WHCS Freshmen Critical Questions

Lynnette

 1) What does it mean to know and understand the inter-governmental relationships the Pueblo of Jemez has with various agencies around Washington, DC?

   The history of the relationship between Native people and the federal government is important and has gone on for many years. The U.S Government took the Native land away. This was not good for the Natives and they weren’t allowed to vote. That was not right because the Native were the first Americans.

            Today the Native people are living a lot better because of our sorer eighty and the help we get from the different Federal government agencies. For example the Department of the Interior (DOI) told us that our people are responsible for safe water for our people. But if a problem occurs with the safety of water, then DOI gets involved. The Department of the Energy (DOE) protects the pueblo from any radioactive chemical that might get into our drinking water or in the air. At DOI we leaned we can get our land back but we have to ask ourselves if we have a history on this land like having lived there or had cultural activities on it. There is a legal process for getting it back.

            At the  National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) we were part of a youth group and we were told that NCAL is important because it’s one was that Natives Americans can know what’s going on.

            At the Indian Health Service (IHS) we learned that we are beginning to have a lot of health care providers like doctors and nurses, but we need many more.

Today there is real trust between the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and tribes. But started off negativity by imposing policies to subjugate and assimilate Natives Americans. Now I know that these agencies are really helping us. To have better health care, better housing, safe drinking water, and better education.

2) What is your current understanding of the U.S. government structure? How does it influence your life?

What I understand about the three branches of the federal government is that it is a system, borrowed from the Iroquois that keeps any one branch from having too much power. The Legislative branch makes laws. It is also called the Congress. Congress is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. It has 100 senators and 425 Representatives 

The Executive Branch headed by the president of the U.S. who is Responsible for executing or carrying out the laws. The Cabinet is where the imported people from each agency. The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments-the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, and the Attorney General. Under President George W. Bush, Cabinet-level rank also has been accorded to the Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency; Director, Office of Management and Budget; the Director, National Drug Control Policy; and the U.S. Trade Representative.

The Judicial Branch interprets the law. They decide what the law means. This Branch is made up of the Supreme Court and more than 100 other courts. For example, in 1948 a war WWII veteran named Miguel Trujillo was not allowed to register to vote because Native American earned the right. Mr. Trujillo took his care to Federal Court and won, based on Civil Rights. Mr. Trujillo was a hero like Rev. Marten Leathern King Jr. and Rosa Parks who remains mostly unknown in New Mexico and U.S history.

Understanding government is important because the U.S Federal government has allowed Indian tribes to establish their own sovereign government. For example, the Jemez Tribal government helps to keep people safe and well through its structure. They make all the decisions for me and my tribe. With out all of them we wouldn’t have this school.

 3) Which presenter and organization had the most impact on your experience? What information did they provide that are valuable to your own person interests and/ or goals?

 The Department of the Interior (DOI) had the most impact on my experience because they have power in land and water. That’s what our tribe needs more of for our people. According to Nadra Darlene, if we lose water rights, because we don’t farm, we can negotiate with the federal government. We use land for planting and water for irrigating our plants. The tribe and the Department of Gaming are monitoring the minerals in the water.

The DOI also control the Fish and Wildlife Service, The Bureau of Land Management, The National Park Service, The Bureaus of Reclamation associated with reclamation projects and the Bureau of Indian Affairs are all under land rights. The trust and government -to- government relationship between the United States and 562 tribal nations

This is important because hunting is part of our tradition and food. Also these agencies are involved Ancestral Archeological Sites which should be conserved because they are sacred. Those sites are important to our tribe. They are proof that Jemez was here before anybody was here.  We asked the DOI if we could ever get are ancestral lands. They said that we could, but we would have to go through laws and regulations and take actions.

            4) What is tribal sovereignty, and how does it affect you-and your Community?

  Tribal Sovereignty is self-government and self-responsibity. It affects my community by preventing everyone trying to rule everyone else with out responsibility. Without tribal sovereignty, we wouldn’t have Walatowa High Charter School and we wouldn’t have days off when we have feast days and special occasions. Sovereignty allows us to follow our traditions.

            In the Jemez tribal government, the Supreme Council makes all the final decisions. The Supreme Council is in charge of the governor, the 1st and 2^nd Lieutenants. Sovereignty is the power to make and carry out laws within the nation’s borders. The Tribal Council supports the Governor and the decision making process involves community, area, and National issues.

            A sovereign nation protects itself against outsider’s attacks, it decides who may enter its territory, it can trade with other nations, it can regulate with other nations and it can make decisions about education health and use of property.

            Sovereignty is your terms of taking care of your family and community.

Because we are sovereign we get to have are own Walatowa high school. We are all thankful for having our school because they let us out early or at noon when we have special occasions.

5) How is the country of Bolivia and the president, Evo Morales, making a different for indigenous people around the world? What can Jemez learn for this movement?

            As first indigenous president of Bolivia, Evo Morales’s mission is to close the gap between the rich and the poor people in his country. Morales speaks three official languages of Bolivia: Spanish, Qechua and Aymara.

            Bolivian Indians were used as slaves during Spanish rule. There was lots of poverty and conflict among people. Bolivians are offered great sums of money for the coca crop. In 2007, Venezuela loaned Bolivia $250,000 to build two coca processing plants. Coca fields continue to be eradicated. 25% of coca plants is used for traditional purposes, and newer ways to make shampoos and creams are being sought.

            The reason why the drop out rate is decreasing in Bolivia is because schools got more money and most families are paid to keep their kids in school.

            The military draft is no longer just for poor. President Morales has visited Washington, D.C.

The person who spoke to us at the embassy was Carlos Barrios was born into a Spanish family on El Altiplano, the highlands of Guatemala. His home was in Huehuetenango, also the dwelling place of the Maya Mam tribe. Mr. Barrios is a member of the Maya Mam tribe he started that maybe under a new administration would happen. He added that Bolivians are hoping that Mr. Obama gets elected president of the US. Its great to have leaders from your tribe in high government offices.

Shawn

1) What does it mean to know and understand the inter-governmental relationships the Pueblo of Jemez has with various agencies around Washington, DC?

          The history of the relationship between Native people and the federal government is important and has gone on for many years. The U.S Government took the Native land away. This was not good for the Natives and they weren’t allowed to vote. That was not right because the Native were the first Americans.

            Today the Native people are living a lot better because of our sorer eighty and the help we get from the different Federal government agencies. For example the Department of the Interior (DOI) told us that our people are responsible for safe water for our people. But if a problem occurs with the safety of water, then DOI gets involved. The Department of the Energy (DOE) protects the pueblo from any radioactive chemical that might get into our drinking water or in the air. At DOI we leaned we can get our land back but we have to ask ourselves if we have a history on this land like having lived there or had cultural activities on it. There is a legal process for getting it back.

            At the  National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) we were part of a youth group and we were told that NCAL is important because it’s one was that Natives Americans can know what’s going on.

            At the Indian Health Service (IHS) we learned that we are beginning to have a lot of health care providers like doctors and nurses, but we need many more.

            Today there is real trust between the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and tribes. But started off negativity by imposing policies to subjugate and assimilate Natives Americans. Now I know that these agencies are really helping us. To have better health care, better housing, safe drinking water, and better education.

2) What is your current understanding of the U.S government structure? How does it influence your life?

 A citizen is a person with certain responsibilities under a government. As a citizen of Mexico, Mrs. Appell was not able to be a world class runner. When she decided to became a citizen of the U.S., she lost her Mexican citizenship. Mrs. Appell said there were about 600 questions on the exam. It is a great privilege to be a born American.

