Disinfectant stations will be
set up throughout the library. Curbside
and library material online will still be
available to those who are not comfortable
with coming into the library just yet. To
enter the library please call 505-869-9808,
our phone number will also be posted at the
front entrance of the library. The library
will continue to adhere to all Tribal Policies
and procedures. If you have any questions
or concerns please give the library a call
and speak with a library staff member we
will be happy to answer any questions you
may have.
Join the library team, we are currently
hiring for a Library Aide I part time position.
Applications can be found at isletapueblo.

com or you can pick up an application at
the library. Applications must be submitted
to Isleta Human Resources located at the
Tribal complex. If you have any questions
regarding this position please give us a call
at 505-869-9808 and talk to a staff member.
We know it’s only September but Halloween
is around the corner! The library is already
planning for Halloween festivities. Come
check out our variety of Halloween books
ranging from costume making, scary
Halloween treats or Halloween crafts.
We also have Cake Pan bags, featuring a
pumpkin shaped pan and skull shaped pan
great for making a tasty treat like a cake or
pizza skulls for a Halloween party or just
for fun. We hope this year we can bring back
our Creepy Snacks Program. If you have an
idea or suggestion about a Halloween/Fall
program we can do at the library, please feel
free to share. Please continue to check our
social media accounts for announcements
and updates. Check out our flyer to see
what other creative examples you can do
with our cake pans.
With school back in session please be
cautious when driving around or near the
library. With students getting on and off
the bus and students walking to the library
please be aware of your surroundings. We
also have Head Start classes attending
daily story time and will be using the
sidewalk to come to the library. It is very
important that drivers watch their speed
and be cautious when driving.
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. Story time will be every Wednesday

at 10:30am. 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.
Get a Library card with the Pueblo of Isleta
Public Library and take advantage of our
FREE services. We are a PUBLIC library
and everyone is welcome to use our services.
The Library is offering a contactless
curbside service as well as computer use
by appointment only for
essential
use.
Curbside
services will be MondayThursday from 10am to 5pm
and Friday 10am to 4pm. To
check out material please
download our mobile app
Librista.
To drop off any library materials please
use our drop off box, which is located in the
front of the library. Drop off material will
be quarantined for one day, disinfected and
then checked in.
With things changing daily library staff
is closely monitoring the COVID-19
situation and as a result library programs
and services are being impacted. We will
continue to keep you updated and informed
about upcoming programs and services as
more information comes along. Below is a
list of our new hours of operation.
Library Temporary COVID-19
Hours of Operation
Monday –Thursday: 8am to 6:30pm
Friday: 8am to 4:30pm
Saturday: CLOSED
Library staff members are on site to answer
any questions or address any concerns you
may have and we are always open to any
suggestions you might have to helps us
better serve the community. Please don’t
hesitate to give us a call at 505-869-9808.

Isleta Pueblo News

September 2021

Page 15

Library Access from Home
If you ever have questions or need help
accessing our online services, please call us
at the library at 869-9808 during regular
business hours or message us on social
media (FB, Snapchat, & Instagram).
The Library’s digital services give
cardholders 24/7 free access to eBooks,
audiobooks,
music,
magazines
and
periodicals (NY Times), so you can maximize
your reading, and listening experience at
home. We’ve got you covered.
The library online services will ask you to
enter your library barcode number which is
located on the back of your library card and
a 4 digit pin or password. If you do not have
a 4 digit pin or password set up with us, you
can call the library during business hours
and a staff member can help you set that up
over the phone.

Mixed Media Adult Painting Program on
its way!
Participants learning the mixed media
painting process.

Below is a list of the digital services the
library has to offer.
To search our library collection and view
your account you can download the Librista
app on your iPhone, Android and Kindle
devices. This feature will let you see what
library material is available, let you search
our library collection and view your account.
New York Times online is now available to
our library patrons for FREE. Find breaking
news, multimedia, reviews & opinions
on Washington, business, sports, movies,
travel and so much more. New York Times
will be available on library computers,
library Wi-Fi or if you are at home on your
devices you can access through the library
website and click on the icon located on the
general library section.
The library now has LinkedIn Learning
formally known as Lynda.com, which is
FREE online training on various computer
software and programs. The LinkedIn
Learning Online Training Library is a
massive online training resource. Using
their thousands of videos, members are able
to learn – self-paced and on-demand – topics
ranging from Google, Zoom and so much
more. Members must have a Library card in
order to utilize the LinkedInLearning.com
site. The link to LinkedinLearning.com may
be found on our Library website at http://
isletapueblo.com/library.html. Just click on
the “Start Learning Click Here” button to
start your digital continuing education.
Download the mobile app Libby to start
borrowing and reading eBooks and
audiobooks for FREE. Put your library in
your pocket with Libby. To access this app
you will need your library barcode and
password.
Free Music! Take advantage of our Freegal
Music service. Log on with your library
card number and pin to start downloading
and streaming music. Library patrons
receive 3 free downloads each week and
UNLIMITED streaming of music with NO
AD interruptions. Log on to freegalmusic.
com or download the Freegal Music app. If
you have any questions about this service
or would like to set up a password please
give the library a call at 505-869-9808.
For additional help and information library
staff members have made YouTube videos
featuring the library’s digital services and
how to utilize them. Check them out by
visiting the library’s YouTube page at www.
youtube.com/user/poilibrary.

Participants with their finished product.

After School students preparing to make
something yummy!

Upcoming
With the Summer Reading Program and
Summer Meal Program concluding here
at the library our focus and attention can
now go to planning family, adult, teen,
and children programs. August was a
busy month as we were preparing for the
After School Program, updating policies
for re-opening and the library’s annual
report. Library staff will now be working
on programs to serve the community. We
are excited to share all our ideas and look
forward to seeing everyone once again
coming to the library to participate in our
programs. For upcoming programs please
follow our social media accounts (Facebook,
Instagram & Snapchat) or look for flyers
posted around the community. We also
would like to hear from you if you have any
ideas, suggestions or would like us to revisit
a certain program please give us a call and
share.

