NEW MEXICO
New Mexico's 19 Native American Pueblos are some of the oldest Tribal communities in the country. While there are commonalities between the Pueblos, each one is a unique, independent, self-governing entity where contemporary residents continue to observe their ancestors' time-honored traditions, beliefs and practices. The Jemez mountains in north-central NM have provided Native communities with resources for millennia, and are currently threatened by the unprecedented pressures of climate change.
Trees, Water & People has been working with the Pueblos of Kewa, Cochiti, and Jemez since 2018, to help restore ancestral forests, grazing lands, and riparian zones harmed by significant fires and flooding in the past two decades. By aligning cultural priorities with watershed health, we work with the Pueblos to plant trees, collect seeds, extend capacity-building workshops, and design long-term restoration plans for critical waterways. This work not only regenerates fragile desert ecosystems but also ensures that the land and the cultural sites it holds will be protected for generations to come.
As drought severity and temperatures in New Mexico increase, fire seasons are extended, and critical ecosystems are threatened. Receding water sources, increased turbidity, and a less dependable snow-pack annually devastate farming communities on the Rio Grande in New Mexico. Working along both rich riparian ecosystems and around highland water sources, we can work to increase water infiltration, leading to slower water flow downstream and prevention of erosion in critical ecosystems.
As intermediaries between the Tribes, local land managers, and several State and Federal agencies, TWP plays a unique role in helping channel resources to Native-led initiatives and ensuring Native voices and cultural priorities remain front and center. It’s imperative that Native communities who have thrived here for millennia to have a lead role in restoration activities.
Recent TWP initiatives in NM include:
Planting 10,000 trees per year in fire-scorched Pueblo watersheds
Working with Native technicians and experts to design culturally appropriate restoration treatments
Planning, evaluating and monitoring progress with Tribal Natural Resource Management teams
Engagement with non-Tribal groups supporting Tribal-prioritized restoration and capacity building
Sponsoring climate-focused workshop sessions strengthening community resilience
Engaging Tribal youth in reforestation activities to increase awareness of the importance of watershed health
Check out our Indigenous Lands page for the most up-to-date information. Please contact James Calabaza, Indigenous Lands Program Director if you have any questions.
Indigenous Lands Program Blog Posts
On August 10, 1680, the Pueblo nations of New Mexico rose up against the Spanish colonizers. For over eighty years, the Pueblo people suffered violence, cruelty, and hunger; exploitation of labor and resources; harassment and persecution for practicing long-held religious traditions that are interwoven in daily life; and psychological and physical stress. Pueblo leaders realized negotiations with the Spaniards was useless.