Eugene
Pino was 10 years old when his career as a tribal leader began
to take shape.
He
remembers both Indians and non-Indians stopping at his great grandparents'
general store on San Ildefonso Pueblo.
Pino's
great-grandmother gave away more flour and potatoes at the store
than she sold, he said.
That
great-grandmother was Maria Martinez, the renowned potter.
"She
lived with open arms," Pino, 48, said Thursday, as he took
a break from a Native American Parent Committee Retreat in Santa
Fe.
Martinez
taught her children and grandchildren to do the same. She and her
husband, Julian, also taught their children to respect their elders
and serve their community, Pino said.
In
February, Pino became the first Indian to win a seat on the Pojoaque
Valley Board of Education in more than 20 years.
Pino,
who attended Pojoaque schools and St. Catherine's Indian School,
remembers seeing Indian students falling behind because of poverty,
substance abuse and domestic violence.
The
students' problems were sometimes made worse because tribal leaders
weren't held accountable, Pino said. And those students weren't
represented in their classes or on school boards.
Someone
needed to do something. Pino decided to be that person. Now he's
serving students full time, but he stresses that said he works for
all students, not just Indians.
Before
running for the board, Pino spent two terms between 1992 and 1998
as a San Ildefonso tribal councilor. During one of those terms,
San Ildefonso Gov. Pete Martinez couldn't serve his duties as governor
so he delegated them to Pino.
Pino
likes has always wanted to be a conduit, which is Hii-tuu in Tewa.
The word also means the voice, listener and communicator.
Pino
sees himself as a bridge between Indians and non-Indians. Members
of San Juan, Santa Clara, Nambé, Pojoaque, Tesuque and San
Ildefonso pueblos come to Pino for advice and information about
the schools, he said. And Pino is around to make certain things
clear to the board, like the importance of feast days and other
tribal activities, which sometimes come up without much notice.
Another issue was that Indians were unsure of was who to contact
in the school system about those events.
At
one time, the tribes liked to be autonomous and "everyone was
on their own," Pino said. Now, Indians are realizing the good
side of representation, he said. Through cohesiveness, things get
done and the tribes are on the path to making their children's'
lives better, he said.
But
the tribes still need to work on maintaining their language and
making parental participation in their children's' schooling a priority,
he said. More than 360 Indian students attend school in the district
and even more want to, Pino said.
He
wants to be a stepping stone for other Indians, Pino said. "I
want others to seek positions where they can make a difference,
rather than for political gain."
For
now, Pino urges Indians to get involved in the Native American Parent
Committee, which strives to improve opportunities for Indian students
Pino
is also the chairman of the Native American Caucus of the National
School Board Association and a delegate for the Democratic Party
of New Mexico.
For
more information on the Native American Parent Committee, call 983-2667.
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