ZUNI, NM (Oct. 11, 2021) — In partnership with the Zuni Health and Wellness Coalition, the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project has announced the five winners of their recent photography contest, with images featuring sacred mesa Dowa Yalanne (Corn Mountain). These images will grace a new community resource guide for Zuni, New Mexico.
The five winners, in alphabetical order, are Bianca Antia, Evan Naktewa, Marchelle Seowtewa, Natasha Siow, and Arden Wyaco. Those receiving honorable mention are Kaden Bowannie, Renaldo Fowler, Donovan Tsadiasi, Rosanna Awelagte, and Shawn Waseta.
The resource guide will feature categories such as businesses, health services, education services, and much more. Much like a phone book, it will provide location, contact information, and description of services for each resource.
“All of this information has been collected over the years, and it’s finally being put together for the first time by the amazing Mallery Quetawki,” said Tahlia Natachu, ZYEP’s youth development coordinator. “She expressed the need for a cover photo for the guide, and we agreed that our sacred Dowa Yalanne is something that everyone would associate with ‘home.’”
Dowa Yalanne is a steep mesa roughly 3 miles southeast of the Pueblo of Zuni. It remains a sacred place for the Zuni people, who fled to the mesa to escape the 1540 Coronado expedition. It remains in important cultural site, and it is closed to outside visitors.
The photo contest proved to be a success, generating an explosion of social media traffic and yielding more submissions than the partners expected.
“We were not expecting this to have a huge turnout, but we received 48 submissions,” Natachu said. “We picked our top five finishers, who received prizes, and then we selected five honorable mentions as well. We agreed that all of the pictures were beautiful.”
While Quetawki handles graphic design, ZYEP is taking the lead on edits and publishing. Once released, the new community resource guide will be available both in paper and digital formats.
“Many folks have contributed to this project for many years,” Natachu said. “It’s a true collaboration, and we’re so excited to begin distributing the guide later this month.”
The Zuni Health and Wellness Coalition is a consortium of organizations within Zuni that focus on food systems, built environment, sustainability, and education. Its mission is to share the individual organizations’ work so they can find ways to collaborate and elevate the work being done for the benefit of the Zuni community.
To learn more about the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project and its programs, and for information about making donations, partnering with ZYEP, and volunteering, call (505) 782-8000 or visit zyep.org. And, to stay up to date on the latest news and events, follow the nonprofit youth organization on Facebook (/zuniyouthenrichmentproject), Instagram (@zuniyouthenrichmentproject), and YouTube (/ZuniYouth).
Founded in 2009, the nonprofit Zuni Youth Enrichment Project is dedicated to promoting resilience among Zuni youth so they will grow into strong, healthy adults who are connected with Zuni traditions. ZYEP fulfills its mission by providing positive role models, enriching programs, and nurturing spaces that contribute to the healthy development of Zuni youth. ZYEP strives to provide every child with the encouragement and opportunities they need to reach their full potential.
