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New Mexico legislators seek endowment to bolster autonomous tribal education programs

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New Mexico legislators seek endowment to bolster autonomous tribal education programs


SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico legislators would create a unique educational endowment of at least $50 million to help Native American communities create their own student programs, including efforts to teach and preserve Indigenous languages, under a proposal endorsed Thursday by the state House.

The bill from Democratic legislators with ties to tribal communities including the Navajo Nation and smaller Native American pueblos won unanimous House approval on a 68-0 vote, advancing to the state Senate for consideration. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham recently voiced support for the initiative.

Sponsors say the endowment would help reverse the vestiges of forced assimilation of Native American children, including the legacy of at U.S.-backed boarding schools, and fulfill the state’s commitment to Native American students in the wake of a landmark state court ruling.

“What this does is it pushes back against 200-plus years of federal policies that sought to erase Native Americans from this nation and says, ‘Well, we know how to school, to teach our children best,’ ” said Rep. Derrick Lente, a resident and tribal member of Sandia Pueblo and lead cosponsor of the initiative. “They know that language is important.”

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New Mexico is home to 22 federally recognized tribal communities, and the Oklahoma-based Fort Sill Apache Tribe also has land holdings in southern New Mexico near Deming. The U.S. Census indicates that Native Americans make up about 11% of the state population, both on and off reservation lands.

An appropriation from the state general fund would establish the “tribal education trust fund,” with annual distributions to tribal communities set at roughly 5% of the fund’s corpus — about $2.5 million on a balance of $50 million.

Under an agreement that Lente helped broker, tribes would determine how the money is divvied up among Native American communities using a “unanimous consensus process of consultation, collaboration and communication … with the option of appointing peacemakers in the event of a dispute regarding the formula.”

New Mexico lawmakers currently have a multibillion-dollar budget surplus at their disposal — a windfall linked to oil and natural gas production — as they craft an annual spending plan and search for effective strategies to raise average high school graduation rates and academic attainment scores up to national averages.

At the same time, state lawmakers have been under pressure for several years to resolve a 2018 court ruling that found New Mexico has fallen short of its constitutional duty to provide an adequate education to students from low-income households, Native American communities, those with disabilities and English-language learners.

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“More important than the money — of $50 million — is the idea that a trust fund be established, and sovereign nations be named as the beneficiaries on behalf of their children,” said state Rep. Anthony Allison of Fruitland, who is Navajo. “Our dream is that this is just the beginning, and that future generations will benefit from our dreams and our vision on their behalf.”

Lente said he continues to push for a larger, $100 million contribution by the state to the endowment.

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By MORGAN LEE Associated Press



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New Mexico

How one family is feeling the impact of the longest government shutdown

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How one family is feeling the impact of the longest government shutdown


Many families across the country are feeling hopeless as federal employees continue to work without pay during what is now the longest government shutdown ever.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Many families across the country are feeling hopeless as federal employees continue to work without pay during what is now the longest government shutdown ever.

A New Mexico man, Jason Richards, reached out to KOB 4 sharing his frustration with Congress. Richards has a unique experience with shutdowns, going through several during his 21 year career as a Chief of Interpretation for the National Park Service.

For Richards, seeing the Petroglyph National Monument gates locked brought some tears to his eyes.

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“It makes me emotional. It does. It’s sad, but it’s Congress’s fault. It’s not the American people’s fault. It’s Congress. Both sides are guilty,” said Richards.

Richards told us while some trails remain open, he’s worried for the safety of visitors and the public lands themselves as park rangers are not able to work full-time due to the shutdown.

“That’s my land out there. That’s your land out there. That’s our cameraman’s land out there,” Richards said. “It doesn’t belong to Congress. It belongs to the American people. Tear the gate down.”

A multi-generational problem

The pain is personal as Richards’ daughter followed in his footsteps and now works for the National Park Service on the East Coast. She hasn’t seen a paycheck since before the shutdown.

“She’s calling me and crying, saying, ‘Daddy, I don’t know what to do. I can’t pay my mortgage. I’m having hard time with getting food on the table.’ And her husband works for the government also.”

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KOB 4 also spoke to his daughter, Amberleigh Leitenberger, on the phone Wednesday afternoon. She told us, “I’m extremely passionate about the Park Service and the Park Service mission and being second generation is really important to me. But, it’s very difficult to have to go through this repeatedly.”

When we asked Richards if there is any hope left for him and his daughter, he said, “No, there isn’t.”

Richards says he only asks now for Congress to listen to the American people and do what is best for them, not their agendas.



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A look at results across Northern New Mexico

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A look at results across Northern New Mexico


Santa Fe County

Santa Fe mayor: City Councilor Michael Garcia has been declared the winner after the tabulation of the ranked choice votes. He led in the first round with 36% of voters, while Oscar Rodriguez trailed with 23%, Ron Trujillo with 14%, County Commissioner Justin Greene with 10%, JoAnne Vigil Coppler with 8%, Tarin Nix with 6%, Letitia Montoya with 3% and Jeanne O’Dean with 1%. The candidates were vying to succeed Mayor Alan Webber, who is not seeking reelection.

Santa Fe City Council District 1: Pat Feghali, who has been declared the winner after the tabulation of the second-round ranked choice votes, led with 40% in the first round, while Katherine Rivera and David Montoya trailed with 30% each. The candidates were vying to succeed Councilor Signe Lindell, who is not running for reelection.

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Los Alamos County

San Miguel County

Rio Arriba County

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Taos County



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New Mexico Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 Day results for Nov. 3, 2025

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The New Mexico Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Nov. 3, 2025, results for each game:

Powerball

03-32-40-43-57, Powerball: 18, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 3

Day: 5-0-1

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Evening: 4-2-7

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Lotto America

07-11-19-25-50, Star Ball: 10, ASB: 03

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 4

Evening: 1-2-6-1

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Day: 8-0-5-3

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Roadrunner Cash

01-03-13-16-20

Check Roadrunner Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Powerball Double Play

11-27-55-62-68, Powerball: 02

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Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Las Cruces Sun-News editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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