Surviving Columbus; Sc47; Interview with Governor Joe Quanchello, Part 2

See, sometimes when you start, you have to be able to finish a certain story before you can end the game. That's the reason why it takes a long time to... We're going to count the three of us. That's why Indian stories have always been so long and it's a little boring. They don't want you to sit and then stand up. Sit and then stand up. You guys can walk that mic in a little, if you want. You can go more. Yeah, wait a minute. We're all in taste. What are some of the economic conditions that have taken place? Well since 1960, early part of 1960, with other governors that were very interested in as well as the council that were very interested in developing and continuing to develop

pickeries, you know, and start to make their move to develop some projects for the proper cause of no longer being able to do the agriculture thing. So they started to talk more on developing, for example, give you one of the major projects that we've had at pickeries on a very few major projects that we've had at pickeries to fish plants that we have there. We have two fish legs that are stock well-stocked and a fish provided by another tribe, which is the musclare budget tribe. It provides the fish and we have two fish plants that we stocked pretty well. We sell permits and people buy and enjoy fishing during some of the months. Whenever they want to do that on their leisure.

But before that, let me add on early in the 40s. In the early 40s, there was a tribal store. I don't know how that was started, but there was a tribal store at the old day school there is the problem. And since then, pickeries have always tried to develop something. And so doing finally in the last few years after doing other small projects on the reservation we've decided to continue elsewhere. It might be more profitable for the people at pickeries. And so with those discussions and meetings, we came upon the development of a hotel in Santa Fe. Of course, they told us at those days that at that time that it was not possible, because the tribe was too small.

But with the cooperation of the beer being in the fair, even though the beer was cut down so often, we had a good cooperation this year. We got entitled to the right people. And helped us. Mr. General Nailer was going at the time that took a real initiative to look into this matter. And so doing another governor, which would come aboard, just followed up behind Mr. General Nailer and the council. Of course, our tribal people were needed to be well informed in order to be able to go with the concept of developing a hotel in Santa Fe. Many people, regardless if they said they were not possible, we just went on the head to see what would come out of it. Because pickeries find the fields that must take these steps because of his isolation.

We're located at pickeries as you know, quite a ways from any other nearby cities. So the development of the hotel certainly will enhance the tribal members to seek employment and not only be it the proper one. And so developing the hotel, we anticipate the fact that our tribal members would get employment here regardless if the travel is quite a waste. There are a couple of people here that are employed. Even though if the partnership in some areas feel that we don't have a whole abundant of tribal members that work here, but as I know the Indian people and I know my people, even though there's a facility here, people are going to study the idea or the project before they really get into it.

And I feel I'm very anxious to find out in the future. And I already know that there's going to be quite a few people that will be employed from pickeries here. Now it's just to begin that we have not been in operation in a year yet, maybe only eight months or seven months. And regardless if we have a limited amount of people that are employed, we still feel there's going to be more. There will be more younger children who are graduating from high school. Some are going into higher education and some are taking the interest into the hotel field and other type of management which would be able to provide them assistance. And continuing in a job like this, we enjoy the place and we're very proud of the facility.

And we just want it to be a successful project for us. And the development of the project here in Santa Fe is I think a stepping stone for us and also probably a learning point for us. And in order to do it, pickeries has made probably more context now or has been contacted by other small tribes within the United States to see how they can do their projects because there are also small tribes and they also want to have a development at another place other than their reservation. We've helped other tribes with information and I hope that many have been grateful that we were able to do this. And they feel that it took quite a bit of fortitude for people to do this and to be in the entrepreneur type concept is what we were looking at.

And that's where we're at. And I think in order for pickeries to progress and to develop some of these chances had to be taken. I know there's rules and regulations. I know there's state laws, federal laws and city laws and county laws that apply. And you just have to be able to be able to review and to be able to meet and to be able to negotiate some of these rules and regulations. And if other non-Indians can develop, I don't see why Indians cannot do the same thing. And the congressional people that we've talked to before building the hotel were very supportive of us. So we were not left out there all alone.

They also wanted to see us develop and become a tribe that is progressive. And we've always been progressive and we will always continue to be progressive and aggressive. We might not seem so but then as our younger people grow and learn from us, I hope that in the future they will say well this is what they try to do for us. And as many other tribes always want to do something for other people, this is our version, our way of telling our people to see you can do it. And we also educate other tribes because by them visiting us, talking with us, we help them. The things, the obstacles that we have come across and developed in the hotel, were quite large but we were able to overcome them because we had the people to help us. And by asking questions and getting the right answers, there are a lot of things that we don't know yet.

