Dear LWVCNM Members,

Our next monthly educational meeting is Thursday, July11^th at noon, in-person and by Zoom Webinar. LWVCNM is excited to announce our speakers for the second of our two-part summer meeting series, Democracy in Danger: State Senator Brenda McKenna, NM Senate District 9, and Ahtza Dawn Chavez, (she/her/Asdzą́ą́), Executive Director of Naeva Education Project and NM Native Vote. There will be refreshments provided by the board after the meeting.

Our distinguished speakers, dedicated to safeguarding voting rights and promoting civic engagement in New Mexico, will delve into the complexities and challenges facing democratic principles in contemporary society.

The program will highlight the importance of the "arc of democracy" and address perspectives on just what Democracy means. They will also raise pressing issues facing democratic principles, including pressure on individual rights and proactive measures to address issues at the local level. Attendees can expect dynamic deliberation from our panelists who are deeply committed to strengthening democracy and Tribal sovereignty in our New Mexico communities.

New Mexico State Senator Brenda McKenna hails from Nambé Pueblo and was elected in 2020 to serve District 9 in Bernalillo and Sandoval Counties.  She is a member of the Health and Public Affairs and Rules Committees during the legislative session and serves on the Indian Affairs, Radioactive and Hazardous Waste, and Military Veteran Affairs Committees during the interim session. She serves U.S. Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury as a Senior Constituent Services Representative and Tribal Liaison and previously served U.S. Congresswoman Deb Haaland prior to her appointment as U.S. Secretary of Interior. 

Ahtza Dawn Chavez (she/her/Asdzą́ą́) is a two-spirit member of the Diné Nation, born for Kewa Pueblo, and the Executive Director of Naeva, a 501c (3) and NM Native Vote, a 501c(4). Mrs. Chavez has 10+ years of professional fiduciary and investment experience. She oversees organizations tasked with creating power and educating an Indigenous voting bloc in New Mexico by working with key organizations and governance within NM but has grown to organize regionally and nationally. Ahtza builds power for communities through systems change and critical infrastructure development, bridging gaps through fund or management sourcing, community engagement and organizing, and building partnership coalitions amongst community members, Tribal leaders, and local, state, or federal governance. She is passionate about ensuring Tribal sovereignty and self-determination in the fight to protect our land, air, and waterways through policy and law, while creating pathways for investments in Tribal broadband access, renewable infrastructure, and economic development.

 

Ahtza led the 2020 NM Native Census and 2021 Native Redistricting Coalitions, which brought all 23 NM Tribes, Nations, and Pueblos together to Get Out The Count and negotiated a full Tribal Consensus Redistricting Map that maintained all AIAN minority-majority districts while creating additional Native influence districts. In 2023, Naeva organized Tribal support for the passage of the New Mexico Voting Rights Act, which incorporates the most comprehensive Native American Voting Rights Act (NAVRA) provisions in the country. Naeva formalized these coalitions into the NM Native Civic Engagement & Policy Table. She is a member of the NM Sustainable Economy Advisory Council, City of Albuquerque Justice40 Committee, All Pueblo Council of Governors Legislative Committee Co-chair and a board member of Groundworks, NM.

 

Zoom Webinar Invitation

You are invited to a Zoom webinar.

When: Jul 11, 2024 12:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)

Topic: Democracy in Danger Part 2 - A Deep Dive

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

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