SENATE MEMORIAL 103

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2015

INTRODUCED BY

Nancy Rodriguez

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR TO CREATE A TASK FORCE TO IDENTIFY MET AND UNMET NEEDS OF THE URBAN NATIVE AMERICANS OF SANTA FE COUNTY AND TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.

     WHEREAS, the state of New Mexico is committed to providing access to state services for its residents; and

     WHEREAS, more than sixty-five percent of Native Americans live in urban areas; and

     WHEREAS, the United States census estimated that in 2013, there were six thousand sixty-five American Indians and Alaska Natives residing in Santa Fe county; and

     WHEREAS, Santa Fe county does not yet have a physical urban Native American center to provide outreach and one-stop access to state services for Native Americans; and

     WHEREAS, there is no central agency in Santa Fe county to provide a Native American person or family information on, assistance with or referral to state services or to offer engagement in social and cultural activities with other Native American residents of the area; and

     WHEREAS, since 2008, Native Americans residing within Santa Fe county have been advocating an effort to identify the needs of Native Americans in Santa Fe county and to begin to address urgent issues facing Native Americans in Santa Fe county; and

     WHEREAS, multiple state services are not efficiently reaching the Native American population of Santa Fe county; and

     WHEREAS, Santa Fe county has a Native American middle/high school, a national Native American arts college, the Santa Fe Indian hospital, several museums featuring Native American arts and culture, numerous galleries and shops selling Native American art and the largest Indian market in the country, all of which draw mobile populations of Native Americans that are difficult to identify, count and serve; and

     WHEREAS, there is a need to understand the demographics of the Native American population of Santa Fe county, including the number of Native Americans residing in or commuting into Santa Fe county, their tribal affiliations, ages and economic status and the types of services needed; and

     WHEREAS, seventy-nine percent of the Native American students in Santa Fe public schools are currently on free or reduced-fee lunch status; and

     WHEREAS, the demand for emergency assistance to Native American individuals and families in need in Santa Fe county is beyond the current capacity of volunteers; and

     WHEREAS, the Santa Fe Indian Center works collaboratively with the city of Santa Fe, the Pueblo of Tesuque, Wings of America, Americans for Indian Opportunity, the Native Fund and many other organizations; and

     WHEREAS, the state of New Mexico is operating without a clear understanding of the need and degree of services required by the Native American population of Santa Fe county;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the governor be requested to form a task force for the purpose of collecting data detailing the met and unmet needs of Native Americans residing in Santa Fe county, which data should:

          A. detail how many Native Americans in Santa Fe county are served by state services and how they are served, each state entity served and how they are served;

          B. document the demographics of Native Americans in Santa Fe county; and

          C. compare the number of Native Americans served by state services with the number of Native Americans needing state services; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the data collected by the task force be used to make recommendations for the increased efficiency of services to the urban Indians of Santa Fe county; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Indian affairs department oversee the collection of data and identify services provided by the state of New Mexico to Native Americans residing in or commuting into Santa Fe county using the tribal liaison created pursuant to the State-Tribal Collaboration Act as the task force, and formulate recommendations for how the state can more efficiently meet the unmet needs of Native Americans residing in and commuting into Santa Fe county; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Indian affairs department call on outside groups such as the Santa Fe Indian center, the Pueblo of Tesuque, the federal Indian health service and other local, state and national Native American or non-Native American Indian organizations to assist in gathering data, identifying resources and unmet needs, and assist with formulating recommendations for more efficiently meeting unmet needs; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Indian affairs department report to the appropriate interim legislative committees by September 30, 2015 its conclusions from the collected data and its recommendations for how the state can better meet the identified unmet needs of native Americans residing in and commuting into Santa Fe county; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor and the secretary of Indian affairs.

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