Funding for New Mexico in Focus is provided by: Viewers like You >>Nash: This week on New Mexico in Focus Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now!

Discusses her career, asking tough questions of those in power and sharing stories from people on the ground.

>>Goodman: You know, I'm not for all that reality TV, but this is the reality TV that we need.

This is the reality TV that will save us all.

>>Nash: Also, correspondent Bella Davis explores the meanings behind Indigenous Peoples' Day in the latest installment of our collaboration with New Mexico in Depth.

New Mexico in Focus starts now.

Thanks for joining us, I'm Nash Jones.

Election Day is just over a week away, and New Mexicans are already casting ballots at early voting centers, which expanded over the weekend.

Here, on [New Mexico] in Focus with crowded fields and the races for both Mayor of Albuquerque and Santa Fe, we have done our best to bring you in-depth, fair coverage of the candidates who would sit with us.

But when you get to the polls or sit down with your absentee ballot, you're going to see a whole lot that we haven't been able to touch on.

That is where the League of Women Voters of New Mexico may be able to help.

Later this hour, we sit down with President Hannah Burling to learn about the organization's voter guide, what's in it, how to use it, and why it's a trustworthy source of information on offices and issues up and down the ballot.

In addition to election season, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and it happens to coincide this year with the first anniversary of the New Mexico's Sexual Assault Helpline.

And now, if you haven't heard of that resource, later this hour, we speak with directors at the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, which oversees it.

To learn about the helpline and the impact it's had in its first year, we will also welcome back Indigenously Positive later in the show, our collaboration with New Mexico in Depth.

The IP crew was out at Albuquerque celebration of Indigenous Peoples' Day last week and heard about why every day is Indigenous Peoples' Day.

But first, for years as the local host of All Things Considered on KUNM, each evening I took over the airwaves from Democracy Now!

Hosted and produced by the esteemed independent journalist, Amy Goodman.

So, in some ways, thanks to the magic of radio, it almost felt like we worked together, though, broadcasting about 2000 miles apart.

But I had never had a chance to meet her until just last week.

Goodman was in Santa Fe last Friday for the city's International Film Festival, where a documentary about her life and work called, Steal This Story, Please.

was screening.

Since the show must go on, she broadcast Democracy Now!

live from the Roundhouse that morning with the help of our crew.

As a reporter committed to independent accountability journalism myself, I have long admired Goodman, and I could not pass up the chance to ask her about her career and the pursuit of truth and fighting for democracy.

Here's part one of that conversation.

>>Nash: Amy Goodman, Welcome to New Mexico, but also New Mexico in Focus!

It's awesome to have you here.

>>Goodman: So great to be with you, Nash, and to be here in New Mexico.

I consider it Democracy Now!

second home.

I mean, to work with a New Mexico PBS, as we have for years, and KUNM and KFSR This is a sanctuary of dissent, and it's an honor to be with you.

>>Nash: It's an honor to have you.

You're in Santa Fe because there's a screening of a new documentary covering your life and your career.

It's called Steal This Story, Please.

What does that title mean to you?

>>Goodman: It means, when other networks are talking about, “that's my story.

It's our exclusive.” we're there on the ground, on the front lines -- speaking to people who -- I don't consider fringe.

I don't consider people care about war and peace, who care about the environment, who care about racial, economic, social justice, who care about LGBTQ issues, Native issues.

These people are not a fringe minority, not even a silent majority.

But the silenced majority silenced by the corporate media.

Which is why we have to take it back.

And we encourage, like when we are at Standing Rock in 2016, we encourage the networks to take our video of the protests of the dog sect on the Water -- Protectors, biding those protesters, how critical it is for all to see.

It's where all the media should be because our job in the media is to be the exception to the rulers.

It's our job.

I mean, independent media is essential to the functioning of a democratic society.

>>Nash: You are about to celebrate your 30th Anniversary on Democracy Now!

-- next year.

When you started this up in 1996 at a community radio station in New York, what need did you see in the news ecosystem for the War and Peace report?

>>Goodman: Well, that's so interesting.

Actually, when Pacifica Radio asked me to host the show, they called me in Haiti.

I was in an underground house, where people were preparing for elections.

Candidates who would announce would be gunned down, people went to the polls, would be gunned down.

Yet, the vast majority of people voted.

And they said, “Would you do this daily election show for nine months?” And I said, “Oh, in the United States, that's really interesting because in the United States, most people didn't vote.” And I always wondered, why is it I didn't think it was apathy.

But what were they engaged in?

We could use the primary system of the states to look state after state at what people were doing at the grassroots.

