On Friday, Nov. 6, Taos Pueblo celebrated the groundbreaking of a new 10,600‑square‑foot Library and Education Center. The project, slated for completion in 12‑14 months, will serve residents of all ages from the Pueblo and surrounding communities.
Funding and Tribal Support
The tribe requested roughly $6.5 million for construction and received the entire amount. New Mexico Indian Affairs Cabinet Secretary Josett Monette said the state will administer the funds through two capital‑outlay appropriations and a Tribal Infrastructure Fund project. Federal and tribal contributions also helped finance the center.
“Learning doesn’t stop when you stop going to school,” said Caitlin Lujan, director of Taos Pueblo Head Start. “It’s a continuous life cycle, and I’m very blessed that our tribal government, leadership, and council have that passion for education to invest in our future at every life stage.”
Education Sovereignty Goals
Former Education and Training Division Director Bettina Sandoval sees the center as a stepping stone toward full tribal control of education. She hopes Taos Pueblo will eventually operate its own school system, freeing the community from the federally‑run Taos Day School, a century‑old building in poor condition.
“When I come back, I want to set up our Tribe to have all the education policies in place for us to have our own school systems, ultimately,” Sandoval said. “That’s going to coincide hopefully with a bill that goes through with state tribal compacts.”
Sandoval referenced the State Tribal Education Compact Schools Act, passed unanimously by the New Mexico House and Senate in April 2025 but pocket‑vetoed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham over accountability concerns. The bill would allow tribes to negotiate or waive certain education standards and create Native‑language and cultural schools.
Facilities and Cultural Programs
The Library and Education Center will sit beside the new Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety building, minutes from the Heritage Center at the Pueblo’s main entrance. The 14‑acre site will also host art and retail spaces, restaurants, and a 120‑room Marriott TownPlace Suites/Fairfield Inn.
Two early‑childhood classrooms and a dedicated “Language Nest” will support the Tiwa language program. Tiwa Language Program Coordinator Mary Alice Martinez said the space will enable children and adults to learn Tiwa through instruction and recordings, as well as host cultural workshops, storytelling, and traditional arts.
“If we don’t continue learning our language and our ceremonies, we can’t participate, and we can’t continue to hold on to our Blue Lake and all our ancestral lands,” Martinez explained.
Head Start Funding Secured
The groundbreaking coincided with a U.S. Department of the Interior amendment that secures Head Start funding within Taos Pueblo’s Public Law 102‑477 plan. The amendment protects early‑education, nutrition, and family‑support services for the community.
“We were told current administrations were looking at doing away with funding from Head Start,” Lujan said. “This concerned us greatly because we know how many children we serve in our communities.”
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez is leading a coalition of 25 state attorneys challenging a federal proposal to cut Head Start standards and funding.
Economic Boost
Taos Pueblo Chief Financial Officer Robert Palmer announced a New Markets Tax Credit financing transaction that will add $2.4 million to the Library and Education Center project, further strengthening the Pueblo’s economic development.
“Our elders are living libraries. They carry generations of wisdom, stories, traditions and teachings,” Pueblo Governor Michael Martinez said. “As we build this library, let us remember that preserving our culture means listening to our elders, learning from them and passing their knowledge on to our young people.”
Original reporting: Taos News — read the source article.