The U.S government structure is a government broken into three branches so no one branch gets all the power. This ideal comes from a Native American group called the Iroquois

The Legislative Branch makes laws also called the Congress. Congress is made up of the House of Representative and the Senate. There are 100 senators and 425 Representatives.  

The Executive Branch headed by the President of the U.S who is Responsible for executing or carrying out the laws. The Cabinet is where the imported people from each agency. The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments-the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, and the Attorney General. Under President George W. Bush, Cabinet-level rank also has been accorded to the Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency; Director, Office of Management and Budget; the Director, National Drug Control Policy; and the U.S. Trade Representative.

The Judicial Branch interprets the law. They decide what the law means and is made up of the Supreme Court and more than 100 other Courts.Our government is impartment to me and my community because they help us with heath care and housing.                       

 3) Which presenters and organizations had most impact on your experience? What information did they provide that are valuable to your own personal interests and/or goals?

The Department of Energy (DOE) had the most impact on my experience because they make weapons for wars. Los Alamos was the first to make a atomic bomb in the country. When we asked if Los Alamos still makes atomic bombs the D.O.E said that Los Alamos does not make them.

We ask when they will stop making bombs and they said that they haven’t build bombs for a long time. We also asked what doe would do if a bomb exploded any where in N.M. and they would give money to the state of N.M for the damage if a bomb exploded. We asked doe if there is nuclear waste in the Jemez River or in the land. And they is that they have found some waste in our River and our lands.

4) What is tribal sovereignty, and how does it affect you and your community?

Tribal Sovereignty is self government and self responsibility. It affects my community because it gives more power to our people.

With out tribal sovereignty, we wouldn’t have Walatowa High Charter School and we wouldn’t have days off when we have feast days and special occasions. Sovereignty allows us to follow out traditions.

            What is sovereignty? Sovereignty is the power to make and carry out laws with in the Nation’s Borders.

            What do sovereign nations do? They protect themselves against outsiders attacks, they secede who may enter their territory, they can trade with other nations, they can regulate with other notion and they can make decisions about education, and health and use of property.

            Sovereignty is your terms of taking care of you family. Sometimes, sovereignty means people huffing and puffing about who is in charge. But in Jemez we pick great leaders for our pueblo. Because tribal sovereign we have this charter school we get days off for are special occasions.

            5) How is the country of Bolivia and the president, Evo Morales, making a different for indigenous people around the world? What can Jemez learn from this movement?

As the first indigenous president of Bolivia, Evo Morales’s mission is to close all the gaps between the rich and the poor people in his country.

 The Indigenous people have been empowered. They now have a voice. There seems to be a sense of pride among indigenous people; there is a sense of equality. Because of president Morales, Dignity bonuses now exist to pay families whose children pass an exam, to keep students from dropping out of school. The School drop-out rate has decreased dramatically.

The trafficking of cocaine is improving. Coca fields continue to be eradicated. 25% of the coca plant is use for traditional purposes, and never ways to make shampoos and creams are being sought.

The Jemez Pueblo government can get ideas about how to improve life for the community, even thought life in Jemez Pueblo is hard not everyone has an automobile, some homes have leaky roofs. The unemployment rate is high. The Jemez Clinic needs more doctors and nurses. President Morales’ example show us that we can take more political power and fix these things.

Cleo

Critical Question 1

What does it mean to know and understand the inter-governmental relationships the pueblos of Jemez has with various agencies around Washington, D.C?

 From the earliest days of the U.S government, its relationship with natives was not good. Our land was stolen or taken by the government. Many whites did not recognize American Indians as persons until 1879. 

Natives finally fought for the right to vote and won. Miguel H. Trujillo was a Native New Mexican who registered to vote but wasn’t allowed to because he lived on a reservation. He sued New Mexico in federal court and won. Natives should have always had the right to vote, but didn’t get that right until 1947.

Today, we can go to Washington and deal with various agencies.  The Department of the Interior controls land in the United States. The DOI works to conserve, manage, protect + enhance fish, wildlife, plants & their habits. Deer, eagles, elk) which are very important to us. Land DOI manages 500 million acres of land.

The main reason the DOI is important to us is that we work with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Their mission is to enhance our quality of life, to promote tribal economies, and to protect the trust assets of the 562 federally recognized tribes and the thousands of American Indians. The BIA also promotes Native self determination. The department of Fish & Wildlife and the US Forest Service are also controlled by the DOI. They are important to us because they protect the wildlife, hunting and ancestral lands.

NCAI is the National Congress of American Indians. NCAI was founded in 1944, in response to all the injustices that natives had been subjected to. They are a lobbing group that speaks for us in Washington. 

The Department of Energy is important to us because of Las Alamos and nuclear waste. The DOE helps Las Alamos from polluting Jemez Pueblo with nuclear waste.

When we were in Washington we also found out from the DOE that we get a lot of our oil form Canada. 

IHS is the Indian Health Service. It helps members of 562 federally recognized American Indian & Alaska Native Tribes. Their descendants are eligible for services provided by the Indian Health Service. 1.9 million of the nations estimated 3.3 million American Indians are served by they IHS delivery system.  

Critical Question 2

 What is your current understanding of the U.S. government structure? How does it influence your life?

 There are three branches to the federal government. The Legislative branch, also called the Congress, makes laws. Congress is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

 The Executive Branch, headed by the president of the US, is responsible for executing or carrying out the laws. The president is in charge of the Cabinet, the important people from each agency. The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments-the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, and the Attorney General. Under President George W. Bush, Cabinet-level rank also has been accorded to the Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency; Director, Office of Management and Budget; the Director, National Drug Control Policy; and the U.S. Trade Representative. (Research: Presidential Cabinet.)

 The Judicial Branch interprets the law. They decide what the law means. It is made up of the Supreme Court and more than 100 other courts. Why these three branches are so important to me and my community, is because we need laws for our own safety. If it wasn’t for laws this whole world would become a real big dump or there would always be war. Everyone would be fighting over everything, teachers hitting kids, guns and other weapons at school and illegal drugs on school properties. Our Government makes all the decisions for everything for our own good. They keep us from terrorists.

 Critical Question 3

Which presenters and organizations had the most impact on your experience? What information did they provide that are valuable to your own personal interests and/or goals?

 The presentation that made the biggest impact on me was at the Department of Energy. I was impressed that they sent ten experts to talk to us. I couldn’t even write down all their names!

What I learned from their talk was that they really love working in government. They are responsible for what they do. They also say it’s very stressful but it’s worth it!

The experts also told us that there are three natural energy sources in the whole state that won’t hurt the environment. DOE attorney Tom Sarro told the group that Jemez Pueblo received a grant to explore alternative forms of energy such as wind, sun and the geothermal. These safe energy resources might work on Jemez Pueblo. We have high winds sometimes and sun all the time. We have hot springs. With windmills and solar panels, we could be energy independent and save a lot of money.

The other presentation that really impacts me was the Indian Health Service. There were many presenters there, too. They were talking about opportunities for scholarships after high school. They told us to stay in school and finish school. There are 160 Natives Americans who are doctors. HIS spends about 4.3 million dollars.

Critical Question 4

What is tribal sovereignty, and how does it affect you- and your community?

Tribal sovereignty is the inherent right to govern oneself. Sovereignty is the ability to carry out your own direction. Sovereignty is right to define the present and the future as a people. Governance is only as good as the people who are involved. Think of sovereignty in terms of taking care of your family. Sometimes sovereignty means people huffing about who is in charge.

A sovereign nation protects itself against outside attacks. For example, in my sovereign nation of Jemez, a community upstream from us tried to take some of our water and we took them to court. A sovereign nation decides who may enter its territory. Another example, we don’t allow outsiders on some ceremonial days.