Recap
On Tuesday, August 3rd library staff set up
a booth at National Night Out at the Isleta
Recreation center. Library staff promoted
library services and got the word out on the
libraries re-opening. It was so wonderful
to see community members once again. As
a bonus visitors that stopped by received
a library bag filled with goodies such as
books and media. We also had an activity
for the kids set up, where they got to a build
a Bristle Bot by Brown Dog Gadgets. We
would like to thank everyone who stopped

National Night Out Library Booth!

After School Program students working
together to make a delicious treat!
by and we hope to see every one soon at the
library.
On Thursday, August 5th the library hosted
a Mixed Media Adult Paint program.
Participants painted a butterfly using
acrylic paint on canvas, with mixed media
such as stencils, pastels and ink. Library
intern Renee Chavez led the program in
guiding the participants step by step in
painting and using mixed media. It was
a great night to say the least and we look
forward to having more programs here
at the library. We would like to thank
everyone who signed up and participated.
For upcoming programs please keep a
look out for flyers posted throughout the
community and up to the minute post on
our social media accounts.
Our After School Program is in full swing
with students attending after school from
Isleta Elementary, Sundance Elementary
and Bosque Farms Elementary. We
currently have 15 students enrolled in
our program with transportation to the
library after school provided for Bosque
Farms Elementary students. Although
our program is currently full, we are
continuously accepting students and their
names will be put on our waiting list. For
the month of August students adjusted
to their new routine with homework and
reading. After homework and reading were
completed students participated in crafts,
activities and computer days. We are so
excited about the upcoming school year and
happy to welcome back all the students.

Page 16

Isleta Pueblo News

September 2021

September 2021

Isleta Pueblo News

Page 17

Isleta Pueblo News

Page 18

September 2021

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
Musical Bands in Isleta – Part One
Native Americans have been performing
popular music on stages for as long as pop
music has existed. Many of the first Native
performers picked up their interest in
music at Indian boarding schools. Boarding
schools offered musical instruction in
order to assimilate Indian children, but
it also gave students a means to express
themselves and often to reinforce their
tribal identities. Music allowed “Native
peoples to wield Indianness, not simply in
order to make a living, but as a weapon of
political critique.”

first “real American band” to cross the
bridge, according to Luther Standing Bear,
a Carlisle alumnus.

all Native dances and songs. The Pueblos
responded immediately by appointing a
committee composed of Tony Abeita (Isleta),
Sotero Ortiz (San Juan/Okay Owinge), and
Alcario Montoya (Cochiti), which drafted
a memorial opposing the ban on freedom
of religion grounds. The memorial was
published in newspapers across the country
and helped lead — along with opposition
to the ban from the tourist industry — to
a standoff where the ban on Pueblo dances
and songs was not enforced. The dances
continued and the songs continued, even
stronger because of the overwhelming
public support.

Luther Standing Bear, 1883,
Cumberland County Historical
Society, Carlisle, PA
Music Class at Carlisle Indian School,
1901, Frances Benjamin Johnston
Collection, Prints and Photographs
Division, Library of Congress,
LC-USZ62-71318
One of the ways this happened was through
the marching bands formed in most
boarding schools and the all-Indian bands
formed by Indian school alumni that began
playing locally, touring, developing their
own repertoire, and sometimes recording
CDs. Examples of such bands at Isleta
are the Thunderbirds, the Poor Boys, the
Westwinds, the Hamilton Streetcar Band,
and the Beltones, which morphed into the
Soultones and then back into the Beltones.

One of the first boarding school marching
bands was established at Carlisle in 1880.
They played pieces by classical composers
such as, Grieg, Schubert, and Mozart.
The Carlisle marching band played in
the inaugural parades for Presidents
William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt,
and Woodrow Wilson. It is clear that many
students thoroughly enjoyed their musical
experience. At the opening of the Brooklyn
Bridge in 1883, the Carlisle band was the

Almost all the boarding schools had
bands, music clubs, and choirs. At the
Rainy Mountain Indian School for Kiowas,
“band was one of the school’s most popular
diversions,” according to the director
who noted that the students were “more
enthusiastic and responsive in this [music]
than in any other branch of study.” In
short, they were having fun, on their own
terms, a pleasure that would carry over
into their own musical pursuits after
graduation. Some student musicians took
advantage of the extensive travel their
bands permitted, providing them a bit
of vacation from the school routine and a
chance to see other parts of the country.
For example, in 1904, the Phoenix Indian
School Band made an eleven-week tour of
California and reservations in the western
states. As historian John Troutman put it,
“these opportunities fed the passion that
many of the boys expressed for the school
bands”. Many students took their passion
for music and started their own bands back
in their home communities.

Albuquerque Indian School Band,
Leonard Abeita Collection
In the early 1900s, ethnologists worked
to preserve Native music and songs
by recording them. Then in 1923,
Commissioner of Indian Affairs Charles
Burke issued a circular attempting to ban

Tsianina Redfeather Blackstone
at her piano, George Grantham
Bain Collection,
Prints and photographs Division,
Library of Congress, negative
LC-DIG – gg bain – 30380
Promoters of New Mexico’s tourist industry,
which included ethnologist Edgar Hewett,
founder of Santa Fe’s Indian Market and the
Santa Fe Fiesta, relied heavily on Pueblo
singers and dancers to perform at both
events. Hewett also brought other Native
musical performers to New Mexico, such as
his friend Tsianina Redfeather Blackstone,
a singer from the Cherokee and Creek
Nations. Blackstone performed songs with
Native elements, written by non-Indian
composers such as Charles Wakefield
Cadman, who appropriated elements of
Native music and incorporated them into
his ballads. Blackstone met Hewett in 1915
and the two became friends. Hewett often
called upon her to perform at the Santa Fe
Fiesta, and she obliged.
Tsianina was an activist who incorporated
her political beliefs into her performances.
Some might say that Tsianina was a willing
partner in Cadman’s appropriation of Native
music which compromised her activism,
and there is some truth to this position. But
it is also true that Blackstone’s political
activism helped lead to the Indian reform
movement. She was also the forerunner
of Native activist singer-songwriters like
Buffy Sainte-Marie.

September 2021
Musical Bands in Isleta – Part Two
There has always been music at Isleta. Most
importantly are the songs accompanying
ceremonial dances, some of which have
been recorded. At the photo exhibit, Time
Exposures, at the Isleta casino, some of
these songs can be heard. Other traditional
songs include lullabies such as the one
Maria Chiwiwi sang for archeologist Janet
Montgomery-McGovern prior to 1932.

