CNM’s Native American Advisory Council Hosting New Mexico Tribal Higher Education Summit on March 30

CNM is excited to host its first New Mexico Tribal Higher Education Summit on March 30. This event is designed to showcase what resources CNM has to offer to Native students and to build a stronger relationship between CNM and all of New Mexico’s Pueblos, Tribes, and other Native communities.

“The goal of this summit is to open up the conversation with our Native communities about what we’re doing right at CNM and what we can do better,” says Teresa Billy, CNM Academic Advisor and Tribal Liaison. 

As part of the summit, representatives from all 19 of New Mexico’s Pueblos, as well as representatives from the state’s two Apache Tribes and the Navajo Nation will have the opportunity to hear from several CNM departments including TRIO, CNM Ingenuity, Financial Aid, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Veterans Services. They will also meet with CNM President Tracy Hartzler and go for a campus tour. 

“Hearing from the different departments and seeing where things are located on campus are helpful tools for these representatives,” says Teresa. “It gives them the opportunity to place faces with names and know where to send students when and if they have questions.” 

The representatives will also be able to meet with current Native CNM students at a resource fair in the afternoon. During this time, they can talk to students about scholarships and other resources available to Native students through the Tribes, Pueblos, and Navajo Nation. 

“Oftentimes Native students don’t know that they can receive a scholarship through their Tribe or Pueblo, so the resource fair will give them a chance to learn more about how the Native community outside of CNM can help,” Teresa says. 

Teresa says she and the other members of the Native American Advisory Council are excited to see how this event will impact current and future Native students. 

“I’m so looking forward to having representation from all of New Mexico’s Tribes, Pueblos, and the Navajo Nation here on campus,” Teresa says. “We all want to help students in any way we can, and I know this event will help us build a stronger relationship with our Native communities and open the door for more opportunities for all Native students.”

If you know a student who is interested in attending the Tribal Scholarship Resource Fair, they can join us on Main Campus in the Smith Brasher Hall Commons Area from 2:30 - 4 p.m. For more information, please visit the Native American Advisory Council website.