A MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Greetings, everyone! I hope your year is off to a fantastic start. Here at the Chamiza Foundation, we would like to congratulate all the newly appointed and reappointed Pueblo leaders. We wish you a productive, safe, and blessed year ahead.
The deadline for the first round of applications for 2025 has passed. Our board will meet on March 7, 2025, to review the applications and determine the awards. I will announce the awardees in next month’s newsletter.
Earlier this month, I was engaged in various activities, including an interview for an article about my board position with the Golden Apple Foundation of Excellence. They asked for my thoughts on Native American Education in New Mexico and how the Golden Apple Scholars Program could benefit our communities. If you would like to read the article, you can access it here.
Last month was especially difficult for us at the Chamiza Foundation, as we learned of the passing of one of our former board members, Mr. Hayes Lewis. Hayes served as a board member for 14 years. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to interact with and learn from him during my time as Chamiza’s Executive Director. He was a remarkable man and will be missed by many. Our condolences go out to his family and community.
Sincerely,
Dr. Amanda J. Montoya
In Remembrance of Mr. Hayes Lewis
Hayes Lewis, a tribal member of the Zuni Pueblo, passed away on January 25, 2025. He served as a board member for the Chamiza Foundation for 14 years and was a Vietnam veteran who made significant contributions to Indian education. Hayes was the founding director of the Center for Lifelong Education at the Institute of American Indian Arts and served as the superintendent of schools in Zuni from 2012 to 2016. He also established the A:shiwi College and Career Readiness Center (ACCRC) at Zuni Pueblo, among many other accomplishments.
Hayes had a strong background in educational and community development. He is remembered for his belief that “in terms of education for tribal people, it goes back to those original messages and instructions . . . we need to return to the ancestral teachings of who we should be and how we should relate to people . . . I think there’s a lot of power in that.”
As the executive director of the ACCRC, Hayes emphasized the importance of crafting an educational approach that intertwined Zuni traditions with contemporary academic needs. He was an amazing individual who led a remarkable life, and his service to his community and to all Indigenous people will always be remembered.
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2024 Chamiza Foundation Donations
Andrew Wallerstein
Ashley Kelly
Bradley Brant
Cindy Gevarter
Jane Alpert
Mark Abe
Mark Levin
Mary Kazior
Olivia Ramirez
Peter & Joellen Lippett
Robby Berlin
Robin Smith
T.J. & Marjorie Elliott