Maria Chiwiwi, Janet MontgomeryMcGovern, photographer
However, the subject of this article are the
bands that grew up in the 1960s and 1970s
as a result of the explosion of rock and roll,
country-western, and soul music at that
time. Among the bands we will discuss are
the Thunderbirds, the Isleta Poor Boys,
and the Beltones, which morphed into the
Soultones around 1967 when soul music
came to Isleta.
These Isleta bands were a response to
the changes in the national music scene
when artists such as the Beatles, Hank
Williams, and the Rolling Stones could be
heard on records, TV, in live performances,
and on the radio. Isletan Norman Jojola,
a member of the Isleta Poor Boys band,
recalled how teenagers and younger kids
would gather around a radio and listen to
the latest music. Some got together and
formed garage bands, using the musical
training they received in school. Often the
band leaders would learn all the parts of a
song by ear, just by listening to it on the
radio. These bands would start practicing
and then began to play at bars, weddings,
graduations, and feast day evenings. As
Norman tells it, “It went from a hobby to
a job.”
The Isleta Poor Boys had a fabled history,
going from a small garage band to
recording a record in Nashville, Tennessee
in the famous Sun Studios where Elvis
Presley recorded. The first Poor Boys band
consisted of Clarence Jojola, lead guitar
and singer; Charles Lente, vocals; Melvin
Anzara, lead guitar; Tony Jaramillo, bass
guitar; and Raymond Abeita, drums. When
Charles Lente and Ray Abeita left the
band, Clarence called Norman Jojola and
asked him to join the band on the drums.
Norman was hesitant because he played
rock and roll, and the Poor Boys played
country western. Clarence, as band leader,
encouraged Norman and helped him make
the transition, which was relatively easy.
Norman Jojola played with the Poor Boys
from around 1980 to 1985. Initially they
started out playing for local weddings,
graduations, New Year’s Eve parties, and
in local bars, also for dances in the evenings
of the annual feast day. In 1980, the Isleta

Isleta Pueblo News
Poor Boys entered the local Battle of the
Bands competition, sponsored by Seagram’s
7 Whisky.

The Isleta Poor Boys
left to right (top): Phillip Riley (bass),
unknown musician, Norman Jojola
(drums); left to right (bottom): Bob
Emmeret (banjo), Clarence Jojola
(lead vocal, rhythm guitar), Tony
Jaramillo (steel guitar)
After winning the regional competition, the
Poor Boys entered the statewide competition.
The finals were held in Albuquerque at the
Caravan East Bar with a panel of judges.
Unlike some of the bands, the Poor Boys did
not have any special outfits. Norman Jojola
remembers that the band members joked,
“what are we going to do if we win?” In fact,
they did win, and they were off to Nashville
for the international competition. Norman
said that Nashville reminded him of Santa
Fe, and he felt right at home. The band
members met a lot of studio musicians in
Nashville and learned a lot about technique
just by watching them. The Poor Boys did
not win the competition but were able to
record a 45-rpm record of two of their songs
at Sun Studios during the finals of the
International Battle of the Bands, October
12 to 17, 1981.
The sponsors required that the bands time
their sets to last as close to twelve minutes
as possible, and that each band include an
original song featuring Seagram’s 7 in the
lyrics. The whisky-makers were apparently
hoping one of those songs would be a hit so
they would get even more exposure for their
sponsorship. The Isleta Poor Boys complied
when Clarence wrote the song, “Seagram’s
7.” The band recorded a 45-rpm single with
the Seagram’s song, and another called
“She’s Mine” by Tony Jaramillo. The Poor

The Isleta Poor Boys Seagram’s Battle
of the Bands 45 rpm Record

Page 19
Boys learned a lot from other musicians
in Nashville. They met country stars such
as Loretta Lynn and, according to longtime band member Tony Jaramillo, the
Poor Boys began to take themselves more
seriously. They practiced more, polished
their act, and even returned to Nashville to
play some gigs the next year. All in all, the
Nashville trip was a great success for the
Poor Boys from Isleta.
In 2015, Clarence’s wife Grace asked the
remaining Poor Boys to get together once
again to play at a memorial for Clarence who
had died the previous year. They agreed.
Charles Lente was recruited as lead singer
because none of the other band members
could sing. Grace gave the reformed band a
list of twelve songs to play, but they needed
to come up with forty songs for a threehour set. The band members remembered
many of their songs and it was easy to pick
them up again according to band member
Norman Jojola. The memorial was held at
the Isleta Community Center. They enjoyed
playing together again so they started
performing as the Dirt Road Band. They
practiced about twice a week as they had
earlier and played at the same venues as
in the past (weddings, bars, etc.). When the
Dirt Road Band made a CD, their music
became popular again can sometimes be
heard on Gallup radio stations. Who knows,
after COVID is over, the Dirt Road Band,
aka the Isleta Poor Boys, may play at a
venue near you.

Dirt Road Band CD Cover

• • •
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. We will soon
be publishing on our social media platforms
so be on the lookout for that content. Again,
any information is greatly appreciated and
will not be used without your permission.
Thank you!

Isleta Pueblo News

Page 20

September 2021

NEWSLETTER
ISLETA POLICE DEPARTMENT
SEPTEMBER – 2021
Another month gone! Children back in
school, Labor Day around the corner and
Fall (September 22, 2021) will be upon us
in no time.

