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UNM Gallup Hosts Pit Stop for 2022 Sovereignty Run
By Richard Reyes
Senior public relations specialist The University of New Mexico-Gallup
GALLUP — The University of New Mexico-Gallup hosted a pit stop for the 2022 Sovereignty Run on campus Wednesday, Oct. 12.
The Sovereignty Run is a cross-country run organized by the National Congress of American Indians and Bright Path Strong.
“The Sovereignty Run calls attention to the erosion of tribal sovereignty on reservation lands, including raising awareness of the new attacks on tribal sovereignty in the face of the harmful Supreme Court decision in CastroHuerta,” according to a news release from the National Congress of American Indians. “The run also pays homage to Native Olympian Jim Thorpe.”
During the Sovereignty Run, a 25-foot totem pole created by the House of Tears Carvers of Lummi Nation is traveling alongside runners symbolic of honoring, uniting and empowering communities to protect sacred places, cultures and tribal sovereignty along the way.
UNM-Gallup was honored to host this event, especially since it came only two days after Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
UNM-Gallup serves a predominantly Native American population and acknowledges that the branch campus sits on the traditional homelands of the Pueblo of Zuni and Navajo Nation.
Since time immemorial, the original peoples of New Mexico maintained deep connections to the land and made significant contributions to the broader community statewide. We honor the land itself and those who remain stewards of this land throughout the generations and also acknowledge our committed relationship to Indigenous peoples.
We thankfully recognize our history, strive to build robust relationships with sovereign Native nations and Indigenous peoples, and commit to maintain a diverse and inclusive environment with respect, understanding and appreciation of all.
UNM-Gallup receives funding to better meet needs of the community
The University of New Mexico-Gallup recently received five financial awards that will allow the branch campus to better meet the needs of the community while also improving student recruitment and retention.
UNM-Gallup received the following financial awards: • Nursing Faculty Endowment for $2.5 million. • Teacher Education Faculty Endowment for $2.5 million. • Nursing Expansion Award for $464,000. • Tribal Education Initiative Award for $100,000. • Early Childhood Student Success Grant for $88,000.
“These financial awards are significant,” UNM-Gallup Interim Chancellor Sabrina Ezzell said. “The endowments for nursing and education are particularly instrumental in helping us meet the critical needs of the community.”
The two faculty endowments are for faculty salaries, enabling UNM-Gallup to hire two additional faculty members ― one for the Nursing Program and one for the Teacher Education Program. The branch uses the interest off the endowments to pay the salaries. The endowments will continue to fund the faculty positions for years to come.
The other three financial awards are onetime awards for fiscal 2022-2023.
The Nursing Expansion funds will go toward faculty salaries along with simulation equipment and instructional materials. The funding also goes toward student scholarships that pay for Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) fees and National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) testing review fees.
The Tribal Education Initiative Award will pay for a student success specialist in the Education Department.
And the Early Childhood Student Success Grant will provide stipends for students in the Early Childhood Education Program. Students will be eligible to receive between $1,500 and $2,000 each to help cover costs outside of tuition, such as food, transportation and housing. The stipends will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
“All of these awards help us with student recruitment and retention,” Ezzell said. “Additional faculty will help us to increase the number of nursing and education students, while money towards student support will help to increase the number of students who progress and graduate.”
Pictured from top left clockwise are National Congress of American Indians President Fawn Sharp; Freddie Lane, road manager for the House of Tears Carvers of Lummi Nation; Dillon Shije, a tribal councilman for the Pueblo of Zia who organized and ran with the New Mexico segment of the 2022 Sovereignty Run; and Esther Yazzie-Lewis, a federally certified Navajo interpreter and teacher of Navajo language and culture with Diné Centered Research and Evaluation and the Southwest Research and Information Center.
General Obligation Bond 3 for Higher Education will provide $3 million to UNMGallup for Gurley Hall renovation
This fall, voters in Gallup will be asked to invest in the state’s public colleges, universities and specialty schools. General Obligation Bond 3 is asking voters to approve nearly $215.6 million for needed renovations, upgrades and improvements. Voting “yes” on GO Bond 3 will not increase property tax rates.
In Gallup, approval of GO Bond 3 will mean an allocation of $3 million for UNM-Gallup, which will fund the renovation of Gurley Hall. Also, passage of Bond 3 is estimated to create 2,000 jobs in construction, architecture and related fields across New Mexico, helping boost local economies and gross receipts tax revenue.
Gurley Hall is the front door to the Gallup campus. Renovations would improve the use of space, the quality of space and proximity of spaces by increasing natural light. This project would transform the dated Gurley Hall into a safe and welcoming space to aid student success. It is critical in UNM-Gallup’s attraction and retention of students, and it could motivate students to graduate.
This renovation would provide formal and informal spaces for students to study, gather, eat and get assistance. It would provide students with access to administrative assistance as well as comfortable and safe places to study, work on group projects, and meet with faculty and other students.
Absentee voting and in-person early voting began Oct. 11. Expanded early voting is scheduled from Saturday, Oct. 22, to Saturday, Nov. 5. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8, with polls open for in-person voting from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
For additional information about GO Bond 3, including a detailed list of projects the bond would fund throughout New Mexico, visit www.Bond3forNM.com.
For more information about UNM-Gallup, please visit gallup.unm.edu.
For more UNM-Gallup news and events, please visit gallup.unm.edu/news.