And that's how we started Democracy Now!

It was the only daily election show in public broadcasting.

We were packing up in November of 1996.

I think that year President Clinton had been reelected.

And then people said, “No!” This approach, this grassroots approach to journalism, which is, I think, just the tenets of good journalism, right?

Not just going to the pundits who know so little about so much explaining the world to us and getting it so wrong, but talking to people closest to the story.

And so the station said, please continue.

And then more and more radio stations picked us up for the first five years it was just radio.

And then actually, coincidentally, the week of the terror attacks, 911, September 11th, 2001, we were already planning to go on one TV station that was linked to the downtown community Television Center that we worked at, it was an old firehouse just blocks from Ground Zero, and when the World Trade Center towers came down, we just kept broadcasting and the public access station in town just started to link up with us.

And then public access stations around the country said, “Hey, can we run this daily, grassroots global news program” And we would send them out via UPS or Fedex because it was breaking news, didn't want snail mail.

And then PBS stations said, can we run this show?” And NPR stations said, “Can we run this show?” And now we're on close to 1,500 radio and television stati around the world.

>>Nash: About a decade ago, you wrote a book called, Democracy Now!

20 years, covering the movements Changing America.

Why a movement?

Social movements, political movements, the right focal point in order to get an informed citizenry, the kinds of stories they need to understand.

>>Goodman: We are out at protests a lot now, if you look at the front page of The New York Times -- let's say when the U.S.

invaded Iraq in 2003, you get this huge picture, if you're lucky.

But what about talking to the people on the ground?

How important it is to hear those voices everywhere.

>>Nash: Because when I -- if I find a story that Democracy Now!

is covered, that the corporate media also has covered, and and that's not always the case.

Sometimes I'm finding unique stories on Democracy Now!

The sourcing is different.

And that is because the the importance that you put on getting out there and speaking with the people on the ground.

Why is that the -- why are they the right folks to tell the story?

>>Goodman: This again, is the basic tenets of good journalism.

I remember when one of the networks, I won't name it, called me up and said -- well, we're actually watching TV at that point -- President Obama was speaking at National Defense University and laying out the drone -- expanded drone plan.

And Medea Benjamin of CodePink was -- stood up in the audience and interrupted and she was dragged out.

And we're just watching that, like everyone else was.

And the network called and said, “Would you be on tomorrow to explain what you did?” I said, “Well, I actually just watched it on TV -- but we then called Medea Benjamin and said, “Would you be on the show -- explain why you did what you did?” It's not a matter of agreeing with her.

It's a matter of, this is news.

Why did you do this?

And I knew she wasn't in jail.

She could speak because we were able to book her.

So, I said to the network person who called the producer, “Why don't you call her?

Why ask me?

I watched it on TV like you did.

And they said, “Come on, Amy, you know we can't have her on.” I thought, “you're kidding.” What is news?

It's not to have the media personalities mediating and explaining.

Have the person speak from their own experience.

And this goes to larger issues today.

It is so critical.

If you look at the US media coverage, for example, of Gaza, whatever you feel about that issue, you tell me the last time you saw a Palestinian interviewed on U.S.

network television, why is that important?

Or, for that matter, an Israeli peace activist, talking about being a Holocaust survivor and feeling never again means never again.

This is really critical, whether it's a Palestinian child or an Israeli grandmother, an uncle in Iraq or an aunt in Afghanistan, when you hear someone speaking from their own experience, it breaks down bigotry.

It breaks down the stereotypes and caricatures that fuels the hate groups.

Democracy Now!

started on Pacifica Radio, which is five stations, and one of them went on the air in 1970.

KPFT in Houston, the Petro Metro.

[Nash Laughs] >>Nash: Within a few weeks it was blown up.

The Ku Klux Klan strapped dynamite to the base of the transmitter and blew it up.

They got back on their feet a few weeks later, rebuilt the transmitter.

KPFT was on the air, and they strapped 15 times the dynamite to the base of the transmitter.

And blew it to smithereens.

I think it was right in the middle of Arlo Guthrie singing Alice's Restaurant, which I thought was a good song, but anyway.

And now takes months for them to rebuild.

January 1971, they go back on the air.

Guthrie comes in to Houston to finish the song, and all the media was there to cover this.

I can't remember if it was the Exalted Cyclops or the Grand Dragon, because I often confuse their titles, but he said it was his proudest act.

Why?

I think because he understood the power of independent media.

Because when you speak from your own experience, it's not that you -- it's that you agree with the person.

I mean, how often do we agree with our family members?

But when you hear someone telling their own story, it makes it much less likely that you want to destroy that person.