2021
The Isleta Police Department hosted the
Second Annual National Night Out August
3, 2021 at the Isleta Recreation Center. As
taken from the natw.org:
“National Night Out culminates annually
on the first Tuesday in August. National
Night Out enhances the relationship between
neighbors and law enforcement while
bringing back a true sense of community.
Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity
Potato Sack Races: Who is the masked badge
wearing person? Did he win?

to bring police and neighbors together under
positive circumstances.
The best way to build a safer community is to
know your neighbors and your surroundings.
National Night Out triumphs over a culture
that isolates us from each other and allows
us to rediscover our own communities.”
We thank Governor Abeita for opening
the event with prayer at our event and
interacting with the departments and
attendees throughout the evening.
The turnout was encouraging particularly
after being through the COVID-19 pandemic
restrictions and not having the event in
2020. Safety guidelines were established
and maintained by everyone. Thank you
all for your cooperation and help in keeping
our community safe during this event!
Games and activities such as basketball,
potato sack races, horseshoes and corn hole
were available and it appeared everyone,
to include some IPD officers, had a great

time. Departments turned out as well to
set up information booths and interacted
with the community to include our Animal
Control Officers, IPD Dispatch personnel,
Health Center, Human Resources, Head
Start, Department of Education, Natural
Resources, Isleta Police Department, IPD
Prosecutor’s Office, Recreation Center Fire
Department, Isleta EMS to name a few.
Prizes were given away during the raffle
ticket drawing with many donations from
community businesses and individuals as
well as outside businesses.
Many thanks to all for your help in making
this event such a success. The NNO 2021
Planning Committee cannot thank all of
you enough.
Isleta Truancy Staff worked diligently to
prepare the meal bags which were handed
out to those who attended and we thank
you!

September 2021

STAY INFORMED!
During the National Night Out 2021 Event
information was disseminated regarding
the new text messaging system to keep
everyone informed of important events
or incidents in the Pueblo. Though not
everyone has signed up it seems those who
have were notified of the Tribal Services
Complex being closed on the day of the water
main break as well as an individual who
was running from police last month. This
is proving to be an effective tool for getting
important information out to the community
and employees.
When the community
is informed about these incidents it aids
the Police Department in their ability to
focus attention on the matter at hand and
saves time if the community knows of a
dangerous situation and implements safety
precautions. An example was the incident
mid August when a wanted person was on
foot running through the Bosque eluding
police. A text message alert was sent out to
those who have the application and many
took necessary precautions.

Isleta Pueblo News

Open Space are not a separate entity but
a division of the Police Department and
perhaps there have been a few misnomers
about their duties. They are fully certified
and possess law enforcement powers to
stop, arrest and prosecute for crimes or
traffic offenses committed. They have the
authority to conduct traffic stops, issue
citations, handle criminal matters and
process these incidents appropriately
(arrest or summons and prosecute). These
officers no longer merely handle offenses
that occur in open space areas, and with
that said some community members may
see Open Space Units patrolling within the
Pueblo as well. All of these officers have
attended basic police academy training, are
certified and have been cross-commissioned
with other agencies.
They must also
maintain their certifications with required
biennium training annually. We thank
them for their service and dedication!

“Hello everyone!
This is Christopher
Padilla, Supervisor of the Isleta Police
Communications Division I. I would first
like to thank all my dispatchers for their hard
work and dedication they have provided to
the community and Departments as well as
their patience.

SCHOOL IS BACK IN SESSION
The Open Space Division, formerly known
as Wildland, works in conjunction with
the Isleta Police Department and will
assist IPD not only during special events
but whenever called upon. The Officers of

are observing the bus stop areas and will
be watching for person(s) who violate
traffic laws and present safety issues to the
children boarding and deboarding school
buses.

ISLETA POLICE
COMMUNICATIONS

We recently had our 911 system upgraded
to a system titled Motorola Callworks.
This system makes our job much easier
when receiving landline and 911 calls. Our
mapping system which was installed in the
program was also updated and now can
be used much like the application Google
Earth. This program provides us with the
Tribal roads and house numbers. I am
working closely with Anthony Skelton (GIS)
to help keep the mapping and addressing
updated”.

OPEN SPACE OFFICERS

Page 21

The children have been back in school for
almost a month and after being in virtual
classrooms for the last year, were excited
to see their friends and teachers. So keep
in mind children are walking, bicycling and
boarding school buses to get to their schools.
Isleta Police Department has officers who

As the cartoon above suggests when a school
bus stops to pick up or drop off children
their emergency lights will be illuminated
and the stop sign will be extended. Please
STOP! We have seen individuals who try to
drive around the bus as they see no children
crossing. This will definitely earn you
a citation. The purpose of the lights and
sign are to provide safety for the children
and you. There are multiple blinds spots
when you attempt to pass the bus and you
could hit an oncoming vehicle or strike an
innocent child.
(Continued Next Page)

Page 22

Isleta Pueblo News

ISLETA POLICE DEPT. (Con’t)
Children are sometimes unpredictable and
could be speaking with friends and suddenly
decide to dart across the street to get home
but that is the purpose of the warning
signals/sign – OBEY THEM PLEASE! Too
many tragedies have occurred nationwide
because drivers assume they can just drive
around.

Get On and Off Safely

Following below are some safe practices
guides for parents and drivers as published
by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA)

Your child should never walk behind a
school bus. If your child must cross the
street in front of the bus, tell him/her to
walk on a sidewalk or along the side of the
street to a place at least five giant steps (10
feet) in front of the bus before crossing. Your
child should also make eye contact with the
bus driver before crossing to make sure the
driver can see him/her. If your child drops
something near the school bus, like a ball
or book, the safest thing is for your child to
tell the bus driver right away. Your child
should not try to pick up the item, because
the driver might not be able to see him/her.

Bus Stop Safety
BEST PRACTICES GUIDE
REDUCING THE ILLEGAL PASSING
OF SCHOOL BUSES
The greatest risk to your child is not riding a
bus, but approaching or leaving one. Before
your child goes back to school or starts school
for the first time, it’s important for you and
your child to know traffic safety rules. Teach
your child to follow these practices to make
school bus transportation safer.

FOR PARENTS
RELATED TOPIC
PEDESTRIAN SAFETY
Safety Starts at the Bus Stop
Your child should arrive at the bus stop at
least five minutes before the bus is scheduled
to arrive. Visit the bus stop and show your
child where to wait for the bus: at least three
giant steps (six feet) away from the curb.
Remind your child that the bus stop is not a
place to run or play.

When the school bus arrives, your child
should wait until the bus comes to a complete
stop, the door opens, and the driver says it’s
okay before approaching the bus door. Your
child should use the handrails to avoid
falling.
Use Caution Around the Bus

FOR DRIVERS
Make school bus transportation safer for
everyone by following these practices:
•
When backing out of a driveway or
leaving a garage, watch out for children
walking or bicycling to school.
•
When driving in neighborhoods with
school zones, watch out for young people who
may be thinking about getting to school, but
may not be thinking of getting there safely.
•
Slow down. Watch for children
walking in the street, especially if there are
no sidewalks in neighborhood.