Critical Question 5

How is the country of Bolivia and the president, Evo Morales, making a difference for indigenous people around the world? What can Jemez learn from this movement?

As the first indigenous president of Bolivia, Evo Morales’s mission is to close the gap between the rich and poor people in his country. Morales is in favor of Socialism, a system based on shared or government ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods.

 The president used to be a coca farmer. Coca is a South American shrub that is the main source of cocaine the coca plant. Coca can also be used as medicine as a local anesthetic and illegally to stimulate the central nervous system. Coca fields continue to be eradicated. 25% of the coca plant is used for traditional purposes, and newer ways to make shampoos and creams are being sought.

I like president Morales because he is trying to close the gap between rich and poor people. The Bolivian society seems more of an egalitarian society without giving up their freedoms. A dignity bonus now exists to pay for families whose children pass an exam, to keep students from dropping out of school. School dropouts have decreased dramatically. I really like what president Morales is doing, trying to change everything to make it right or better.        

The Jemez Pueblo government can get ideas about how to improve life for the community, even though life in Jemez Pueblo is hard. Not everyone has an automobile. Some homes have leaky roofs. The unemployment rate is high. The Jemez clinic needs more doctors and nurses.

            Sabrina

 1) What dose it mean to know and understand the inter-governmental relationships the pueblo of Jemez has with various agencies around Washington D.C?

The relationship between the natives and the American government was one of lies and broken treaties. Today we work with the Federal government so the things that were happening a long time ago won’t happen again, like the taking of our lands, and also enslavement by the whites, and promises that were never kept. Through out the 1800’s native tribes gradually lost claim to the lands they had owned. In 1924 all Native Americans finally became citizens. But it wasn’t until 1948 that America’s first people were finally allowed to vote in New Mexico.

Today things are different. We are making our voices heard in Washington at federal Agencies like the Department of the Interior. The D.O.I is responsible for lands, and natural resources, scientific research, fish and wildlife. 500 million acres of land is managed by the D.O.I.  They control the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Forest Service. The Department of the Interior works to conserve, manages, protects and enhances fish, wildlife, like rabbit, deer, eagles, prairie dogs, and elk. And in water they control the ditches, rivers, streams, the underground water known as the (aquifers) and the lakes.  The D.O.I also controls 30 percent of the nation’s energy production.

Another very important agency within the D.O.I is the Bureau of Indian affairs. Their responsibility is to manage 55.7 million acres of land and they watch over the land for the Native Americans, Indian tribes, and Alaska natives.  Their other responsibility is the infrastructure like building, roads, telephone lines, sewer, and electrical lines,

The Healthy and Education system are the building blocks of our daily lives. The Bureau of Indian affaris provides education services to about 48.00 Indian students. And the Economic development is the government’s money to build new things. An example of Economic development is a casino.

The National Congress of American Indians was founded in 1944 and is a milestone in Indian history. After 2 centuries of mistreatment, natives finally have a strong voice in Washington D.C.   N.C.A.I looks after our treaty rights, tribal sovereignty, and identify issues. While we were in Washington, the N.C.A.I was having a fierce debate over tribal water rights for Arizona and Colorado. The N.C.A.I is the lobbyist in Washington for the Pueblo of Jemez.

 The Department of Energy oversees atomic power. The first atomic bomb was built 15 miles from our Pueblo at the Los Alamos National Lab. Today, they still work with nuclear science up there. So if their nuclear waste gets into our water, it would affect the pueblo because we would get sick that’s why it’s important to understand the U.S government structure in Washington, D. C.

 2) What is your current understanding of the U.S. government structure? How does it influence your life?

 The U.S government is made up of three parts so that no one part gets power.

The legislative branch- Makes laws also called the congress. Congress is made up of the House of Representative and the Senate.100 U.S. senators- 425 representatives.

 The executive branch- The president of the United States is responsible for executing or carrying out the laws. The president is in charge of the cabinet that controls the D.O.I and other major agency in Washington.

The judicial branch-Interpret the law. They decide what the law means. The judicial branch is made up of the Supreme Court and more than 100 other courts.

Theses three branches of federal government influence our lives because they are very important to our nation. As citizens of the United States of America we have to follow the rules and regulations that they make. The laws can’t be broken but if they are by any person you will be punished. My understanding of the U.S. government structure is that they control our schools and roads that go through our pueblo. Also in Albuquerque legislation creates stop signs, red lights, cameras, and other things that make the world a safer place.

3) Which presenter(s) and organization(s) had most impact on your experience? What information did they provide that are valuable to your own personal interests and/or goals?

The agency that had the most impact on me was the Department of Interior, We had a lot of questions and they answered them really well. The presenter name was Nedra Darling and a lawyer with D.O.I from Arizona. Some of the questions we asked were about our ancestral lands. They told us to take action, get involved with Bureau of Indian Affairs, the D.O.I in Washington and New Mexico’s D.O.I in Santa Fe.

We talked about our water rights, and asked if we would lose them if we quit farming. Ms Darling and the lawyer said to 1)take it to the administration department of the legislation 2) take it to court and see what happens and 3) and the most important thing is to do something about it.

We found out that each pueblo has a specialist who is monitoring the minerals in the water to get samples and give the results back to the B.I.A. So our own expert monitors the water for the pueblo

The last question we asked was, “what is being done to prevent poaching by the U.S fish and wildlife?”  Ms. Darling and the lawyer said that if we didn’t want any poaching down on our lands we must work with tribal law enforcement and the state to stop poaching.

I really learned what it meant to work with the federal and state government to find out what can be done to stop and prevent bad things from happening. From this meeting I learned that if we want something done, we have to do it on our own to make something happen.

4) What is tribal sovereignty, and how does it affect you-and your community?

Tribal sovereignty is the right to govern oneself. The different definitions of sovereignty are are:

1)    self-government and responsibility

2)    The ability to carry out your own direction if you think sovereign you can be sovereign.

3)    The right to define the present and the future as a people Governance is only as good as the people are involved.

It’s important for Jemez to remain sovereign so that the United States or the New Mexico government does not make unfair laws we have to obey. It is also important so that we can make up our own laws that go along with our own traditional customs.

Sovereignty is important so Jemez pueblo people will fiercely protect their rights, their land, and their natural resources.

Sovereignty is very important so that Jemez can protect itself from outside attacks. For example, Jemez Springs went to court so that they could get more of the water that flows down to Jemez. We as sovereign people of Jemez met Jemez Springs in court to stop them.

And as a sovereign nation, we get to decide on who. Enters our Jemez grounds. The most important thing is that we can make our own decisions about education, health and uses of property.

5) How is the country of Bolivian and the president, Evo Morales, making a difference for indigenous people around the world? What can Jemez learn from the movement?

As the first indigenous president of Bolivia, Evo Morales’s mission it to close the gaps between the rich and poor people in his country. The indigenous people are more empowered because they now have a voice that’s more powerful to speak of their problems. They have pride in who they are as indigenous people.

 Evo Morales has nationalized gas reserves so that the indigenous people can benefit in money for health care and education. In school, if any children passes an exam or does not drop out, their family will get payed ‘dignity bonuses’. And from this new law, school dropouts have decreased.

The trafficking in cocaine is improving. Coca is still being grown in Bolivia. 25% of the coca plant is used for traditional purposes, and formula to make shampoos and creams are being sought. The people that grow coca plants are offered great sums of money for the crops. In 2007 Venezula loaned Bolivia $250,000 to build two coca processing plants in Chapare and Yungas to turn coca into tea and trimate, a mixture of aniseed, and chamomile and coca. 

