Julia Abeyta: Fighting for American Indian advancement

David Collins | The New Mexican

11/21/2007 -

If it has to do with higher education for American Indians in Northern New Mexico, chances are, Julia "Julie" Abeyta is involved.

A member of her father's tribe — Santa Domingo Pueblo — Abeyta lives at Santa Clara Pueblo and participates in ceremonies at her mother's pueblo, Ohkay Owingeh.

For the past 21 years, Abeyta has counseled American Indian students and directed the American Indian Affairs Office at Northern New Mexico College. Under her watch, American Indian enrollment has climbed from 36 students to about 180. American Indians finally comprise almost as much of the student body — about 9 percent — as in the region's population, where about one in 10 residents is American Indian.

"That's been my goal — to reach 10 percent," Abeyta said.

The goal is not just a benchmark for educational equity; it also can mean more federal money for programs that serve American Indian students.

Abeyta's method for building American Indian enrollment has been to develop programs to meet the particular educational needs of tribal communities, to reach out and find prospective students, and then to make them feel they belong when they arrive at school.

"This came about because tribal people said we need somebody on campus who is sensitive to the issues of Native American students," Abeyta said.

When she completed a bachelor's degree in public administration at the College of Santa Fe in 1980, Abeyta thought she would improve her chances of advancing in federal employment. At the time, she worked for the National Park Service. Instead, she landed at Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council, where she directed a Head Start program for preschoolers.

At that job, Abeyta learned about diplomacy while working with diverse tribal governments and developed skills for promoting the human needs of preschoolers in the bureaucratic world of program administration. She returned to school in 1986 and eventually earned a master's degree in educational counseling from The University of New Mexico.

At Northern New Mexico College, Abeyta has helped develop programs to support American Indian students who are looking for careers in the at-large job market and programs to develop the particular skills needed for success and leadership in students' home communities.

In 1990, she worked with Eight Northern Indian Pueblos executive director Bernie Teba to found the Northern Pueblo Institute, which has since been the focal point of numerous projects involving the college and Pueblo communities.

When Santa Clara Pueblo members approached the college looking for help with their Tewa-language programs, Abeyta realized they were "lacking skills in teaching students language," she said. She worked with Northern Pueblo Institute to establish the Northern Indian Pueblos Language Preservation Association. This year, the association enrolled 13 fluent Tiwa and Tewa speakers to learn skills needed to pass on their language to another generation.

On campus, Abeyta has helped organize an American Indian Student Club and a local chapter of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. She's anticipating the opening of an American Indian Center, with a library and computer lab, just inside the front doors of Northern New Mexico College's main building.

For Northern New Mexico's tribal communities struggling to find economic security as they preserve ancient traditions in a changing world, Abeyta's work has made a crucial difference at a key time. Ask Abeyta about the differences she's made, and she consistently refers to those with whom she has collaborated.

"Differences can be made when we pool our resources and use our energies together," she said.