But we will learn, we will learn. And our younger students and children will learn and I'm sure and hope that in the future not too long from now that they'll be able to run a facility. And there are obstacles all the time. There are rules and regulations that we're not familiar with that we have to educate ourselves with. And I'd like to give credit to like I indicated Mr. Gerald Nader and Ray Smartinus, the governor. Richard Marmejo has been governor. And of course myself, there's been at this four of us or five of us that have pursued. This is rarely done because many tribal leaders, even if they come from their own purple, they have their own ideas as to how they want to run the tribe.

But in life of the hotel, everyone followed that one trail and overcame all the obstacles that were placed before them to be able to complete this facility. And be able to be put with a group of people that were wanting to help as well. Not only for profit, but also to be able to help others. We're not only helping our Indian people by developing this hotel. We're helping the non-Indian people that live here in the city of Sanafi because of employment. The anger of people in the Spanish people. And I hope they realize that because you know, it's not an intrusion.

It's something that we want to do and be noted for. Can you describe to me the whole point that is around me and to me? The design of the hotel is related to the history of the grays where, as you can see, this is a three-story facility. And the buildings that we had, pickeries many hundreds of years ago, were taller than this building. So we were trying to make it a remembrance, I guess you would say, as to the way it was in those days. A purple-style concept of the facility. And the vegetation that you see around the area comes mostly from pickeries. The evergreens and the aspen trees and the sagebrush and the stones and the rocks.

Most of the come from pickeries came from pickeries. And we had many of our people in the building here doing the construction of the hotel facility. So it's not only out there, the project is completed that we had our people go here. It was doing the first phase of the project that our people were. The reason for that is because we have people that are able to do that type of work. And if building and construction is their field, naturally, you know, they will fit in the category. And if service and other duties are your techniques, well, that's when they come into the inside. Art portion of working in a hotel like Housekeeping Department, a front desk clerk, or we've had some bellboys and housemen, they call them engineers that work outside and inside and security.

And eventually we hope that we will be able to work inside more with the top notch administration people in order to be able to function and be able to handle our project at this time. You could probably notice the symbol that we have is the deer. And as I indicated earlier, one of the animals that we greatly respect is the deer, as well as the buffalo and all the other animals. And in so doing, we placed deer as a symbol for this place. And if I might mention the original originator of the whole concept of the hotel facility,

we'll ask Mr. Geronela. And he's also a name, his Indian name is deer, new deer. His Indian name is new deer, so we certainly fall in place for his owner, you know, to it. But people feel comfortable with an enjoy and respect, the symbolic structure of the deer that's there for us. Here, here at Pickers Hotel. And I might include that the hotel is run by the partnership, however, right next door in the hotel, there is a gift shop run and operated by employees of Pickers Problems,

where we bring our crafts, our potteries, and sell and enjoy a profit arm within the hotel that the Pickers people are doing. And we were getting cooperation assistance from the Culture Center in Albuquerque. And he's been very, the gentleman there, John Mahal Singh, who's been very helpful in helping us out and getting going. And we do sell other Indian crafts in the gift shop as well, not only Pickers items, but as well as other tribes. So other tribal members and perhaps people do bring in their arts and crafts where into their shop to sell. Can we tell you about the symbols of the entrance to the door within the hotel, some restrictions in the buildings?

Yes, on the front entrance, as you come in the front door, it says, Mahwak, Mahwad, which means, in Pickeries, welcome, welcome. It's a greeting to everyone that's our way of saying welcome to the hotel. And in many of the rooms, the Kiva room, there's Pickeries' words. For example, the Kiva room that we were in earlier is the, in Pickeries, it's called Dutane. That's the way they have it written on the door. Dutane, it's a Kiva. It's a Pickeries' word. And there's the Aspen room, too, the Aspen, with the Aspen trees, which we have a plenty of Pickeries. And that's called Naal, Naalene. It's Aspen tree.

And we have a variety of name, Pickeries' names, on the entrance of the door, where it describes a particular room. Kiva room, Dutane, and an Aspen room, which is the, with me, Naalene, it's an Aspen. There's small conference rooms that we use. And of course, we have a traditional type fireplace here. It's large enough to provide warm and heat, and it does service. Can you tell me what you foresee as a future for the people?