 While we were in Washington, the presenter at the Bolivian embassy, Mr. Barios, showed the whole freshmen class a movie called “El Desfile”. It showed indigenous people marching for the first time in a military parade. The military draft is no longer just for the poor anymore. 

What Jemez can learn is if we get somebody from Jemez into the White House or in Congress we will have someone to speak for our pueblo. And maybe we will have more opportunities in the white man’s world. We will have more money for schools, roads, buildings, and scholarships for young students to go to college anywhere they want to go.

Traci 

1)  What does it mean to know and understand the inter-governmental relationships the Pueblo of Jemez has with various agencies around Washington DC?

The history between Native people and the U.S government was long and tragic because the governors made treaties and broke them. The U.S Federal Indian policies left the Indian nations exhausted and nearly extinct by the time they were given citizenship. Through the 1700s and 1800s, Native tribes lost lands they had inhabited. The Natives had to give up hunting and give up the land they inhabited. All Native Americans did not become citizens until 1924. It was another 20 years before all Natives had the right to vote.

The relationship between the government and Natives is starting to improve. For example, with the Department of Interior, this controls land and natural resources. DOI has the primary fiduciary responsibility to manage both Tribal trust funds and Individual Indian Money. Representatives of the Department of Interior told us that if we want our ancestral land back we have to take action and speak up. We also have to research the history and archeology of the land and tell DOI why we want it back.

The BIA is responsible for administrating and managing 5.57 million acres of land that’s held by USAI. BIA also handles some federal relations with Native Americans while others are handled by the Office of Special Trustee.

The Department of Interior is also in charge of Fish & Wildlife and the National Park Forest Service. Their mission is to work with others and protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats. They manage more than 520 National Wildlife refuges and 66 National Fish hatcheries. The secretary of the Interior announced more than 6.2 million grants to go to Native American projects to fund a wide range of conservation projects nationwide. More than 34 million has gone to Native American tribes through the Tribal Wildlife grants administrated by 133 federally recognized Tribes.

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) have been working together for 5 years to promote intergovernmental cooperation between tribes through the State Tribal Relations Project. At NCAI we were part of a Youth group and we were told that it was important because it’s one way that Native Americans can know what’s going on. States and Indians have a range of common interests. Both States and Tribes have shared a responsibility to use public resources effectively and efficiently. They both want to provide services such as education, health care and law enforcement to their respective citizens.

 When we visited the Department of Energy they told us about the Los Alamos National Laboratory. They said about 60 years ago a woman named Leslie Groves and two men named Ernest Lawrence and Robert Oppenheimer went into Santa Fe looking for a location to put a new scientific laboratory that they hoped might give the United States an advantage. The Los Alamos science is vita to the safety and security of the American people.

We also visited the Indian Health Services (IHS) and met up with Janet Ingersoll. She helped us get in the Department and talk with people who work there. Different people spoke to us and did their presentations. I learned a lot in D.C. Some people told us that they can help us with college and maybe get a job in D.C. But the important things I learned were that they every year they provide health services and provide clean water. The employees working at IHS have 60% of Native Americans and the rest are non-Natives. They said that the people in the Federal prisons cost the U.S government more money than Native Americans.

The relationships we have with these different agencies help us in many different ways. The Department of Interior helps us with our land, natural resources, fish and wildlife, and with our National Park. If we didn’t have hunting might diminish, and we wouldn’t be able to tell them we want our ancestral lands back. The Department of Energy helps us with the energy we need in Jemez. Without this agency we wouldn’t be able to have the energy we have in our homes. The Indian Health Services helps us too, because without them we wouldn’t have clinics or the health services we have today.

These agencies help us grow and be able to understand the way their business is, and understand how we can or help them. We can help them by telling them what we need in our community, now or in the future. As we grow older and more mature we can understand more about what the community needs and what we want. For example, some of the people who live in Jemez don’t want our land to be taken away, so it can be just another place for outsiders to live in. the lands on the reservation mean a lot to us because it’s our ancestral land.

2) What is your current understanding of the U.S government  structure? How does it influence your life?

I understand that the Federal government has three branches. The Legislative Branch, the Judicial Branch, and the Executive Branch. Each branch does something to help Jemez Pueblo. The Legislative Brach makes the laws and is also called The Congress. The Congress is made up of The House of Representatives and the Senate. The Executive Branch is headed by the President of the U.S. It’s responsible for executing or carrying out the laws. The Judicial Branch interprets the law. They decide what the law means. It is made up of the Supreme Court and more than 100 other courts.

The U.S Federal Government has allowed Indian tribes to establish their own sovereign governments. For example the Jemez tribal government helps to keep people safe and well through its structure. In the Jemez tribal government the Supreme Council makes the final decisions. The Supreme Court Council is in charge of the Governors and the first and second Lieutenant governors, and they are in charge of the tribal Council. With these branches on our side we have laws that protect us in many ways.

The way this influenced my life is we can use these agencies to maintain our sovereign rights. For example when Jemez Springs took our water we took them to Court. If Benny Shendo became a Congressman we would have more power in Washington D.C. if we have more power in D.C then we would be able to tell them what we need in our tribe. We could also get our ancestral lands back.

3.) Which presenter(s) and organization(s) had the most impact on your experience? What information did they provide that are valuable to your own personal interests and/or goal?

When we went to Washington D.C I learned a lot. I liked going to the agencies and seeing what they do and how they help Jemez Pueblo in different ways. The agencies that we visited were very interesting. The Department of Interior (DOI) and Indian Health Services (IHS) told us that they can help us get a job and work in there department. They talked to us about how we can get our ancestral lands back. They talked about the different departments they have in DOI and how we can get a job in any of those places. There was one department that interested me and that was the Department of Law Enforcement. They need a lot of people to work there.

Nedra Darling talked to us about the different jobs we can get in DOI. I thought the whole the meeting was interesting because they talked about an important department I was interested in joining. That department needs some people to work there. That is the department of Law Enforcement. I want to work at DOI because of this department. I’ve always wanted to work somewhere that had to do with Law Enforcement. I want to be a police officer of a crime scene investigator.

I also want to work at IHS because I want to help the Pueblo of Jemez. I want them to have a better clinic and have more support so they can really trust the clinic and not hesitate to come in. I have a choice to get into Law Enforcement or work with Indian Health Services. But I really want to work in the Department of Law Enforcement.

4.What is tribal sovereignty, and how does it affect you-and your community?

Sovereignty is the ability to carry out your own direction. If you think sovereign you can be sovereign. Sovereign is the right to define the present and the future as the people. That governance is only as good as the people who are involved. Think of sovereign in terms of taking care of your family. Sometimes sovereignty means people huffing and puffing about who is in charge. Because were sovereign we can dictate who comes on our pueblo during our ceremonies and have them not come in our pueblo. Because were sovereign we have our own Charter school.

5.) How is the country of Bolivia and the president, Evo Morales, making a different of indigenous people around the world? What can Jemez learn from this movement?

As the first indigenous president of Bolivia, Evo Morales’s mission is to close the gap between the rich and poor people in his country. Bolivian Indians were used as slaves during the Spanish Rule. There was a lot of poverty and conflict among the people. Bolivia lost a lot of land to neighboring nations. The farmers there grew coca plants and were offered great sums of money for the crop. In 2007 Venezuela loaned Bolivia $250,000 to build a coca processing plant in Chapare and Yungas to turn coca into tea and trimate and mixture of aniseed and chomomik and coca. The trafficking of cocaine is improving. Coca fields continue to be eradicated. In Bolivia 25% of the coca plant is used for traditional purposes and newer ways to make shampoos and creams.

