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THE ZUNI YOUTH ENRICHMENT PROJECT REFLECTS THE VISION AND DEDICATION OF AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY

ZUNI, NM (Jan. 29, 2025) — When outsiders look at a successful nonprofit organization, they see the hard work of its team and the enduring resonance of its mission in the community. Yet long-term success and sustainability require something much deeper and far more complex — indeed, it takes a village.

The team at the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project understands this better than most. Sixteen years ago, the Zuni Pueblo community came together to determine how they could best support young people, and their solution came to life as ZYEP.

The Roots of ZYEP

“We had hospital staff, artists, prevention specialists, museum curators, dietitians, farmers, librarians, transportation professionals, food service providers, fitness instructors and so many more people who all were invested in the holistic well-being of our Zuni youth,” said Tahlia Natachu-Eriacho, ZYEP’s executive director. “They agreed we needed to leverage our community’s strengths to empower our youth and combat the challenges they face, including mental health issues, chronic conditions like diabetes and socioeconomic barriers.”

In 2009, the community partners opened the first Summer Camp for children ages 6-12. It offered arts and crafts, physical activities, Zuni language and dance, games, gardening, connection to culturally significant places, positive role models and plenty of fun.

It also served as a real-life metaphor, a physical demonstration of the vital partnerships that launched the youth project and that continue to fuel its successful programming today.

“Before we were this ZYEP, with a beautiful building, a full-size turf field and annual calendar of events and programs, we were a 20-kid camp with a handful of adults and mentors operating from the trunk of a car in an old schoolyard,” said Natachu-Eriacho, who served as a Summer Camp counselor as a teenager. “I think we’ve grown so much over 16 years because we saw what was possible when people come together to address an issue and create positive change.”

An Enduring Network of Support

As time passed, community leaders recognized that Zuni youth needed support, opportunities and resources beyond Summer Camp. They pulled together to design programs and provide facilities that could deliver what children needed.

“We gained momentum because people believed in us and invested in us,” Natachu-Eriacho said. “We are grateful to them, and to the ZYEP leaders who have given it their all. Every time our team comes together, we take a moment to appreciate them and offer our gratitude, because we are standing on their shoulders.

“We also think about the impact we want to make while we are here, and how we can set up our future leaders for success,” she continued. “It’s incredible to see our former Summer Campers becoming youth leaders and then ZYEP employees. This is the magic that happens when a community weaves a strong network of support — our youth can grow into their potential.”

The impact of this work would be significantly less if it were done in isolation, without engagement from the larger community. Positivity and motivation spread as an organization builds relationships; these bonds also allow partners to align their values and long-term vision, and the youth directly benefit from this.

“These partnerships are a visual and felt representation of the support network we want our youth to feel as they grow up in Zuni,” Natachu-Eriacho explained. “They need to see us working together for their benefit, and to know that no matter where they turn, there are people who want them to do well and be healthy.”

As a nonclinical entity, ZYEP has limitations in the types of services it can provide, so the team appreciates when partners can step in to provide specialized services. In turn, staff members hold a certain number of open spots in their programs in case a partner is seeking a positive physical, mental and social outlet for youth in their care.

Access to Opportunity

Partnerships provide support in terms of tangible resources as well, from funding to facilities. One longtime ZYEP partner is the Zuni Education and Career Development Center, which funds the training and resources young adults need to serve as “Rooted in Healthy Traditions” after-school program mentors, Summer Camp counselors, interns and short-term staff members.

“ZECDC is dedicated to empowering their participants and their families to become motivated, confident, successful and productive members of our Zuni community by providing access to resources and economic development opportunities,” Natachu-Eriacho explained. “Our leadership opportunities here at ZYEP fit with ZECDC’s mission as well as ours, and what could be cooler than combining resources to benefit our kids?”

The Zuni Public School District is another key partner. ZSPD has provided space for Summer Camp since the very beginning, and it continues to allow ZYEP to use school facilities for other large programs such as the annual basketball league. It also provides valuable additional support through its food and transportation services.

“We want our programs to be accessible to all, and ZPSD is making that possible, allowing us to dream even bigger,” Natachu-Eriacho said.

Partners also play a critical role in providing cultural education and connection. The A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center has worked closely with ZYEP since the beginning, and it continues to serve as an advisor in the work. It also was instrumental in bringing to life the groundbreaking Delapna:we Project, which seeks to preserve traditional Zuni stories and storytelling traditions through the performing arts.

Other key community partners include: Ancestral Lands Zuni Office, Ancestral Rich Treasures of Zuni (ARTZ), A:shiwi College and Career Center, Chu Chu’s Restaurant, Edaakie Arts, First Financial Credit Union Zuni Branch, Halona Marketplace, KSHI Radio, Lakeside Community Center, Major Market, Pueblo of Zuni WIC Program, ShiwiSun Productions, Shumak’olo:wa Health Center, St. Anthony Catholic Mission, Turquoise Village, Zuni Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Zuni Christian Mission School, Zuni Cultural Resource Advisory Council (ZCRAT), Zuni Cultural Resources and Education Center, Zuni Department of Natural Resources, Zuni Environmental Protection Program, Zuni Food Distribution Program, Zuni Head Start, Zuni Healthy Lifestyle Program, Zuni Housing Authority, Zuni Indian Health Service (IHS), Zuni Office of Emergency Management, Zuni Police Department, Zuni Public Library, Zuni Recovery Center, Zuni Royalty Organization, Zuni Safety Office, Zuni Senior Center, Zuni Social Services, Zuni Tribal Council, Zuni Tribal Prevention Project, Zuni Tribal Roads, Zuni Veterans Office, Zuni Water Department, Zuni Wellness Center and countless individuals throughout the Pueblo of Zuni.

“It’s been a blessing that we have had the support of our Zuni tribal leaders,” Natachu-Eriacho said. “We’re definitely not perfect, and we can always looking at ways we can improve. In the past two years, nine of us on the ZYEP staff were promoted to new positions. We are so grateful to our partners, families and program participants who were patient with us as we figured things out!”

The Power of Culture

At its heart, ZYEP’s support network is deeply grounded in Zuni culture. In fact, the youth project itself serves as a mirror for the many ways the community comes together for cultural events and responsibilities; each entity recognizes its responsibility in caring for the youth, and ZYEP is a place to come together to make that happen.

“We’re taught to be selfless and intentional, and to always have others in our thoughts and prayers,” Natachu-Eriacho said. “Those blessings then go out to our community and the entire world. We know our culture — our values, our ancestral ways of being and our knowledge — has transformative power.”

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), YouTube (/ZuniYouth), and TikTok (/zyep09)

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.