Lab, accord pueblo governors discuss planning, partnering efforts

The Laboratory and the four accord/cooperative agreement pueblos of Cochiti, Jemez, Santa Clara and San Ildefonso held its 15th Cooperative Agreement Executive Meeting Wednesday at Jemez Pueblo's Walatowa Visitor Center.

Participating in the meeting were Interim Laboratory Director Pete Nanos; Ralph Erickson manager for National Nuclear Safety Administration/Department of Energy Los Alamos Site Office; Cochiti Pueblo Gov. Simon Suina; Jemez Pueblo Gov. Raymond Loretto; Santa Clara Pueblo Gov. Denny Gutierrez; and San Ildefonso Gov. John Gonzales.

The meeting was sponsored by the Laboratory's Tribal Relations team in the Government Relations Office (GRO). Joe Garcia of GRO was the moderator.

The meeting's focus was to establish additional joint efforts between the Lab and the four accord pueblos to move forward in eight strategic areas. The accord pueblo governors have asked the Lab to explore the following issues:

• More contracting opportunities for cultural site assessment activities, including tree thinning, site restoration and erosion control in areas affected by the Cerro Grande Fire, which will lead to other business and economic development
• Education for the four accord pueblos and others tribes interested by initiating more math and science programs throughout the calendar year. Instate University of California tuition and scholarships for each of the pueblos and the establishment of an online tutorial program for students
• Environmental monitoring including air, water, soil sedimentation, impact to watersheds and an overall understanding of environmental issues that affect elk and wild game
• Development of educational initiatives, such as additional training programs for employment of summer youths and the creation of more jobs and opportunities for Native Americans at the Laboratory
• Law enforcement interagency cooperation to develop greater security for the pueblos and surrounding communities, including Los Alamos County
• Acquisition of emergency response equipment, training and technical assistance for pueblo personnel to respond to bioterrorism and biohazard incidents
• Cultural resources, including access to cultural areas which have been closed for more than 60 years
• Increasing visibility of the Lab's Tribal relations team efforts within the Lab and raising the team's status, respect and authority to assist tribes with contracting issues.

"We've made a tremendous start; 60 years ago our country was environmentally foolish and we've learned a lot from you," Nanos told the four governors and other participants. "When we think of the Lab no one individual owns it, it's a private trust. We need to continue to treat it as a private trust and the Lab is what we need to preserve our community," Nanos said.

"One of the first endeavors I was involved with one year ago was being there to sign the paper for the land transfer and to see the reactions is something that I will never forget. I'm glad that the land has been returned to San Ildefonso Pueblo. In the future, I would like to return more of the land. These are the visions, new avenues of cooperation, understanding and cooperative benefit," said Erickson of DOE/NNSA.

San Ildefonso Pueblo Gov. Gonzales said, "The most important thing is our culture and our heritage. Our connection with this area is deeply rooted and we will never be removed." Gonzales thanked Nanos Erickson for the return of some 2,000 acres of land transferred back to San Ildefonso Pueblo in October 2002. "The land contains some of the last acres our ancestors lived on before moving to the valley. The community of San Ildefonso is very grateful," said Gonzales.

Nanos reiterated the five key principles for the Laboratory as it moves toward Sept. 2005 when DOE opens the Lab contract to competitive bidding; they are safety, security and compliance, national security and the science that supports this such as weapons programs, anti-terror nonproliferation and bioterrorism, the streamling of business process and being good neighbors by constantly communicating and working to the mutual benefit of all concerned.

The meeting participants concluded the session by developing strategic planning and action items for future meetings through a tribal coordination council working group between the pueblos and the Lab. "We are going to be here for the next 10,000 years and we've already been here for the last 600 years. Everything ties into our culture, the forests, animals, fish, crops -- that's our life style," said Cochiti Pueblo Gov. Suina.

For more information about the four accord pueblos, contact Joe Garcia of GRO at 5-6434 or write to jagarcia@lanl.gov by electronic mail.

-- Kathryn Ostic

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