Indian 101 for Slovakians

In August 2004, AIO staff met with participants of the International Visitor Leadership Program at AIO headquarters on the Santa Ana Pueblo. The Program brings current or potential leaders in government, politics, the media, education, and other fields to the United States from all over the world to meet with their professional counterparts and to experience the U.S. firsthand. LaDonna gave and “Indian 101” to the group of eight Slovakians, and they were filled with questions about tribal government, gaming, and Sovereignty. The Slovakians were conferring with U.S. professionals on the topic, “Building Civil Society.”

The Great Lujan

If you have ever participated in one of AIO’s gatherings, you may remember the man behind the camera, Mr. James Lujan (Taos Pueblo) ’94, AIO Ambassador Program Video Archivist. In

March, James will be at Wells Fargo Theater, this time behind the curtain, for the opening of his play- Kino and Teresa

Set in seventeenth-century New Mexico, Kino and Teresa tells the story of two young lovers from different peoples, Indian and Spanish- two contentious cultures holding together an uneasy peace, always on the verge of erupting into full-scale war. An adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, the play borrows Shakespeare’s classic structure and characters, matching them with actual historical events and personalities.

The play will run from March 4-20 at the Wells Fargo Theater, Museum of the American West in Los Angeles, Calif. AIO will be there March 19 hosting a reception worthy of “The Great Lujan” to celebrate his success.

LaDonna Travels to Bolivia

“If we had stayed another two days, we would have led the revolution.” LaDonna looked exhausted but radiant upon returning from Bolivia where she had participated as a U.S. Speaker and Specialist, under the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. AIO Ambassador Program Advisor, Manuel Tijerina, accompanied LaDonna on this trip and served as her interpreter.

LaDonna traveled to La Paz, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz de la Sierra. The principal issues that LaDonna discussed were: the existence of Indigenous legal/dispute resolution systems; the effectiveness of such systems and the method by which such systems can be integrated with and/or coexist side by side with European legal systems.

The visit was regarded by LaDonna as a great success, “I made a number of professional contacts with individual that belong to or represent various Indigenous groups. The Bolivians I met expressed great interest in AIO’s Ambassadors Program. If economic obstacles can be overcome, a number of groups expressed an interest in participating in AIO’s program in the U.S. or establishing a sister program in Bolivia.” Go ABO!

AIO Hosts Reception in Washington, D.C.

AIO hosted a reception in honor of His Excellency John Wood, New Zealand Ambassador to the U.S. on September 22 at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, D.C. AIO awarded the Eugene Crawford Memorial Peace Pipe Award to Ambassador Wood for his commitment to ensuring future opportunity for indigenous peoples. “ Thank you everyone for this wonderful award. I will treasure it. And in accepting it I commit myself again to helping your great cause in whatever way I can.” Past recipients of this award include Senator Bob Dole, Congressman Morris Udall and the Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson.

AIO’s sister organization the Advancement of Maori Opportunity (AMO) gave a very moving performance of their traditional dances at the reception. The event was a huge success. It raised money and was so crowded that it was standing room only!

The Comanche Nation at Santa Ana Pueblo

AIO hosted a reception in honor of Hon. Wallace Coffey, Chairman of the Comanche Nation on July 26, 2004. The reception was part of AIO’s Comanche Language Project. A large number of the New Mexico Comanche Community came out to hear the latest report from the Comanche Nation home base in Lawton, Okla.

AIO Gets Some Young Blood

AIO has two new additions to its staffing the form of Kelly Thompson (Mississippi Choctaw) and Aaron Trujillo. Both Kelly and Aaron are students at the University of New Mexico and work at AIO part time as student interns. Aaron, a native New Mexican, pushes AIO’s number of men up to a grand total of two (Ron is happy to not be the only male in an office full of women). Kelly is second generation AIO since her father is Gilbert Thompson (Mississippi Choctaw) Class of ‘94 and AIO Board member. We are happy to have them both, and they keep us young!

Improving Services for Tribal Elders

AIO facilitated an ILIS™ (Indigenous Leadership Interactive System) forum, July 12-13, in Santa Fe, N.M. for a group of eighteen Directors of NM Tribal Senior Meal Sites (Title VI), several senior citizen advocates and six state officials. The New Mexico Aging and Long Term Service contracted the forum with the help of Dave Baldridge with the purpose of fostering leadership growth among Title VI director. The group of stakeholders identified the barriers to providing quality service to elders and generated a practical action plan for overcoming those barriers. The assembled group also expressed enthusiasm for working together as a network that could share resources and information as well as supportive of each other.

Anna Tackles Racism

AIO’s newest emerging leader, Anna Epperson (Choctaw), AIO Communications Manager, traveled to Berkley, Calif. on November 11, 2004, to attend the Applied Research Center’s Race and Public Policy Conference. The conference assembled community leaders, academics, policy advocates, and activists to discuss and advance proactive racial justice policies.

The Ambassador Alliance Walks and Talks in D.C.

On September 21, 2004 the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) officially opened its doors on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The opening celebrations started with the Native Nations Procession, which had over 20,000 people participating. AIO staff, Ambassadors and family marched in the procession taking part in the largest convening of native peoples in North America. Led by AIO President LaDonna Harris, the AIO delegation included many Ambassadors. Executive Director, Laura Harris, “AIO was very honored that many Ambassadors and AIO Board members chose to join AIO, even though they had the option of walking with their tribe.” Ambassadors carried a banner proudly declaring their new alumni organization, the Ambassador Alliance.

Taking advantage of the NMAI opening, the Ambassador Alliance held a breakfast meeting at the Radisson Barcelo Hotel in D.C. on Sept 22, 2004. An Alliance Council was officially elected for 2005, and the Ambassador Alliance then ratified the Protocols of Advancement (bylaws). Already, the Alliance began fulfilling their mission “to ensure the continued success of the Ambassadors Program,” by giving their suggestions on the best way to evaluate the community impact of the program.