Socialism is not viewed in classic terms, but as socialism which combines historic traditions with a new economy. The Bolivian society is now seen as more of an egalitarian society, without giving up their freedoms. The indigenous people have been empowered and1 now they have a voice. There seems to be sense of pride among the indigenous people. There is a sense of equality. President Morales has nationalized gas reserves so that more indigenous people benefit from the money, which is used to improve health care and education.

The Bolivian Embassy has two flags outside. The large flag is the traditional one and the smaller flag is for the indigenous people. There was a movie that was shown to us. It was called “El Desfile” (The Parade). It showed indigenous people marching, for the first time, in a military parade. The military draft is no longer for the poor. Dignity bonuses now exist to pay families whose children pass an exam to keep students from dropping out of school. School drop-outs have decreased dramatically. Bolivians are hoping that Mr. Obama gets elected for president of the U.S. this year.

The Jemez Pueblo government can get ideas about how to improve life for the community, even though life in Jemez Pueblo is hard. Not every one has an automobile. Some homes have leaky roofs. The unemployment rate is high. The Jemez Clinic needs more doctors and nurses. But if we follow Mr. Morales’ example.

Jerome

1)               What does it mean to know and understand the inter-governmental relationships the Pueblo of Jemez has with various agencies around Washington, D.C?

 In the past the relationship between the Natives and the Government was unfair because of all the lies that the government told the natives. The lies that the government told us were that they would buy our land and put us in like 30acres of land with food and game but that promise was broken and what they did was made the Native live on reservations and those who didn’t were killed.

Now in the twenty first century the Natives have what you call DOI and DOE, the Department of Interior and the Department of Energy. These agencies were developed in 1789 and were for the Natives so was the NCAI which was founded in 1944.

NCAI stressed the need for unity and cooperation among tribal governments for the protection of their treaty and sovereign rights.

The DOI is responsible for land, water, NA lands and needs, U.S Energy needs, scientific research, fish and wild life. DOI manages 500 million acres of land. 56 million acres of land belong to tribes. They have relationship with 561 Indians tribes. DOI oversee 30% of the Natives energy predation.

2) What is your current understanding of the U.S. government structure? How does it influence your life?

As a citizen of Mexico Mrs. Appell was not able to be a world class runner. When she decided to become a citizen of the U.S., she lost her Mexican citizenship. Mrs. Appell said there were about 600, questions on the exam.

The U.S government is divided into 3 branches so that no one will get absolute power. The Government got this wise idea from the Iroquois. The Iroquois is a Native village in the East cost. The 3 branches are the Legislative branch, which makes laws also called the congress. Congress is made up of the house of Representative and the Senator. There are 100 U.S senator and 425 representatives. The second branch is the Executive branch which is headed by the president of the U.S and is responsible for executing or carrying out the laws. Now for the third branch, is the Judicial branch. Which is responsible for interpreting the law? They decide what the law means. It was made up of the Supreme Court and move than 100 other courts.

3) Which presenter(s) and organization(s) had the most impact on your experience? What information did they provide that are valuable to your own personal interests and/or goals?

     The presenter who made the most impact on me was Mr. Barios. Mr. Barios is the head of the Bolivian Embassy. Mr. Barios talked about the many problems that the indigenous people of Bolivia still face. He also told us that since Mr. Morales has been president, the lives of indigenous have greatly improved. President Morales is trying to close the gap between the rich and poor people.

     Mr. Barios showed us a film called “El Desfile” or The Parade. It showed indigenous people marching, for the first time, in a military parade. The military draft is no longer just for the poor.

     Coca fields continue to be eradicated for the safety of Bolivian people. 25% of the coca plant is used for traditional purposes, and newer ways to make shampoos and creams are being sought.

4) What is tribal sovereignty, and how does it affect you-and your community?

     Sovereignty is the ability to carry out your own direction. If you think sovereign, you can be sovereign. Sovereignty is the right to define the present and future as a people. That government is only as good as the people who are involved. Think of sovereignty in terms of taking care of your family. Sometimes sovereignty means people huffing and puffing about who is in charge.

     Sovereignty is protecting our community water rights. Water rights are important to us because we have agriculture so we need the water that’s why we went to court with Jemez Springs because they tried to take our water. This application of   Sovereignty also affects me because I farm with my dad.

5) How is the country of Bolivia and the president, Evo Morales, marking a difference for indigenous people around the world? What can Jemez learn from this movement?

     What Jemez and other tribes can learn from this movement is that more natives will be interested in the learning about the government and understanding the government so that tribes can have power over the government and get back our land and be treated far. Tribes around the state will get together and perhaps there will be a Native American President someday.          

Darrell

Critical Question #1

What does it mean to know and understand the inter-government relationships the pueblo of Jemez has with various agencies around Washington D.C?

  In the past, the relationship between Natives and U.S. Government was unfair.

The Government forced us off our land, and onto reservations. They tried to force us to assimilate. That means they tried to make us become similar to them. Even though we went to war for them we weren’t able to vote.

 But in the 1970s, a group of brave natives stood up to the U.S. Government and started a change. Because of that we now have a voice with many agencies.

The biggest agency is the Department of Interior (DOI). They control the land, natural resources and oversee fish, wildlife, and the Forest Service. As a hunter this makes it important to me.

           The DOI controls the Bureau of Indian affairs (BIA). The B.I.A.’s core mission is to serve tribes and their members. They have changed dramatically over the past 175 years. The B.I.A. has been a witness to and the principal player in the history of federal-Tribal relations.

          The National Congress of the American Indian was founded in Denver, Colorado, in 1944. The NCAI helps tribes with their tribal lands, trust, Non-Indian fee lands, taxation, and Indian gaming.

          The Department of Energy (DOE) oversees Los Alamos and Sandia National labs. The DOE is also keeping us safe from Los Alamos national lab as well as 3 other pueblos. What they also said was that we are the only state that has 2 laboratories.

          The Indian Health Service (IHS) is also important. The mission of the IHS, in partnership with American Indian and Alaskan Native people, is to raise their physical, mental, social, and spiritual health to the highest level possible. The goal of the IHS is to ensure that comprehensive, culturally, acceptable personal and public health services are available and accessible to all American Indian and Alaskan Native people. The foundation of the IHS is to uphold the federal government’s obligation to promote healthy Indian people, communities, and cultures and to honor and protect the inherent sovereign rights of tribes.

Critical Question #2

2) What is your current understanding of the U.S. government structure? How does it influence your life?

           My current understanding of the U.S. government is it is divided into three parts: the Judiciary, Legislative, and Executive Branches. This division of power was invented by Native group called the Iroquois.

           The Judicial Branch interprets the law. They decide what the law means. The Judicial Branch is made up of the Supreme Court and more than 100 other courts.

           The Legislative Branch makes up the laws also called the Congress. Congress is made up of the house of Representative and the Senate. There are100 U.S. Senators and 425 representatives.

           The Executive Branch is headed by the president of the U.S. He is responsible for executing or carrying out the laws. The President oversees the cabinet, which is made up of heads of some of the Agencies we visited, like DOI and DOE.

Critical Question #3

3) Which presenter(s) and organization(s) had the most impact on your experience? What information did they provide that are valuable to your own personal interests and/or goals?

           There were several presenters who spoke to us at the Department of Energy (DOE). The presenters that impacted me the most were from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). For example, this Department is responsible for: the management and security of the nation’s nuclear weapons, nuclear nonproliferation and naval reactor programs. The NNSA was created to enhance United States national security through he military application of nuclear energy; to maintain and enhance the safety, reliability, and performance of the United States nuclear weapons stockpile, including the ability to design, produce, and test weapons, in order to meet national security requirements. Also they are trying to stop people from building bombs, and preventing terrorists from getting materials to make nuclear weapons.   