September 2021

•
Watch for children playing and
congregating near bus stops.
•
Be alert. Children arriving late for
the bus may dart into the street without
looking for traffic.
•
Learn and obey the school bus laws
in your state, as well as the "flashing signal
light system" that school bus drivers use to
alert motorists of pending actions:
o
Yellow flashing lights indicate the
bus is preparing to stop to load or unload
children. Motorists should slow down and
prepare to stop their vehicles.
o
Red flashing lights and extended
stop arms indicate the bus has stopped
and children are getting on or off. Motorists
must stop their cars and wait until the red
lights stop flashing, the extended stop-arm
is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving
before they can start driving again.
•
School Bus Driver In-Service
Curriculum – Regular training is important
for school bus drivers to stay up-to-date on
the latest industry standards and to help
them maintain and improve the safety
of children in and around the school bus.
NHTSA is now offering an improved School
Bus Driver In-Service Curriculum.
The Isleta Police Department asks motorists
and parents of children riding buses to help
us keep them safe. Provide good safety
practices for children when boarding, riding
and de-boarding school buses.

KEEP ISLETA SAFE AND
STRONG TOGETHER!!

Isleta Health Center Optometry
Digital Eye Strain
Dr. Mitchel Anderson,
OD, Optometrist
Phone: 505-869-4080

We are using screens now more than ever before.
Many of us use our computer screens at work and
spend much of our spare time on our TVs, phones
or tablets. This can be a wonderful thing, but there
are also potential side effects. One of the effects
of increased screen time is that it can bother our
eyes, a recent term has been coined for this:
“Digital Eye Strain”. Our eyes feel strained due to
the background light from the devices, and due
to small muscles inside our eyes that are working
hard to keep us focused on the devices in front of
us.
The Optometry Times and many eye-care
professionals have recently created a simple rule
to help combat this Digital Eye Strain. They call it
the 20-20-20 Rule; this means that for every 20
minutes you spend on a digital screen, you should
take a 20-second break to look at something at
least 20 feet away. Oftentimes, our eyes feel most
relaxed when we let them rest for a moment and
just look into the distance. If you can actively
remember to take short breaks from staring at
screens throughout your day, your eyes will thank
you. Especially if you are feeling eyestrain or
fatigue at the end of the day, this is something you
should implement into your daily routine. Vision is
such an important part of our lives, let’s remember
to take care of our eyes so they can take care of
us for many more years to come.
Isleta Health Center
Optometry Department

September 2021

Isleta Pueblo News

Page 23

ISLETA HEALTH CENTER
PURCHASE REFERRED CARE
(PRC)
•

PRC staff will meet with patients for
urgent issues in the clinic lobby.

•

Patients are required to call PRC for all
ER/Urgent Care notifications within
72 hours of visit, numbers are listed below.

•

Leaving a voicemail over the weekend/
holiday is an acceptable notification
• When leaving a voicemail please provide
the following information:

Name

Date of Birth

Hospital/Clinic visited

Reason for visit

If you have any follow-up appointments

•
Patients are required to call PRC for ALL
scheduled appointments (i.e., procedures, tele-med
and in-person visits).
•
Referrals will be faxed directly to the requested
facility. If a patient is requesting a referral, it will
be mailed to the address listed in the patient’s chart,
unless otherwise requested by the patient. Please
ensure we have the correct address and contact
information on file.
•
Patient bills may be faxed, emailed, mailed or
dropped off with the triage nurse in the lobby area.
Please include your date of birth on the bill.
The PRC department is experiencing a high call
volume and may be difficult to reach, if your call goes
to voicemail please leave a detailed message including
your name, date of birth, and phone number where
you can be contacted and PRC Staff will return your
call in a timely manner.

Contact Information for PRC Staff
Erin Cooeyate, Manager:
erin.cooeyate@islclinic.net

505-869-4488

Renee Lujan (A-K Clerk)
renee.lujan@ISLCLINIC.NET

505-869-4862

Antoinette Peralta (L-Z Clerk):
aperalta@ISLCLINIC.NET

505-869-4396

PRC Fax Number:

505-869-4881

Please Remember:
Referrals are good for only one visit. It
is important to contact PRC for any follow-up
appointments you may have.
When registering at the facility for your
medical appointment, please make sure to have
Isleta Health Clinic listed as payor of last resort.
This will help to avoid bills sent directly to you.
However, in the event you do receive a bill, please
bring it to PRC for processing.
Please make sure your address, phone
number, and insurance are up to date. The correct
information is important when referrals are
provided to your healthcare facility.

Page 24

Isleta Pueblo News

September 2021

Isleta Behavioral Health Clinic
September Awareness Month: Addiction Recovery

ACES, Health Outcomes and Hope
In recognition of Substance Addiction Recovery
Awareness, the following is information provided to
community to help understand what ACES (Adverse
Childhood Experiences) are, how they affect us,
and potential solutions to address illnesses such as
Addiction.
Adverse childhood experiences are lived experiences,
that may be or have been traumatic in childhood, and
adolescent years, from the ages of 0 – 17 years of age.
Such experiences or toxic stressors can be filtered
into three main areas: Abuse, Neglect and Household
Dysfunction.
1.

Abuse – experiencing physical, emotional or
physical abuse.

2.

Neglect – physical or emotional neglect.

3.

Household Dysfunction – experience to
Domestic Violence (sometimes community/
neighborhood violence), divorce,
family living with mental or substance
use disorder, incarceration or family suicidal
ideations (attempts, or death by suicide).

