SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 83

47th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2005

INTRODUCED BY

Leonard Tsosie

A JOINT MEMORIAL

ENCOURAGING COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION ON A STATEWIDE PLANNING CONFERENCE FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES.

     WHEREAS, Native Americans have been living in the region of New Mexico for over twenty thousand years; and

     WHEREAS, over twenty-five thousand ancient Indian settlements have been found in the state of New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, twenty-three Indian reservations are located within New Mexico's borders and comprise approximately ten percent of the land base; and 

     WHEREAS, communities such as the Pueblos of Taos and Acoma are among the oldest continually occupied communities in the nation; and

     WHEREAS, the Apache, Navajo and pueblo communities maintain their unique cultures and traditions to the benefit and promotion of New Mexico tourism, arts and crafts and general scientific knowledge; and 

     WHEREAS, there were two hundred five thousand Native Americans in New Mexico in 2003, comprising eleven percent of the population of the state; and

     WHEREAS, from 2000 through 2003, New Mexico ranked fifth of all states in terms of Native American populations and saw an increase of eight thousand four hundred thirty Native Americans during that period; and

     WHEREAS, McKinley county ranks third nationwide in terms of its Native American population, with fifty-eight thousand Native Americans comprising seventy-eight percent of its population; and San Juan county ranks seventh, with forty-six thousand Native Americans comprising eighty-eight percent of its population; and

     WHEREAS, in cities with a population over one hundred thousand, Albuquerque ranks fourth in terms of its Native American population, with twenty-two thousand forty-seven Native Americans, constituting nearly five percent of its population; and

     WHEREAS, the average national poverty rate for Native Americans from 2001 to 2003 was twenty percent; and

     WHEREAS, Native Americans have the highest percentage, nearly twenty-nine percent, of people who have no health insurance; and

     WHEREAS, only fourteen percent of Native Americans over the age of twenty-five hold bachelors' degrees; and

     WHEREAS, the tribal nations of New Mexico have sovereign jurisdiction within their reservations and have become increasingly self-determining in the administration and management of their people and natural resources; and

     WHEREAS, the mining of coal, oil and gas on Native American lands in New Mexico contributes substantially to New Mexico's economy; and

     WHEREAS, the oldest and most senior water rights are held by Native American tribes in New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, the department of housing and urban development, the Indian health service in the department of health and human services and the bureau of Indian affairs in the department of the interior contribute substantial resources to housing, roads, community infrastructure and schools for Native Americans in New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, Indian casinos employ over nine thousand people in New Mexico and contributed approximately eighty million dollars ($80,000,000) to the revenues of the state in 2004; and

     WHEREAS, Indian tribes are among the largest single employers in Bernalillo, Cibola, McKinley, Otero, Sandoval and San Juan counties; and

     WHEREAS, the American planning association created a new eighteenth division in indigenous planning, whose mission is to foster an interdisciplinary approach to planning that upholds Native American land tenure, values and cultural world views in community development;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that all federal, state, local and tribal planning agencies be encouraged to cooperate and support the initiatives of the American planning association's indigenous planning division; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission on higher education, all New Mexico post-secondary institutions and the Indian affairs department support and promote careers and training in planning for the benefit of tribal communities; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all planners who work for or with tribal communities be encouraged to convene a statewide summit on indigenous planning; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be distributed to all Native American tribes in New Mexico, the Indian affairs department, the public education department and the commission on higher education.

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