Released: February 28, 2016
Santa Fe Community College
Celebrates Native American Week March 21 through March 24, 2016
Guest Speaker Rosalita Whitehair will speak Tues. March 22 at 11 a.m.
SANTA FE, NM – Santa Fe Community College will celebrate Native American Week on Mon., March 21 through Thurs. March 24 with Native dances, special events and a Native arts sale. Opening ceremonies/dances will be in the Courtyard from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The following dance groups are scheduled for Mon., March 21:
- 11: 00-11: 30 David Trujillo (Pojoaque)
- 11:30-12:00 Darrel Sakeva (Hopi)
- 12: 00-12: 30 Gabe Chavez (Cochiti)
- 12: 30-1: 00 Andrea Lomayaktewa (Hopi).
On Tues., March 22 the campus will welcome tribal elders and will present a free talk by guest speaker Rosalita Whitehair. Whitehair will speak about “Disasters and Resilience in Indian Country” at 11 a.m. in Jemez Room 1. She is the Diné National Domestic Preparedness Consortium Tribal Adviser and the Disaster Response and Recovery Emergency Manager at High Water Mark, LLC. Her guidance has helped the Navajo Nation to avoid reverting $11 million dollars to Federal Emergency Management Agency and to obtain more FEMA, Community Emergency Response Team and Hazard Mitigation funds for the tribe. Under her leadership as Emergency Management Director, the Navajo Nation was one of the first tribes to obtain a Disaster Declaration directly from the White House. During her tenure, the Navajo Nation experienced 14 events, including the current Gold King Mine response, where three million gallons of toxic waste was dumped into the 250 miles of water along 16 communities of the Navajo Nation. Other incidents include the following situations: 20,000 tribal citizens without water, hazardous materials, evacuations, landslides, floods and the Asaayi Lake wildfire, which burned more than 14,000 acres and involved more than 1,000 responders.
In 2011, Whitehair was one of the first Native Americans inducted into the International Women in Homeland Security and Emergency Management Hall of Fame. The National Domestic Preparedness Consortium appointed Whitehair as a Tribal Adviser to enhance partnerships with historically underserved tribal, native and territorial populations. Her maternal clan is Water Flows Together and can be traced back 16 generations to Window Rock, Arizona on the Navajo Nation.
Public events for Native American Week conclude with a Native Arts and Crafts Fair on Thurs., March 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the college Courtyard and entertainment by Rude Boyz, a popular Pueblo variety band.
Santa Fe Community College celebrates its 40th Anniversary as the pathway to success for individuals and the community. SFCC provides affordable, high-quality programs that serve the academic, cultural, and economic needs of the community. The college welcomes over 10,000 students per year in credit, noncredit, workforce training, personal enrichment, and adult programs.
A “Best for Vets” and a “Military Friendly” school.
Visit sfcc.edu or call 505-428-1000.
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