Heinrich aims to strengthen Native languages in Tribal Head Start with new legislation
New legislation from U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich looks to strengthen Native language use in Tribal Head Start programs. The New Mexico Democrat introduced the Native Language Educators in Classrooms Act last month. Senator Alan Armstrong, a Republican from Oklahoma, is also a cosponsor of the bipartisan legislation.
If it becomes law, the bill will recognize the knowledge of elders and fluent Native language speakers, allowing them to bypass some degree requirements for Head Start programs. It would also recognize more credentials from Tribal colleges and universities.
The legislation comes as the Trump administration proposes a sweeping overhaul of the Head Start system. Educators and politicians nationwide are pushing back.
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Passing the Zozobra Fire Spirit torch
Than Povi Martinez will become the Native American Fire Spirit at the Burning of Zozobra this Friday. Bernadette Lauritzen has more on Martinez’s rise through the flames.
Than Povi, as she is often called, is the current Gloom Queen overseeing the Gloomies at Zozobra. The current Fire Spirit, the archenemy of Zozobra is Helene Luna who on Friday night will “pass the torch,” after 14 years to Martinez. Martinez not only becomes the Fire Spirit for 2027, but the first Native American to hold the role.
Than Povi Martinez began dancing with Dance Arts Los Alamos as an elementary student in the 4th grade. She attended Los Alamos Middle School and collaborating with school staff helped to create the first Native Hawk program for Indigenous students.
Her studies took her from the New Mexico School for Arts to Illinois at Ballet Chicago. She was then accepted at Loyola Marymount University and after extensive travel, working in orphanages and a torn meniscus graduated with a BA in Dance.
She now teaches dance to youth at Moving Arts Espanola and for the Nambe Pueblo. She became the 2026 Miss Indian New Mexico on May 30th.
Santa Fe works to make streets safter for bikes and pedestrians
The City of Santa Fe is rolling out initiatives to make city streets friendlier to bicycles and pedestrians.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that advocacy group Bike Santa Fe urged the city to make changes at a March city council meeting. Since then, the city has installed new bike racks at public parks and launched a pilot program for free bus rides on Sundays. The city is also investing $100,000 into bike paths.
Bike Santa Fe President Phil Lucero called the investment "unprecedented" in Santa Fe. But he told the New Mexican that making the streets safter for bikes remains "an uphill battle." Lucero said that the size of Santa Fe could make it a easily bikeable city. For now, New Mexico still has one of the highest pedestrian fatality rates in the country.
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