Dear Friend,

Today we honor the cultures, traditions, and resilience of Indigenous peoples. In New Mexico, and across the United States, Pueblos, Tribes and nations have built vibrant and diverse cultures spanning countless generations, living on and serving as responsible stewards of the land since time immemorial. On this Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we celebrate the invaluable contributions of Tribes and Pueblos across the United States, recognizing their inherent sovereignty as we recommit ourselves to honoring their traditions, cultures, and the trust and treaty obligations that we have yet to fulfill. 

In Congress, I am fighting for the federal government to uphold these trust and treaty obligations. We must address the legacy and continuing harms that led to a genocide of Indigenous communities, from forced “Indian Boarding Schools” to policies designed to divide communally-held Indigenous land.

Today, we recognize Indigenous resiliency, self-governance, and sovereignty. The history, languages, art, economic contributions, and entrepreneurship of Indigenous people enrich this Nation, and we need to heed what they are willing to teach us. The contributions that Indigenous peoples made throughout history are an integral part of New Mexico and the nation’s society and rich cultural fabric. We must work together to ensure that every Indigenous community the resources they need to thrive. That’s why I’m proud to serve on the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples in the House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources. I’m proud to work in close collaboration with Tribes and Pueblos across New Mexico to cosponsor and pass meaningful legislation that extends Tribal broadband, recognizes the right to reliable, clean drinking water, uplifts, affirms, and protects Tribal sovereignty, and meets the needs of our Indigenous communities. I have also worked to designate Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a national holiday, as New Mexico has, to continue the critical work of beginning to address the harms that the federal government has committed.

The work continues. I look forward to continuing to work in partnership with our Tribes and Pueblos, to lift up the priorities and needs of our Indigenous communities, to respect Tribal sovereignty, and tackle our biggest challenges. On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and later Native American Heritage Month, we honor the first stewards of America’s and New Mexico’s land. Today and every day, I encourage everyone to respect and honor the many Indigenous communities and cultures across our state and our country.

As always, if I can be of any assistance to you or your family, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or my staff at (505) 346-6781. If you’d like to keep up to date on what I am working on in Washington on behalf of New Mexico’s First Congressional District and our communities, you can subscribe to our newsletter here, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Sincerely,



Melanie A. Stansbury
Member of Congress