MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Greetings everyone, I hope this message finds you all doing well as we make our way into fall. It is hard to believe that it is already September!
In the last newsletter I announced that the Chamiza Foundation would be hosting a free “Learning Outcomes” workshop on Friday, October 4, 2019 from 9am to 1pm at the Wheelwright Museum Library. The purpose of the workshop is to assist those who are working on Chamiza Foundation applications, specifically helping them to identify what the “learning outcomes” will be for their proposed project or program. This in turn will help them to better structure their application and potentially better organize the project or program that they are planning. So please remember to RSVP with me if you are interested in being part of this workshop, we still have space for 5 more people! Please email me at executivedirector@chamiza.org to save your seat!
Furthermore, if you have a project or program idea that you would like to submit an application for and it is related to our foundation priority areas, please contact me and we can talk about developing your idea!
Sincerely,
Amanda J. Montoya
Below you will find updates and information from our various Pueblo projects and programs that have received funding from the Chamiza Foundation.
OHKAY OWINGEH TEWA LANGUAGE PROGRAM
Ohkay Owingeh is one of the six Tewa speaking pueblos located in Northern New Mexico. Though there are six Tewa speaking pueblos, all six pueblos are unique and have their own dialect that differs from the other. Ohkay Owingeh is home to more than 2,900 tribal members with the primary language being English. Less than half of the homes in Ohkay Owingeh speak the Tewa language fluently. More than 85% of community members are not fluent in the Tewa language. Of the 15% of that are fluent in the Tewa language, majority are elders, and are over the age of 55+ years old. The largest population of non-fluent Tewa speakers is among our youth ages 5 – 18 years old. In the fall of 2018, Ohkay Owingeh submitted an application to the Chamiza Foundation requesting funding for their “Ohkay Owingeh Tewa Language Program”.
The Ohkay Owingeh Tewa Language Program aims at revitalizing the Tewa Language by offering weekly Tewa Classes that are open to the community. The Tewa Classes are taught by two certified Tewa instructors. The classes cover an array of subjects ranging from numbers, greetings, colors, prayers, song interpretations, and so much more. The main goal of the project is to increase the number of fluent Tewa Speakers in Ohkay Owingeh. The Community Tewa Classes that are currently being offered have been proven affective and have produced fluent Tewa speakers. An average of 10-15 community members participate in the classes that are held on Tuesday through Thursday evenings from 6:00PM – 8:00PM. A field trip was taken at the end of June to MesaVerde and Chaco Canyon. Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon are important landmarks that are vital to the origin stories of the Tewa people. The Chamiza Foundation has been providing financial support for the Tewa Language program since 1991.
SANTA FE INDIAN SCHOOL: KEWA-COCHITI KERES/TEWA LANGUAGE CLASSES HANDS-ON NATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING-HORNO PROJECT
Since the 2009-2010 school year, Santa Fe Indian School has offered Pueblo Native Language classes starting with Cochiti Keres Language with 13 students. The year after, Kewa Keres was added at the request of Santo Domingo Pueblo students and community with 19 students enrolled. Since then, Santa Fe Indian School has worked with the language programs of Cochiti, Santo Domingo, Laguna, Santa Clara, Ohkay Owingeh, Tesuque and Zuni Pueblos to offer the opportunity for students to continue to learn and engage in their respective community’s language. To date over 550 students have taken a Pueblo Language class since 2009.
Pueblo language classes at Santa Fe Indian School have the challenge and the opportunity of teaching a language that has never before been taught formally in a high school setting. Some Pueblo communities have never formally authorized the writing of their language. So it is up to the teachers, in consultation with their community, to develop engaging, thoughtful and challenging curriculum and coursework. Teachers must work creatively and intuitively while also keeping in mind the needs of high school students for a supportive environment for language learning and maintaining a rigor of academic standards.
One of the ways that the students learn and practice using their language is by engaging in various projects and hands-on activities. In the fall of 2018 the Santa Fe Indian School Kewa-Cochiti Keres/Tewa Language Class submitted an application to the Chamiza Foundation requesting support to build community hornos (ovens) for campus group use. The building project will involve the students in the language classes and dorm students. The project will involve 40 Kewa Keres students, 15 Cochiti Keres students and 60 Tewa students. The project will be starting in September 2019.
Funding Opportunities
Clif Bar Family Foundation: Small Grant Program
Deadline to apply October 1, 2019
The Clif Bar Family Foundation’s mission is to support innovative small and mid-sized groups working to strengthen the food system and communities, enhance public health, and safeguard the environment and natural resources. The Foundation awards small grants for general organizational support as well as funding for specific projects. Priority is given to applicants that advance the Foundation’s priorities from a holistic perspective:
- Protect Earth’s beauty and bounty
- Create a robust, healthy food system
- Increase opportunities for outdoor activity
- Reduce environmental health hazards
- Build stronger communities
http://clifbarfamilyfoundation.org/Grants-Programs/Small-Grants
New Mexico Indian Affairs Department: i Count New Mexico
The New Mexico Indian Affairs Department was awarded funds to provide outreach activities that inform nations, tribes, pueblos and urban American Indians within New Mexico of the importance of self-responding to the 2020 Census questionnaire and avoiding an undercount.
IAD would like to invite New Mexico nations, tribes, and pueblos to apply for funds appropriated State Legislature to support 2020 Census complete-count efforts.
Deadline to apply: October 14, 2019
For more information, please contact: Drew Roybal-Chavez, Chief Financial Officer Phone: 505-476-1612 Email: Drew.Roybal-Chavez3@state.nm.us
https://www.iad.state.nm.us/index.html
Whole Kids Foundation: Garden Grants
Whole Kids Foundation knows that the more kids know and feel connected to their food, the more curious they become about how things grow or taste, and the more willing they are to try new foods. Through its Garden Grant program, schools and non-profit organizations turn outdoor spaces into powerful hands-on learning gardens that connect kids with food, spark their curiosity, and support classroom curriculum.
Deadline to apply: October 15, 2019
https://www.wholekidsfoundation.org/programs/school-gardens-grant