Critical Question #4

4)     What is tribal sovereignty, and how does it affect you- and your community?

           Sovereignty is the power to make and carry out laws within the nation’s borders. If you think sovereign you can be sovereign.

  Sovereignty is the right to define the present and the future as a people. Governance is only as good as the people who are involved. Think of sovereignty in terms of taking care of your family. Sometimes sovereignty means people huffing and puffing about who is in charge, but good leaders ultimately help create a stronger and healthier community.

  Sovereignty protects our community water rights. Our water rights are important to me and the community because we use the water for irrigating.

Critical Question #5

5)     What is the country of Bolivia and the president, Evo Morales, making a difference for indigenous people around the world? What can Jemez learn from this movement? 

As the first indigenous president of Bolivia, Evo Morales’s mission is to close the gap between the rich and poor people in his country.

  At the Bolivian embassy they showed us a movie called “El desfile” (the parade). On the movie, it showed ingenious people marching, for the first time in a military parade.

   In Bolivia they grow a plant called “coca”. 25% of the coca plant is used for traditional purposes, and newer ways to make shampoos and creams are being sought. It is also used for medicine.

   The Jemez Pueblo government can get ideas about how to improve life for the community, even though life in Jemez is hard. Not everyone has an automobile. So homes have leaky roofs. The unemployment rate is high. The Jemez clinic needs more doctors and nurses.

Keenan

1) What does it mean to know and understand the inter-governmental relationships the Pueblo of Jemez has with various agencies around Washington D.C

 In the past, the relationships of natives and the US Government was that the Government always tried to get our land, native land.  The natives weren’t that mean, they were always friendly, but because of the guns they made it look like trying to start a fight. Now things are different our voices are heard in Washington and in Santa Fe government.

 The Department Of Interior is responsible for land, water, natural resources, US energy needs, scientific research, fish and wildlife land. The DOI manages 500 million acres of land water: ditches, rivers, streams under water (aquifers) lakes and fisheries. They also oversee Native American lands and needs. This is important because some of those because some of those lands bacl are ancestral lands or other tribes ancestral lands. Natives are still trying to get their ancestral lands but you don’t just get it you have to go through a lot of government red tape.

  The Bureau of Indian Affairs was founded on March 11, 1824. The BIA has been a witness to and the principal player in the history of the federal tribal nations. The BIA has changed as dramatically as those policies have dangerous over the past 175 years. Through the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, when American Indians and Alaskan natives were granted the right to vote, the BIA has continued to embody the trust in government-to government relationships between the United States and the five hundred sixty two tribal nations.

  The Department of Energy owns Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos has been selected as the National Nuclear Security Administration’s preferred alternative site for plutonium research, development , and manufacturing along with nuclear weapons design and engineering, and super-computing. A consequence nuclear waste might spill in to the river and get Radiation Poisoning, Radiation poisoning is a form of damage to organ tissue due to excessive exposure to ionizing radiation.

Health and Education for our health service Jemez Pueblo has a clinic for our pueblo and the Education the (BIA) Bureau Indian Affairs only help public schools and the school I go to is a Charter we don’t get help from the (BIA).

2) What is your current understanding of the U.S. government structure? How does it influence your life? 3 Branches of the Federal Government

          The Legislative Branch makes laws. It is also called the Congress. Congress is made up of Representatives and the Senate. There are100 senators and 425 Representatives.

         The Executive Branch Headed by the president of the U.S. Responsible for executing or carrying out the laws.

         The Judicial Branch Interpret the law. They decide what the law means made up of the Supreme Court and more than 100 other courts.

        The federal government is important to me and my community because it protects us from terrorism because there are a lot of threats in government situations and for our Pueblo we have a national laboratory that makes nuclear weapons for the government so if the lab gets a threat the government will help the lab to protect it,

         For health and education the Federal Government helps the tribe by providing money for health and education for the pueblo they should build a road around the pueblo because if we have doings or traditional stuff outsiders get to nosy about our stuff like they would stop by the road and take pictures or find a way to go in the pueblo and that’s not good so we want to build a road around the pueblo because we don’t want outsiders to know about are stuff because there very sacred

3)    Which presenter (s) and organization(s) had the most impact on your experience? What information did they provide that are valuable to your own personal interests and/or goals?

         One presenter who made an impression on me was Clara Pratte at the Navajo Embassy. Clara was her name; she had completed a master’s degree on public policy and her job was main lobby, she had said she follows federal legislation and tracks its impact on the Navajo nation and on tribes general. Her issue’s that she tracks are on education, indigenous rights, housing, economic and community development, transportation, violence against women, and Navajo – Hopi land issues.

Clara helps draft legislation, and get members of the Navajo government meetings with appropriate law makers and draft testimony. Clara Pratte had said Navajo language is going away so the Navajo Government are putting their language on Rosetta Stone.

4) What is tribal sovereignty, and how does it affect you-and your community?

Sovereignty is the ability to carry out your own director. If you think sovereign, you can be sovereign. Sovereignty is the right to define the present and the future as a people that governance is only as good as the people who are involved, think of sovereignty in terms of taking care of your family sometimes sovereignty means people huffing and puffing about who is in charge.

Pueblo of Jemez Planning legislation The Pueblo of Jemez passed Resolution Number 2001_04 in March 2001, which supports preparation of a comprehensive plan to help guide balanced development, land use, and resource management to enhance the tribe’s long-term social, economic, and cultural values

What does sovereign Nation do?

·                    Protecting itself against outside attacks.

·                    It decides who may enter its territory.

·                    They can trade with other Nations.

·                    They can regulate with other Nations.

·                    They can make decisions about education, health and use of property.

5) How is the country of Bolivia and the president, Evo Morales, making a difference for indigenous people around the world? What can Jemez learn from this movement?

As the first indigenous President of Bolivia, President Morales has worked hard to close the gap between rich and poor people. Socialism- A system based on shared or Government ownership and administration of the of production and distribution of gods.

Coca- South American shrub that is the main source of cocaine, the coca plant can also be used in medicine as a local anesthetic and illegally to stimulate the central nervous system. Evo Morales is the first Indigenous person to be elected president of Bolivia: Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara Ethnicity.    

Bolivian Indians were used as slaves during Spanish rule. A lot of poverty and conflict among people, Bolivia lost a lot of land to neighboring nations. The farmers that grow coca plants are offered great sums of money for the crop. In 2007 Venezuela loaned Bolivia $250,000 to build 2 coca processing plants in chapare and yungas to turn coca into tea and trimate [a mixture of aniseed and chamomile and coca].

President Morales is trying to close the gap between rich and poor people, Socialism is not viewed in classic terms, but as socialism +, which combines historic traditions with a new economy, Bolivian society is seen more of an egalitarian society without giving up their freedoms. Indigenous people have been empowered, they now have a voice, there seems to be a sense of pride among Indigenous people.

President Morales has nationalized gas reserves so that more Indigenous people benefit from the money, which is used to improve health care and education. Dignity bonuses now exist to pay families whose children pass an exam to keep students from dropping out of school, School drop out has decreased dramatically dignity bonuses now exist for those elderly who do not receive pensions and traffic of cocaine is improving, Coca fields are continued to be eradicated, 25% of the Coca plant is still used for traditional purposes and newer ways to make shampoos and creams. Two flags fly outside Bolivian Embassy. One is the traditional flag, and the smaller flag is the indigenous flag the movie they showed at the Bolivian Embassy was called “El Desfile” it as about a indigenous people who wanted to gather up so they started a parade and told all the indigenous people so a lot of indigenous people gather up and started marching and they are making an army in Bolivia and the military draft is no longer poor and when we asked Mr.Barios if President Morales had visited Washington DC he had said yes but with different agencie.            

