Tribal Leaders Meet for Historic Summit with Governor Lujan Grisham

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham addressing New Mexico tribal leaders

Published May 17, 2019

Leadership from 23 Tribal Nations Meet with Governor Lujan Grisham for 2019 State Tribal Leaders Summit

ALBUQUERQUE — Leaders from 23 tribal nations met with Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and her Cabinet secretaries for the 10th annual state tribal leaders summit today. Tribal leaders from across the state came together at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque to discuss ways to work more collaboratively with the Lujan Grisham administration.

The state tribal leaders summit is an annual tradition that was established as a way for tribes to develop successful partnerships with the state of New Mexico. Today’s event was convened by the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department with the goal of strengthening the relationships between sovereign governments.

Issues discussed ranged from healthcare and education to natural resources and water concerns. Tribal leaders reinforced the importance of preserving language, traditional lifestyles and providing more educational opportunity for their youth. Governor Lujan Grisham reiterated her commitment to building strong relationships with the tribes and working together for the benefit of Indian country.

“The sovereign tribal nations of New Mexico have not been treated with the respect they deserve in recent years,” Gov. Lujan Grisham said. “My administration is resolved to rebuild those foundational government-to-government relationships. This summit served as an important opportunity to reflect on that resolve. I’m humbled by the statewide tribal participation in this event, and I look forward to continuing to build on the work we have started together.”

“Today’s state tribal leader summit demonstrated the commitment of the Lujan Grisham administration to providing real government-to-government consultation and collaboration.” Indian Affairs Secretary Lynn Trujillo said. “Under this administration we are seeing an unprecedented level of support and communication with our tribal nations. As we conclude this year’s summit we look forward to a renewed partnership between the state of New Mexico and all of our tribes.”

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