The Zuni Youth Enrichment Project hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21, to celebrate the completion of its new solar energy installation. This project was made possible with support from Everybody Solar and Positive Solar.
In attendance were ZYEP staff, Zuni Acting Tribal Administrator Klo Abieta, the Zuni Royalty Organization, Everybody Solar Executive Director Myriam Scally, Shiwi Ts’ana Elementary School Student Ambassadors Lillian Naketewa and Marcus Yamutewa, and a group of special guests from Ecuador.
Zuni Royalty included Zuni Prince Nathan Quam, Zuni Princess Kadriona Bowannie, Junior Miss Zuni Alayleah Niiha and Miss Zuni Jimmia Kanesta. More than 70 Zuni youth and their families also were present as they gathered at Ho’n A:wan Park for ZYEP’s weekly flag football games.
“We were so happy they were able to join us and help us celebrate ZYEP’s transition to solar,” said Tahlia Natachu-Eriacho, ZYEP’s executive director. “We talked about how it is a commitment to our future generations.
“We also are grateful to the Zuni Education and Career Development Center for connecting us with the cultural exchange group from Ecuador,” she continued. “They set up a tent to display some of their cultural items and share information about their culture, and our community members made many connections with them. We noticed some similarities in items and practices.”
The group of students—Cindy, Fredy, Josalyn, Sisa and Marluxi—hailed from Andes and Kichwa Otavalo Indigenous cultures, and they were part of a university program called Eagle and Condor under the Tandana Foundation. During the ribbon-cutting event, they shared stories of their homeland practices that are similar to those in Zuni, emphasizing community connection and collaboration.
“They also talked about food security and and environmental regeneration, and they shared a fresh fruit drink with the flag football and soccer families who stopped by their booth,” said Tara Wolfe, ZYEP’s program manager. “They also performed dances to traditional music before the flag football kickoff. Zuni Royalty, staff and football players all joined the circle of dance.”
Natachu-Eriacho said the Everybody Solar partnership has been a valuable one for a small, Native-led nonprofit like ZYEP. Not only will it lower utility costs, it will allow the youth project to invest more resources directly into youth programming.
“Everybody Solar raised the majority of the funds for us,” she said. “This was roughly a $60,000 project, and ZYEP only had to pay about $12,000. They also connected us with Positive Solar, an installation company based in Albuquerque.”
Everybody Solar works to protect the environment and strengthen U.S. communities through solar energy projects. By providing solar power to local charities, it helps them reduce electricity costs and direct their limited resources to the communities they serve. To learn more, visit everybodysolar.org.
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)
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