Yesterday, HB 134/aaa, the Tribal Education Trust Fund, passed the New Mexico House on a unanimous, bipartisan vote!

Together, we’ve taken a big step toward equity and justice for Native students and their tribal communities.

Bill sponsors Rep. Derrick Lente (Sandia Pueblo) and Rep. Anthony Allison (Navajo Nation) are quoted in the national media, including the Washington Post:

Rep. Lente: “What this does is it pushes back against 200-plus years of federal policies that sought to erase Native Americans from this nation.”

Rep. Allison: “More important than the money…is the idea that a trust fund be established, and sovereign nations be named as the beneficiaries on behalf of their children.” “Our dream is that this is just the beginning, and that future generations will benefit from … our vision.”

Check out more press coverage:

• Source NM reports how “Native lawmakers and tribal community leaders helped deliver a decisive victory for tribal autonomy in public education.”
• The Santa Fe Reporter describes how the most recent changes to the bill require a process of consultation, collaboration and communication with New Mexico Tribes to achieve unanimous consensus about sharing fund distributions in an equitable way.