The examples above are not meant to be a complete
list of adverse experiences; many other factors may
be considered traumatic experiences that could affect
health and overall wellbeing.
Scientific studies show ACE’s have a direct correlation
to and are closely linked to chronic health issues,
mental health disorders, and substance use disorders
in adulthood. ACEs also negatively influence
employment- job opportunities, job sustainability,
education-high school, secondary or trade school.
The science of stress and impacts it has on us. Not
all stress is bad. Some types of stress is healthy
and positive because it prepares us to respond to
temporary challenges in our lives. Things such as
running a race, starting new employment, birth of a
new child, starting a new school. Our stress response
activates and then quickly returns to baseline. More
intense situations or longer lasting stressors can be
tolerable only if we have support systems in our lives
to help us cope. If we do not have support, severe or
frequent exposure to certain types of stress can have
a ‘toxic’ effect on the body and brain. Common brain
science tells us these areas of the brain are impacted,
hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, amygdala and brain
connections. The effects on hippocampus leads
to depression/anxiety, impairment in learning and
memory. Effects on prefrontal cortex and amygdala
are lead to irregularities in emotional processing and
self-regulation.
The impacts of ACEs can be negative to one’s life,
including the family. Behavioral changes happen,
which includes Substance abuse and misuse, mental
health disorders, chronic health diseases (heart,
lungs), diabetes or cancer. There is hope! Hope that
we can lead healthy and fulfilling lives, for ourselves,
families, communities—and generations to come.
We have the ability to be resilient, as it relates to
brain functionality. Our brains are malleable (ability
to change through experience) and resilience is the
ability to thrive, adapt and cope despite tough and
stressful times, and is an ideal counterbalance to
ACEs. Also, to be able to provide a nurturing, safe
and stable environment, help children learn to cope
with adversity, reduce a child’s ACE exposure, and
build everlasting coping skills. ACEs work through
experience, not only just exposure.
Recovery from addiction is reliant on one’s ability
to accept the substance use as an issue. But also
to the extent of how or if maybe adverse childhood
experiences are responsible—at least in part—for
substance use disorder (or that of a loved one). By
getting help through treatments, ACEs from the past
can be addressed and help you chart a new course
toward the future.

September 2021

Isleta Pueblo News

Page 25

September

Isleta Elder Home Delivered Meals
Monday

Tuesday

IMPORTANT REMINDERS!!

Please call by 9 AM
to cancel Home Delivered Meals.

Thank you.

9/6/2021

**CENTER CLOSED**

9/13/2021

BBQ Chicken

Boneless chicken thigh 3 oz.
California vegetables 1 c
BBQ sauce 1 oz.
Dinner Roll
Fruit cup 1/2 c
09-0-21

Macaroni Stew

Ground beef 3 oz
Elbow pasta 1 c
Stewed tomato 1/2 c
Mixed vegetable 1/2 c
Fresh fruit
9/27/2021
Ham and Broccoli Casserole
Ham 3 oz
Rice 1/2 c
Broccoli 1 c
Shredded cheddar .5 oz
WW crackers
Fruit cup 1/2 c

9/7/2021
Beans w/Green Chile
Pinto beans 1/2 c
Green chile 1/2 c
Corn bread
Fruit cup 1/2 c

9/14/2021

Spaghetti w/ Meat sauce
Ground beef or pork 3 oz
Marinara sauce 1/2 c
WW noodle 1 c
Italian vegtables 1/2 c

Fruit cup 1/2 c
9/21/2021

Beef Tacos

Ground Beef 4oz
Lettuce/Tomato 2oz
Cheese 1oz
Spanish Rice 1/2c
Chuckwagon 1/2c
9/28/2021

Tortilla Burger
Beef patty 3 oz
Sliced American cheese .5 oz
Lettuce/tomato/onion 2oz.
WW tortilla
Tater tots 1/2 c
Fresh fruit

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

9/1/2021

9/2/2021

9/3/2021

Grilled Ham and Cheese

Shredded ham 2 oz
Sliced cheddar cheese 1 oz
WW bread
Peas/carrots 1/ 2c
Fresh fruit
9/8/2021

Ranch Chicken Wrap
Baked chicken 3 oz
Romaine 1 c
Carrot coins 1 c
WW tortilla
Fruit cup 1/2 c

9/15/2021

Vegetable stew

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken 3 oz
Mixed vegetables 1/2 c
Biscuit
Fruit cup 1/2 c

9/9/2021

Sloppy Joe
Ground beef 3 oz
Sloppy joe mix 1/2 c
WW bun
Sweet potato tots 1/2 c
Cottage cheese w/ peaches 1/2 c

Egg Salad Sandwich

Hard boiled egg 2 ea
Croissant 2 oz
Carrot coin 1 c
Fruit cup 1/2 c

Pintos 1/2 c
Cheddar cheese 1/2 c
Carrots 1/2c
Roasted potato wedge 1/2 c
Fruit cup 1/2 c

Breaded chicken patty 3 oz
Mashed potato 1/2 c
Vegetable melody 1/2 c
Chicken gravy 1 oz
Fresh fruit

9/29/2021

Potato Stew

Ground Pork 3 oz
Potato 1/2 c
Tortilla
Red Chile
Fruit 1/2c

Ham slice 3 oz
Yams 1/2 c
Steamed broccoli 1/2 c
Cherry cobbler 1/2 c

9/10/2021

Red Chile Enchiladas

Ground beef 2 oz.

Shred Monterey jack cheese 1 oz.

Red chile puree 1/4 c
Capri vegetables 1/2 c

Corn tortilla 2 oz.
Fresh fruit

9/16/2021

Beef 3 oz
Carrots 1/4 c
Green beans 1/4 c
Peas 1/4 c
WW roll
Fresh fruit
9/22/2021

Bean and Cheese Burrito

Baked Ham

9/23/2021

Country Chicken w/Gravy

9/30/2021

Beef Strognoff
Beef 3 oz
WW pasta 1/2 c
Gravy 1 oz
Italian Vegetable 1/2c
Fresh fruit

**Menus are subject to change without notice, based on the availability of products.**

9/17/2021

Meat Loaf

Ground beef 3 oz
Mashed potato 1/2 c
California Blend 1/2c
Brown gravy 1 oz
WW roll
9/24/2021

Hot Dogs

Beef frank 3 oz
WW bun
Baked Beans 1/2c
Broccoli 1/2c

Apple crisp 1/2 c

Page 26

Isleta Pueblo News

Know Your Numbers, You Are Important,
You Are Worth It

HEALTHY AGING

September 2021

HEALTH BEAT:

What to Do if you Know Someone
Is Having Suicidal Thoughts

Kaylee Chavez, Case Manager,
Stephanie Barela, Health Educator
Isleta Behavioral Health Services
Phone: 505-869-4479
https://www.unicityhealthcare.com/celebrating-healthy-aging- Phone: 505-869-5475
month-during-september/
National Suicide Prevention week is September 5th-11th. What
Thanks to improvements in medicine and health, we live longer lives a great time to learn what to do if you know someone is having
now. As such, it is even more important than ever before to develop suicidal thoughts. Safety and protection trumps confidentiality
healthy habits as we age. A great time to start building these habits in any crisis. If a person poses a danger to self or others, ask the
is in September, since it is Healthy Aging Month. This national focus person directly if he or she (1) is having suicidal thoughts, (2)
is to direct national attention on the positive aspects of growing older. has a plan to do so, and (3) has access to lethal means.
This campaign is a way to help others become aware of their physical Some questions that you can ask include:
and mental health, diet, social skills and even financial situations, which
1. Are you thinking about killing yourself?
are all factors that contribute to successful aging. According to www.
2. Have you ever tried to hurt yourself before?
unicityhealthcare.com, this month “encourages people to act how you feel
3. Do you think you might try to hurt yourself today?
— instead of acting your age! This month also encourages our seniors
4. Have you thought of ways that you might hurt yourself?
to take charge of their well-being, by aging with a healthy body (physical
5. Do you have pills/weapons in the house?
health) and a healthiest mind (mental health)”. Learn these tips to make
You cannot predict death by suicide, but you can identify people
the most of this month:
who are at increased risk for suicidal behavior and refer them
•
Get Moving
to effective treatment. Take seriously all suicide threats and
Get up and get moving. It is important to simply just get up and be all suicide attempts and act by seeking help. If you think an
active. If you are not used to being active, you can start with simply individual may harm him or herself, do not leave the person
just walking 10-15 minutes, 3 or 4 times a week and then increase alone. If you or someone you know exhibits any suicidal behavior,
as you go. It is important to consult your doctor before starting an please seek help. The numbers listed below are resources that
exercise routine and start out slowly to allow for plenty of time to get can assist with crises related to suicide:
used to each level of activity. If you are a little more active already, try
>
HAVEN Behavioral Health Hospital, 505- 254-4564
taking up tennis or go to the Rec Center and swim or use the exercise
equipment. Even just gardening, cleaning your house or turning on
>
Presbyterian Anna Kaseman Hospital, 505-291-2121
the radio and dancing for a song or two, can get your heart rate up and
>
UNM Emergency Room, 505-272-2111
improve your health.
>
UNM Psychiatric Emergency, 505-272-2800
•
Maintain A Healthy Diet
As we age, our metabolism slows down, causing us to need fewer
>
New Mexico Crisis and Access Line, 1-855-662-7474
calories. Adding this to the fact that many Americans tend to eat larger
>
UNM Children’s Psychiatric Hospital, 505-272-2890
portions than recommended, because many of us are not aware of
proper portion sizes, this over eating leads to obesity. Obesity can lead
 911
to even bigger health concerns, such as, diabetes or heart disease.
If you have any other questions or would like additional
Healthy eating is a big part of staying healthy. Here are a few things information, please contact Isleta Behavioral Health Clinic at
505-869-5475.
to remember:
o Eat at least 5 or more fruits and vegetables (USDA recommendation)
●
Increasing the amount of fresh vegetables in our diet
is an easy way to feel full without many calories.
●
Your plate should have slightly less than one-quarter
proteins (lean meat, fish, poultry or legumes) and
fruits, slightly more than one-quarter grains
and vegetables.
●
Additionally, stay hydrated by drinking a lot of water, at
least 6-8 glasses per day.
•

Stay Social

Those people who have a sedentary lifestyle and do not interact with
friends and family, tend to have more health issues and isolation can
lead to depression, so reach out to your friends and family. Make a
point to call someone you have not spoken with in a long time and don’t
be afraid to make new friends. Instead of feeling lonely and bored
reach out and invite friends and family over! Just by interacting with
and talking to someone daily, you will do your mind and mental health
a world of good.
•
Balance Both Your Body & Mind
Keep your mind active by reading the newspaper or doing a puzzle.
According to unicityhealthcare.com, “keeping your mind active and
engaged may ward off brain chemistry changes that could lead to
Alzheimer’s disease. Working on puzzles or reading books are also
great for the mind and will help reduce stress that comes with aging
problems. You can even take up a new creative hobby! For your body,
perhaps practice yoga to improve your flexibility and balance. It is also
great for the mind and will help reduce stress that comes with aging
problems.”
•
Get Regular Check-Ups And Yearly Physicals
Don’t skip your regular medical appointments and make sure to
schedule tests your doctor recommends (vision, dentist and physician).
If you are not feeling well, do not wait for it to go away. While you don’t
need to visit the doctor for every ailment, know yourself and your body
well enough to detect if there is something out of the ordinary. Many
diseases can be prevented when caught early if you remain diligent
about your health. Take medications and vitamins/supplements as
prescribed in order to ensure you are feeling your best.

Transportation Providers Servicing
Isleta Pueblo
Isleta CHR Program
(505) 869-4485
Fee: Free for Tribal members residing within the reservation
Non-emergency, scheduled medical appointments
ADA accessible || 48-hour notice
Did you know your MCO or Insurance Provider can help you find
transportation to your non-emergency medical appointments too?
We encourage you to call your insurance provider to find out. Most
member service lines are available to help you plan your ride to
your medical visits Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Western Sky Community Care: (844) 543-8996
Presbyterian Health Plan: (505) 923-5200
Blue Cross Blue Shield: (866) 689-1523
Rio Metro
(505) 352-3595
Fee: None
ADA accessible
24-48 hour notice
Sun Van
(505) 243-7433
Fee: 60+ free | $2 one-way
ADA accessible
72-hour notice
Triple D
(505) 881-7433
Fee: Direct Medicaid
ADA accessible
24-hour notice

We Care Transport
(505) 343-4300
Fee: Insurance based
ADA accessible
2-week notice
Department of Senior
Affairs
(505) 764-6400
Fee: 60+ free
ADA accessible
7-day notice

If you need assistance navigating or scheduling with another
transportation provider, please call (505) 869-4485

September 2021

Isleta Pueblo News

Page 27

Isleta Behavioral Health Clinic
September Awareness Month: Addiction Recovery

The Importance of Support during
Recovery
If you’re a friend or family member of someone in recovery
from addiction, you may want to know what you can do
to support your loved one. You want to be helpful and
supportive, but you may feel unsure of the best approach.
Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits all type of answer,
but the tips provided in this article are a great starting
point.
Supporting vs. Enabling: What’s the Difference?
First, it is necessary to differentiate supportive versus
enabling behaviors.
Support differs from enablement in the following ways:
•
•

It offers help, but not at the expense of
your own needs.
It does not shield the person in recovery
from the consequences of their actions, but holds
them accountable.