What I see for the future and for the people of Pickeries, I'm, I certainly pray to a great spirit to encourage them to go forward and be able to survive. Our Indian people have survived in so many ways, especially Pickeries have survived, in so many ways since hundreds and hundreds of years ago that we're still going. We're still surviving. We're still existing. We require less than many obstacles that we have come across. And I wish and encourage the tribal people to continue to do that. There's more ways to make a living. There's more ways to progress, more than one way, I think, to progress. I mean, you know, it's technology is provided for us and we need to use the technology part that the non-Indian people provide now that just reverse it and use it. But people have to be able to understand that that's available.

And I encourage and want to encourage the younger people, the pickeries students, the pickeries youth to continue to progress and to continue to get their education. And I like to wish and want the elders as they grow older. Every, every, every year we have elders. New elders that go into that, that fall in their category to continue to be able to provide information to the younger, younger generation so that they will be at least up to date as to what has taken place from years back till now. I myself will be glad to be able to sit down with the younger generation which I hope and plan to do in a near future to explain what has taken place from years back till now. And I don't want my elders to continue to do that, to be able to provide us with the information and to be able to provide the younger generation with the information, teach them the laws, traits and the craft work that used to be done. Maybe some of it can be revived, retrieved in whatever manner.

Pottery making has been encouraged at pickeries among the younger groups, the middle age. And I'm sure that there's more to just pottery making. I'm sure there's other interests that the younger people will be able to take. And I encourage that. And I want them to be encouraged. Not only the pickeries in the youth, but all youth. No matter what tribe they come from, I would like to encourage that to them in order for them to follow up and to listen to their elders and to be able to be proud that they're Indians. I want to be proud because you will never be another race. If you were a corner Indian, you're going to be an Indian from the time you are born to the time you're a great spirit, take you away. With that, can you just talk when you need to come to the people and what you just said, say you need to tell them what you're going to do?

Okay. I'm sure there's more to come to the people and what you just said, say you need to tell them what you're going to do.

I'm sure there's more to come to the people and what you just said, say you need to tell them what you're going to do. I'm sure there's more to come to the people and what you just said, say you need to tell them what you're going to do. I'm sure there's more to come to the people and what you just said, say you need to tell them what you're going to do.

I'm sure there's more to come to the people and what you just said, say you need to tell them what you're going to do. I'm sure there's more to come to the people and what you're going to do. I'm sure there's more to come to the people and what you just said, say you need to tell them what you're going to do. I'm sure there's more to come to the people and what you just said, say you need to tell them what you're going to do. I'm sure there's more to come to the people and what you just said, say you need to tell them what you're going to do. I'm sure there's more to come to the people and what you just said, say you need to tell them what you're going to do.

I'm sure there's more to come to the people and what you just said, say you need to tell them what you're going to do. I'm sure there's more to come to the people and what you just said, say you need to tell them what you're going to do. I'm sure there's more to come to the people and what you just said, say you need to tell them what you're going to do. Can you translate this just a little bit? Just a little bit. But, pretend that you're talking to the people. What I'll just mention, in my native tongue, is I hope that I have explained some of the history of victories. I hope that I have described some of the things that an area that have been asked.

I know that non-Indian people need a lot of information because I feel that non-Indian people, especially people that are not from this area, do not understand a real meaning of how a native American or a person lives on their particular reservation. It's Indian person difference from which reservation to reservation. And their lifestyle as to how they grew up, what they go through, and because of the location, it makes a lot of difference in the type of densities that they do, because of the location and environment. It makes a lot of difference as to maybe how they dress or the type of densities that they do and the language that they speak. I've also wanted to describe to the people that the non-Indians, of course, have to be much more informed.

And not only for the books that they read, I feel that they need to really get out there and be able to talk to Native Americans who's actually from that particular tribe in order for him or her to understand what their tribe stands for. In my native tongue, I have encouraged the elders to continue to provide the learning aspects of traditional cultures that we have had. I've also encouraged the elders, cultures, and activities that we used to do many years ago that we don't do anymore and which cannot be done anymore, but whatever can be retained in the future for the youth to continue to do that. And I've also encouraged the younger generation to continue their education. In order to survive, we have come across many obstacles in the past.

Asking to entail the students and the people to continue to get an education and to learn and to be able to be proud that they're Native Americans and to be proud that they're a pickerish Indians. And they're Indians, they were born of Indians and of course they're going to be an Indian when the good spirit takes them away. No matter in what fashion and what manner they want to change to be any other person, but will never happen because they will always be Indians. Once you're Indian, you're Indians and the good spirit takes you away, you will still be Indian.

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