Kayla

1)                What does in mean to know and understand the inter-governmental relationship the pueblo of Jemez has with various agencies around Washington, DC?

     About 175 years ago, the relationship between the U.S government and the Native American tribes was very bad because the white people didn’t really recognize us Native Americans as real people until 1879. The government was really mean to the native tribes because their tribal lands were taken away from them and the natives were forced to live like the white men. The children were forced to go to school. The US government made treaties with us and broke most of them.

Today, we work for better relationships with many agencies in Washington DC. The Department of Interior controls the land in the United States. The DOI also decides on casinos and governs the BIA. DOI has relationships with 561 Indians tribes. They also manage about 500 million acres of land. About 56 million acres of that land belongs to the native tribes. The DOI also controls the U.S Fish and Wildlife and the U.S forest services. There are important to us because the U.S Forest Service controls the land that our Ancestral sites are on. USFS also helps prevent wild fires that can hurt our animals. The U.S Fish and Wildlife gives the right to hunt the animals.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is one of the oldest bureaus in the federal government. The BIA has changed dramatically in the past 175 years. Even though native soldiers went to war for the US government still didn’t have the right to vote as recently as the 1940s. The tribal self-government act of 1994 fundamentally changed how the BIA and its constituency do business with each other. Today the BIA is partners with the native tribes.

The National Congress of American Indians was founded in 1944. The NCAI helps Native Americans with programs and services to benefit Indian families, specifically targeting the Indian youth and elders. The NCAI also promotes and supports Indian education, including Head Start. NCAI also protects the rights of all Indian people to have decent, safe and affordable housing. The protections of Indian cultural resources and religious freedom rights are also maintained by the NCAI.

Today NCAI helps Native Americans a lot because they make sure government agreements are kept and they are protecting Native Americans.

The Department of Energy maintains an office called the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which has laboratories all over the world, and some build nuclear weapons. There are 2 laboratories in the state of New Mexico, which are Sandia Lab and Los Alamos. The DOE keeps Los Alamos from polluting Jemez with nuclear waste.

The Indian Health Service (IHS) mission, in partnership with the American Indian and Alaska native people is to raise their physical, mental, social, and spiritual health to the highest level possible. The goal for IHS is to ensure that comprehensive culturally acceptable personal and public health services are available and accessible to all Native Americans and Alaskan natives. IHS is the principal federal health care provider and health advocate for native people. For IHS, the population grows a rate of 1.6 percent per year.

In conclusion, what I learned by visiting Washington is that Native americans are growing in power and that us natives have a bigger and stronger voice now than before. 

2)                What is your current understanding of the U.S government structure? How does it influence my life?

There are three branches in the federal government, which are: the legislative branch, the executive branch and the judicial branch. Each branch has a job related to government. The legislative branch is also known as the U.S. Congress and its branch makes up the laws. The congress is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The next one is the executive branch. The executive branch is headed by the president of the United States. There is also the presidential cabinet which is an important group of policy advisers to the president. The president appoints the head of each executive department. The term cabinet comes from the Italian word “cabinetto” meaning a small private room. This cabinet is a good place to discuss important issues without being interrupted. This branch is responsible for executing or carrying out the laws. Also this branch gives the president a little power.

The last but not least is the judicial branch. The judicial branch interprets the law. This branch decides on what the law means. The judicial branch is made up of over 100 courts including the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the highest of all courts. We are very thankful to have these three branches because with out them we wouldn’t be able to really do anything and there will be a lot of violence with everyone.

What I learned about how the governmental structure influences my life by all ways having laws because without laws there would be people driving without insurance and there would be more violence in the world. 

3)    Which presenter(s) and organization(s) had the most impact on your experience? What information did they provide that are valuable to your own personal interest and/ or goals?

The organizations that had the most impact on my experience were: the Indian Health Service and the Department of Interior. At the meetings we went to I learned a lot, because there is a lot of information that we need to learn about.

What I learned at the Indian Health Service was important because of the many health issues that Native Americans face today. There are about 86,504 Native Americans that are involved with the IHS services in New Mexico. Most of all the people in Jemez Pueblo use IHS services. The total of IHS employees in the United States is 15,378 and about 71% are Native American. In Jemez Pueblo there is a medical clinic with one doctor and several nurses, and they also have a dentists and eye doctors.

What I learned at the DOI was that the only way to get back our ancestral lands is to work with the DOI’S Albuquerque office. If other people live on the land, then the tribe has to buy the land, and then put it in trust. Nedra Darling was the lady who talked to us. She works in New Mexico at Santa Fe, and Lynn Toledo works for Nedra.

 To prevent poaching on tribal land, you have to talk to the tribal law enforcement, Fish and Wild life and the U.S. Attorney general’s office in New Mexico. The minerals in the water are monitored by one person in each pueblo who submits information to the DOI.

In conclusion these meetings were very informational to me because I learned a lot that I never knew. 

4)    What is tribal sovereignty, and how does it affect you and your community?

There are many definitions of tribal sovereignty. One of them is the ability to carry out your own direction. If you think sovereign, you can be sovereign. Another one is the right to define the present and the future as a people. Governance is only as good as the people who are involved. Another definition is to think of sovereignty in terms of taking care of your family. Sometimes sovereignty means people huffing and puffing about who’s in charge. Sovereignty is the power to make and carryout laws within the nation’s borders.

All sovereign nations have the duty to protect the interest of the nation as a whole. This is accomplished by:

v                  Protecting themselves against outsiders attacks

v                 They decides who may enter their territory

v                 They can trade with other nations

v                 They can regulate with other nations

v                 They can make decisions about education, health, and used of property

Jemez pueblo as a sovereign nation protects its people in many ways. For example, we went to court to protect our water rights and to make sure Los Alamos doesn’t pollute our water with nuclear waste. We are able to keep outsiders from entering our pueblo on traditional days.

5)    How is the country of Bolivia and the president, Evo Morales, making a difference for indigenous people around the world? What can Jemez learn from this movement?

As the first indigenous person to be elected president of Bolivia, president Morales is making a difference for the indigenous people of his country. His main mission is trying to close the gap between rich and poor people.

The movie that was shown to us was called “el Desfile” (the parade). It showed indigenous people marching, for the first time in a military parade. The military draft is no longer just for the poor.

In Bolivia they grow a pant called coca. 25% of the coca plant is used for traditional purposes and newer ways to make shampoo and creams are being sought. The coca plant is also known as cocaine here in the United States. The trafficking of cocaine is decreasing. The coca fields continue to be eradicated.

I learned that Jemez can improve by having more doctors and more police in Jemez. We are working at placing more people in key government positions.  Living in Jemez is going good so far.

Winterbear

THE U.S. GOVERNMENT

This Continent was once called “The Land of Grace” and for 10,000 years Native Americans lived on these lands. Once the white man came, a lot of negative changes happened. Settlers and Europeans came to these lands and started to take what they wanted. Many Tribes were destroyed, broken apart, and many of their cultures died. That was the large part of the relationship between the U.S. government and the Native Americans.

Today things are different. We can go to Washington DC and do battle, tell them what’s on our minds. The U.S Congress created DOI in 1789 to deal with treaties, Treasury, and War. The DOI is also responsible for lands, water, Native Lands, and needs, and wild life lands. The DOI once took a lot from us. Today the DOI governs the BIA, which gives education to Indian kids. The BIA has relationships with over 561 Tribes.