Tips for Supporting a Loved One During Their Recovery
1. Take care of yourself first.
When supporting a person in recovery, it can be easy
to begin placing the needs of your loved one above your
own. This results in a lack of self-care, increased illness
and weakened mental health. By ensuring your own
physical, emotional, and mental needs are met, you
are in a better space to be able to help your loved one
through the difficult journey of recovery.

Mapof Village Sewer Line Improvement Project

2. Remember that they’re still human.
Addiction is a disease. This disease has the power to
distort our value system prioritizing substance use
above all else. It is OK to get frustrated or angry with
your loved one, but be wary of treating the person like
an outcast or a disgrace to the family. This can shame
your loved one and interfere with them reaching out for
support.
3. Be careful to not use your love and comfort
as a weapon.
Being in a close relationship with someone who is
actively recovering from substance misuse can be very
challenging. But saying things like, “If you loved me,
you’d quit,” is destructive behavior that almost always
backfires. Instead, remind your loved one often that you
are willing to be their recovery support and that they’re
not alone.
4. Help create a sober peer network
Recovery from addiction requires major lifestyle
changes, including reevaluating social circles.
Maintaining sobriety means less time spent with people
who use alcohol or drugs, and more time with people
who support their sobriety. This takes time, but in the
end, it results in better, more rewarding relationships.
5. Educate yourself.
As with any other chronic illness, the more informed
you are the better you will be able to support your loved
one. You can help them, and yourself, by educating
yourself.
If you would like additional resources on the topic of
recovery, support, enablement or have any questions,
please contact us at 505-869-5475.

Isleta Pueblo News
Editor:
Nathaniel Lujan
Asst. Editor:
Diane Abeita
Published By:
Valencia Express

Isleta Pueblo News

Page 28

MONDAY

SAT/SUN

TUESDAY

DPP=Diabetes Prevention Program:
869-4595

ISLETA HEALTH SUPPORT
GROUP

BHS=Behavioral Health Services :

End of Life Issues/Hospice
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Isleta Health Training Center
RSVP by September 13th

SEPTEMBER IS
SUICIDE PREVENTION

Contact Stephanie Barela
869-4479
sbarela@islclinic.net

AWARENESS MONTH

4/5

6

7
The Ripple Effect : 9:00 12:00pm For more information
please call: 869-5475
Afterschool Peacemaking
Collaborative Program: 3:305pm For more information
please call: 869-5475

11/12

13
The Ripple Effect : 9:00 - 12:00pm
For more information please call:
869-5475

18/19

20
The Ripple Effect : 9:00 - 12:00pm
For more information please call:
869-5475

25/26

14
The Ripple Effect : 9:00 12:00pm For more information
please call: 869-5475
Afterschool Peacemaking
Collaborative Program: 3:305pm For more information
please call: 869-5475

21
The Ripple Effect : 9:00 12:00pm For more information
please call: 869-5475
Afterschool Peacemaking
Collaborative Program: 3:305pm For more information
please call: 869-5475

WEDNESDAY

1

The Ripple Effect : 9:00 - 12:00pm
For more information please call:
869-5475
Wellbriety Group: 11:00 -12:00pm
For more Information please call:
869-5475

September 2021

THURSDAY
2

FRIDAY
3

CLINIC OPENS AT 9:50am

ICAP Sewing Class - 5:007:00pm @IHC
Afterschool Peacemaking
CLINIC
OPENS
AT 9:50am
Collaborative Program: 3:30-5pm Training
Center.
For more
For more information please call:
information please call: 869869-5475
5475

8

The Ripple Effect : 9:00 - 12:00pm
For more information please call:
869-5475
Wellbriety Group: 11:00 -12:00pm
For more Information please call:
869-5475

10

9
CLINIC OPENS AT 9:50am

ICAP Sewing Class - 5:007:00pm @IHC
Training
Center.
For more
Afterschool Peacemaking
CLINIC
OPENS
AT 9:50am
Collaborative Program: 3:30-5pm information please call: 869For more information please call:
5475
869-5475

15

The Ripple Effect : 9:00 - 12:00pm .
For more information please call:
869-5475
Wellbriety Group: 11:00 -12:00pm >
For more Information please call:
869-5475

16

17

CLINIC OPENS AT 9:50am

ICAP Sewing Class - 5:007:00pm @IHC
Afterschool Peacemaking
Training
Center.
For more
CLINIC
OPENS
AT 9:50am
Collaborative Program: 3:30-5pm information please call: 869For more information please call:
5475
869-5475

22

The Ripple Effect : 9:00 - 12:00pm
For more information please call:
869-5475
Wellbriety Group: 11:00 -12:00pm
For Information please call: 869-5475

23

24

CLINIC OPENS AT 9:50am

ICAP Sewing Class - 5:007:00pm @IHC
Afterschool Peacemaking
Training Center. For more
Collaborative Program: 3:30-5pm information please call: 869For more information please call:
5475OPENS AT 9:50am
CLINIC
869-5475

27

28

29

The Ripple Effect : 9:00 - 12:00pm
For more information please call:
869-5475

The Ripple Effect : 9:00 12:00pm For more information
please call: 869-5475
Afterschool Peacemaking
Collaborative Program: 3:305pm For more information
please call: 869-5475

The Ripple Effect : 9:00 - 12:00pm
For more information please call:
869-5475
Wellbriety Group: 11:00 -12:00pm
For Information please call: 869-5475

Afterschool Peacemaking
Collaborative Program: 3:30-5pm
For more information please call:
869-5475

30
CLINIC OPENS AT 9:50am
ICAP Sewing Class - 5:007:00pm @IHC
Training Center. For more
information please call: 8695475

ICAP Moccasin
Class
Please Call IBHS
for more
information
@ 869-5475

---

Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Apueblo_isleta%3Aeb1132f030a3fecb. Public record. Not legal advice.