Center of Southwest Culture
Center of Southwest Culture
At the beginning of the fires, volunteer Antonia Roybal-Mack approached the Center of Southwest Culture to fiscally sponsor on-the-ground wildfire relief assistance in her hometown of Mora. As Antonia began hauling supplies and speaking with impacted individuals, the list of needs began to grow. Soon she was finding ways to get hotel rooms and holding daily zoom calls with elected officials, other volunteer organizations and anyone who wanted to join.
These efforts helped to get information out and questions answered as she used her networking and advocacy skills to help thousands. Donated funds were able to help with gas cards, gift cards and food. Through it all, Antonia was able to try and find existing resources and help so the funds could be used where there were gaps.
As communities are repopulated, the needs are shifting. The Center of Southwest Culture is still providing some hotel rooms, as the ones the red cross are providing are in Albuquerque. There are still people who are displaced because of damaged homes, destroyed homes, no water, no electricity, or medical reasons and who cannot stay in Albuquerque due to jobs or other responsibilities here.
Antonia is now looking at how to purchase refrigerators for those that were too far gone to clean out, help restock fresh and frozen food supplies, replace propane tanks, and making sure senior citizens get help to clean up smoke damage and burned debris. Antonia's family ranch has been burned as well. She has stepped up every day throughout this fire because her father had this quote on his door:
"Everybody is going to expect somebody to do it, so nobody will do it."
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The Santa Fe Community Foundation invited its Community Resiliency Fund nonprofit grantees to submit stories related to their wildfire relief efforts.
Santa Fe Indigenous Center
The Santa Fe Indigenous Center is a Native-led nonprofit serving Indigenous families across Santa Fe County. Through biweekly food drives, cultural events, community programs, emergency financial assistance, and a robust network of referral resources, SFIC supports the diverse needs of the local Indigenous community. Each year, the organization hosts its signature event — the Honoring Native Nations Powwow on Indigenous Peoples’ Day — bringing dancers, drummers, Tribal Dignitaries, artists, and community members together to celebrate Indigenous culture, joy, and resilience. This year’s powwow was a vibrant success, and SFIC looks forward to continuing this tradition in 2026.
Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian
Last year, the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian opened Carved Stories by Hopi artist Mavasta Honyouti. Featuring all sixteen low-relief carvings from the Coming Home series — created in tandem with Honyouti’s children’s book Coming Home: A Hopi Resistance Story — the exhibit recounts his grandfather Clyde Honyouti’s experience at an off-reservation federal boarding school. This Indigenous-led project offers a powerful and visually compelling reflection on Hopi life, culture, and history. As Brian Vallo notes, “Carved Stories… is both powerful and beautiful.”
Kha'p'o Community School
With support from the Native American Advised Fund, sixth-grade students at Kha’p’o Community School embarked on Our Voice, Our Stories — a year-long documentary project blending traditional Tewa arts and modern digital storytelling. Through pottery, weaving, sewing, and film, students explored their cultural identity and celebrated their voices as young Tewa people.