Tribes have more power now than we’ve had before because now there’s the NCAI, a bureau that speaks for Native Americans. There are Native leaders starting to work to   give us a stronger, better voice. Leaders all over are trying and winning court battles for their people. Now, treaties and Bills that have been put to the side or broken are starting to be noticed and now we are fighting for our rights as Natives. Before this, happened the U.S. government was pushing us around. Now that Natives have made this progress, we are fighting for what we where promised.

U.S. Government Structure

The government is like a tree with so much order and law but is sometimes untruthful. There are three branches to this tree so that one can’t have absolute power. This wise government structure was adopted by the Iroquois confederacy, whose symbol was a tree. The Legislative Brach which makes laws is also called the Congress, made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. There are over 100 Senator and there are 425 Representative.                                                                                                    

 Next is the Executive Branch that is headed by the president of the U.S .This Branch is responsible for all the execution and carrying out of laws. Then we have the Judicial Branch. They decide s what the law means and why the government wants the law. This Branch is made up of the Supreme Court, where most of the big issues are dealt with.

So our government structure is basically the House of Representatives, the Feral Government, and then the State Government. This government affects every one of all colors. Native’s and Black’s were slaves, many good people died, but the situation has changed. Our government and the people in this country are the ones making the difference. It is not just the government, but I do think they help in a positive way sometimes. This influences my life in many ways because now I know how the government works. This was mostly the big part of it I know there a place to make a difference for my people and that’s all that matters.          

The presenter who made the most impact on me...

My experience was fun and a whole new learning experience. There were many organizations that held my interest. The DOI had a good impact on me, as I learned they helped Native Americans get their land back and water. I was happy to lean more about my people and how we fight for what’s right.  Our people are moving towards a better life. All my life I’ve liked to help people and I will continue to help as I get older because I want to be a governor a leader for my people. All this information will help me to move on to a better future because I’ve wanted to be in the government. The people I’ve met gave me their number.   I also know how to get land that will help me out when I get older. Then the class and I went to the HHS a department that helps Native Americans with their Health Services I leaned over there about Natives and their medical needs. I leaned that hospital are a big thing for Natives health is more important today then anything else. That makes me excited because that means that I have more people to help. It’s nice to know that when I get older I have someone to tell my problems to.

Tribal Sovereignty

Tribal sovereignty a government that is headed by the community. It is inherited rights to govern ones self. Sovereignty is a big nation of people that move as one. Like if the Tribal government messed up, then it would reflect on the whole tribe.

To be a sovern nation the people must have a voice and a leader. Then the nation has to have land where they want to have their sovern tribe. There has to be a good rive for crop growing and good building grown and they have to make sure there’s no pollution.

Next, the .U.S gives the right, depending on how many people there are, and how the government can arrange them in to the system. Like where does their water run threw if it goes threw another village then they have to figure out how there going to share the water, food, and supplies.

Tribal government affects everyone in that tribe, because if the .U.S government decided out of no where not to give us food then that means as a sovern government we messing up somewhere. Then again we still have the right to fight for it but everything is first handed when it’s a problem with the tribe because then the government would have to start programs to help stop the issue.

Kaitlyn

Critical Question 1

What does it mean to know and understand the inter-governmental relationships the Pueblo of Jemez has with various agencies around Washington, DC?

     The history of Native Americans is that we were subjugated, and had to assimilate to the white culture. Native Americans didn’t become citizens until 1924.It took even longer for Native Americans to have the right to vote. Not to mention on March 11, 1824 the Bureau of Indian Affairs was a witness to the principal player in the history of Federal-Tribal relations.

    Today with the government and Native Americans work hard to keep the government in line with our needs. We work to have opportunities, also to have a voice. We have been heard in Santa Fe and Washington, DC.  The government is now being forced to deal with treaties that were made 175 years ago.

     The DOI idea of setting up a separate department to handle domestic matters was put forward on numerous occasions. Until March 3, 1849, the last day of the 30^th Congress, that bill was passed to create the Department of Interior to take charge of the Nation’s internal affairs. The mission for the DOI is to protect America’s treasures for the future generations, to provide access to our nation’s natural, culture heritage.

Critical Question 2

What is your current understanding of the U.S. government structure? How does it influence your life?

The Government structure consists of the three branches of government.  Which are called legislative branch, executive branch, and the judicial branch. Leaders of the states wanted a strong and fair national government. But they also wanted to protect individual freedoms and prevent the government from abusing its power. They believed they could do this by having three separate braches of government. This separation described in the first three articles, sections, of the Constitution.

The legislative branch is made up of two houses of Congress- the Senate and the House of Representatives. The task of these two bodies is to make the laws. Its powers include passing laws, originating, spending bills, impeaching officials, and approving treaties. 

The Executive branch is to make laws official.  The executive branch makes sure that the laws of United States are obeyed. This branch is also headed by the president. The president carries out federal laws and recommends new ones, directs national defense and foreign policy. The powers of the executive branch includes directing government, commanding the Armed Forces, dealing with international powers, acting chief law enforcement officer.  

The judicial branch oversees the court system of the US. Through court cases, the judicial branch explains the meaning of the Constitution and laws passed by Congress. The Supreme Court is head of the judicial branch. Its powers include interpreting the Constitution, reviewing, laws, and deciding cases involving states rights. To interpret the nations laws.

This influences my life because it lets me know what the government has to go through in order to make the laws official. To make sure that what the people of the US, follow the laws that are made. These three branches of government are to help keep our people under control. To maintain power, this shows me that the government is protecting us from right and wrong.

   The BIA has to do with Native Americans, because the BIA started off negatively by imposing policies to subjugate and assimilate Native Americans. In the past 30 years American Indians and Alaskan Natives people working in the BIA, 90% people of its 10,200 employees.  Then BIA has 12 regional offices and 83 agencies serving tribal communities across the US.  Hallette was the last to serve as BIA commissioner following the establishment of the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs position with the Interior Department in 1977.

                                                                              Critical Question 3

Which Presenter(s) and organization(s) had most impact on your experience? What information did they provide that are valuable to your own personal interests and/or goals?

   The presenter(s) from the NCAI has really got my attention. The NCAI are like lobbyist. The NCAI is a milestone in Indian History, because it signified the first successful national intertribal political organization controlled by Indians.  The NCAI claimed members from nearly all tribes of Untied States. NCAI earliest years battled to protect the rights of Alaskan Natives, to end voting discrimination, to create the Indian Claims Commission (established in 1946). The more assimilated from the less, the older Native Americans from the younger, and individuals from tribal groups.

      The role in the late-twentieth-century Indians affairs, emphasis on treaty rights, tribal sovereignty, and identity issues had no equals in earlier intertribal efforts. The limited success of the NCAI helped open a broader political arena. 1980’s and the 1990s Indian activism shifted from the legislative arena to the courts, but it remained one of the most important Indian organizations. 

      All this information helped me learn about what the NCAI is all about. To show me what they do and what they do for a living.

Critical Question 4

What is tribal sovereignty, how does it affect you- and your community?

       Tribal sovereignty is self-government. We can dictate who can and cannot come on to our pueblo grounds during our ceremonies. To have the right to define the present and future as people. The governance is as good as the people who are involved. We are able to regulate trade with other nations. We are sovereign because our nation and people chose to be. 

Critical Question 5

How is the country of Bolivia and the president, Evo Morales, making a difference for indigenous people around the world? What can Jemez learn from this movement?

     Evo Morales is making a difference in Bolivia, by changing the ways of socialism, he is the first indigenous person in Bolivia to become president. The movement to socialism is to improve in education. To preserve a new society in Bolivia without renouncing private sector freedom. The main change in Bolivia is equality. The pride of the people in Bolivia made changes in Bolivia. Evo Morales is trying to change the poverty and conflict amongst his people.