I am announcing my candidacy for position 8 of the Legislative Council. I look forward to serving the members of my community and applying all of my skills and best efforts toward helping create the strong, healthy, and resilient future we deserve as Jicarilla people. In the past two years, I’ve worked hard to acquire two important documents. The first was given in the spring of 2018 on the Radio City Music Hall stage in New York City, where I graduated with my Masters degree. The second document I hold is an Limited Liability Company (LLC) certificate for my small business. Truthfully, and just by experience, these documents are not worth much on the reservation. I will work hard to change that.
Our Nation has been hit with a double whammy in the past few months: the pandemic and the fall of oil prices. The upcoming Tribal Election is an important one because our incoming Tribal Leaders must focus and put all of their effort toward the economic recovery of the Nation which includes creating new sources of revenue outside of oil and gas, strategic long and short term investments, and the strengthening of our internal/local economy.
I believe small business owners will play a major part in our economic recovery by allowing Tribal Members to be self-sufficient, prosperous, and competitive to outside businesses.
Accomplishing this is a big change, but we are living in uncertain times and it is critical that we take action to both stabilize and create a new era of prosperity. We must unlock opportunities to enable the success of our most business minded and educated tribal members, who are in turn compelled to maintain open access to opportunities to our community at large. Presently, we have no business grants, loans or business centers currently offered, which I know about because I’ve asked for them personally and know that all prospective entrepreneurs like myself are in need of in order to create our own opportunity. We are not living up to expectations of that “progressive” title once held by our Nation.
As a self-proclaimed sovereigntist, I have no loyalty to any political party as partisan politics should play no role in the way we govern. If we do get involved with mainstream politics, its to hold both parties accountable through government-to-government relations. Our ancestors fought for us and everything we have. My allegiance will always be to their memory, their sacrifices, their prayers for the future of the Jicarilla Apache People and the land we live on. The protection and preservation of our sovereignty is needed now more than ever in this political climate.
That being said, it would be an honor to offer a few years of my own young life to serve our Nation in exchange for your vote. As a member of a generation who is coming into leadership, I did have the opportunity to observe the Nation from the outside and the privilege to travel and experience new opportunities and methods to solve stagnant problems and best advance our future through our values. It is time for a new perspective, new ideas, and a new voice for the future. Iheedn!