Pueblo of Jemez –Photo Voice Showcase

May 12, 2015 | Blog, Ke, Our Programs

Presented by Alyssa Yeppa and Stacie Barney

Introducing Lana Toya

Photo Voice for research. Our Parent Photo Voice team had the great honor of having Walatowa Headstart Program Manager, Lana Toya, enlighten us with their Photo Voice project and journey.  Lana shared information on the project’s foundation, development, motivation and their efforts to transform a head start to a language immersion program in Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico.  Lana Toya emphasized to our parents that passion of retaining cultural identity, language, and motivation in our community is only the beginning of great universal family changes that can happen. We were also happy to have the company of Santa Clara Photo Voice Head Start Director and representative at our location.

Lana sharing some photo voice boards at the convening at SIPI.

Lana sharing some photo voice boards at the convening at SIPI.

Lana shared her knowledge on all aspects of leading a Photo Voice project including how to maintain participation.  Through her commitment, she has been able to share with tribal leaders of the Pueblo of Jemez the hopes and dreams of parents.  Ms. Toya shared how the center shared the Photo Voice projects during a community showcase and an ongoing display.  This provided some great ideas for SIPI’s parent team.

Lana shared information regarding her experiences with parent participation in the Photo Voice project.   Walatowa’s Photo Voice attracted a high parental involvement because it captivated parents’ interests of their willingness to share their dynamics of family, culture, traditions, and values. Lana shared with the group the amount of planning and commitment required of parents in the project.  She also shared her knowledge of how to facilitate a Photovoice project.

Walatowa’s Photo Voice project initiated an ongoing study of how to transform early childhood education in Jemez Pueblo.  Lana shared her experience of traveling to other places and other schools to investigate how those schools transformed into a language immersion program. This willingness to change their program derived from the parents sharing their interests through the Photo Voice reflections. Lana and her Head Start staff from the Pueblo of Jemez were able to travel to Hawaii and learn how those schools evolved into a preservation of language, curriculum and even, written language books.  It made her realize the infinite potential there is to evolving her Head Start program into a language preservation center.

Overall, this Parent Photo Voice event was a great turnout for visions and limitless ambitions to be developed amongst SIPI’s parent participants.  Parents were able to address great questions to Lana. The perspectives parents had for Lana were intriguing and engaging, this could have carried on, but as time permitted we ended the night with a scrumptious dinner.

Recent Blog Posts

Highlighting Indigenous Innovation on Indigenous Peoples Day 

Highlighting Indigenous Innovation on Indigenous Peoples Day 

This Monday, October 14, marks Indigenous Peoples Day, a day to honor and celebrate the histories and cultures of Native peoples here in the United States. As of last Indigenous Peoples Day in 2023, approximately 195 cities and states recognized the holiday. Here at the American Indian College Fund, we want to take this day to highlight some of the amazing contributions Indigenous peoples have made to the world and share a preview of our upcoming Native American Heritage Month activities. 

American Indian College Fund Launches Virtual Learning Series to Tribal College Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Students

American Indian College Fund Launches Virtual Learning Series to Tribal College Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Students

Two of the American Indian College Fund’s (College Fund) programs are collaborating to launch a new virtual learning series for early childhood educators as well as elementary and secondary educators in Indigenous communities.

American Indian College Fund Celebrates National Transfer Student Week 

To create awareness about how to successfully transfer to a college or university, with opportunities to hear from other Native students who have navigated the process, the American Indian College Fund will host two webinars: Transfer 101 and a Transfer Student Experience panel. Participants will also have access to a transfer process toolbox online. The College Fund is also creating awareness of transfer activities at TCUs by providing $2000 to institutions to assist transfer students by hosting on-campus events, augmenting transfer student resources, or compensating potential transfer student site visits.