That's why, I think, the media can be the greatest force for peace on earth.

Instead, all too often it's wielded as a weapon of war, which again, is why we have to take the media back.

>>Naanee: I think, it means that a recognition that we are still here.

We've always been here, and we will remain here.

And it's a reminder to other people that we are here, you know, indigenous means, “First,” you know, innate.

>>Nash: The latest installment of Indigenously Positive is coming in a little over half an hour.

And stay with us, as we continue our conversation with Democracy Now!

's Amy Goodman later in the show, as well.

But now we turn our attention to Election Day quickly approaching on November 4th.

If you have yet to fill out your ballot and are unsure what all is on there, or who the folks are running to represent your School Board District Soil and Water Conservation District or Public Improvement District, this conversation is for you.

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico is out again this year with a customizable voter guide.

The organization's President, Hannah Burling, joins us now to tell you about how to use it and why you can trust the information that you find there to inform your vote.

>>Nash: Hannah Burling, welcome to New Mexico in Focus, Thanks so much for being here.

>> Burling: Thank you for having me.

>>Nash: We are going to dig into the voter guide, that The League of Women Voters has put together.

But before we do, I'd like you to talk with our viewers about why they should trust the information that they find there.

Maybe we can start with what the The League of Women Voters is and the principles that guide your work?

>>Burling: The League of Women Voters was founded in 1920, including in this state by the suffragists about six months before the 19th Amendment was ratified, because they realized that they would have tens of millions of women to register to vote and to educate on political issues.

And the League has been in the business of informing and educating and registering voters ever since.

We do other things as well.

We do the very best possible job we can on this.

We believe that misinformation, disinformation, mal-information, whatever you call it, is a threat to our country.

And we do our very best to be accurate in everything we put into these guides.

>>Nash: So, to be clear, you're a nonpartisan organization.

What do you back any of the candidates or, advocate against any of the candidates that folks will find in your voter guide?

>>Burling: We never support or oppose any candidate or political party.

>>Nash: You have certain issues that you will advocate for, say, at the Roundhouse in the legislature.

Is there a chance that any of the ballot measures that folks will find on their ballots are caught up in issues that the League does advocate for?

There may well be ballot -- measures that are -- have something to do with our issues, but since we get the information directly from the Secretary of State and put it on there, there is nothing of the League's opinion.

>>Nash: Well, that's a good segue, in terms of where you source the information.

So, for a ballot measure, you're sourcing that from the Secretary of State's office.

What about for the candidates?

Where do you get the information about them?

>>Burling: Well, we begin with the Secretary of State's office with the proclamation and all the races.

And then we begin contacting the candidates, because one of the reasons to look at the voter guide is that we ask the candidates questions, which have been carefully gone over to be nonpartisan.

And this is a great source of information for the voter.

And it's a wonderful opportunity for candidates, especially in local elections, to have one more way to tell voters where they stand on certain issues.

>>Nash: What's the response rate?

Do you hear from a lot of candidates?

>>Burling: Not in the local issues so much.

And partly, that is because we have not covered the entire state before, or I cannot remember how many years we've been covering the entire state, but it has not been very many.

Outside of areas where there is an active local league.

People do not know us as well.

>>Nash: Where are those areas in New Mexico?

>>Burling: Santa Fe County, Los Alamos, Central New Mexico.

That is Bernalillo, Sandoval -- Torrance and Valencia counties and Southern New Mexico, centered in Dona Ana County.

>>Nash: Okay.

And if you don't hear from a candidate, does that mean that -- somebody is looking at the voter guide, just doesn't have information on that particular candidate?

>>Burling: Oh, they would be in the voter guide, but they would not be answering the questions.

Yes.

That would that is certainly true.

But we continue asking them.

We ask them once we ask them again, we remind them again.

>>Nash: Sounds like what we do as reporters, following up a lot.

Well, trust in elections did see a drop, after 2020 and and it's been coming back up, but it's not back to where it had been.

Local elections like the one that we are having this year.

Have -- they've gotten more public trust than the National elections, pretty consistently.

But what does the work of the League of Women Voters do to work to amplify trust in elections and likely participation in them?

>>Burling: Well, we have various ways of working on getting out the vote.

We reassure people whenever possible.

We have done videos on exactly what happens to your ballot after you put it into that box.

And we have worked with the county clerks to reassure voters and to get them out.

>>Nash: Do you see that work had to shift at all after this drop in trust in 2020?

>>Burling: I believe that people have now had more time and are no longer caught up in their emotions to a certain degree, and can see that it is extremely difficult, to vote fraudulently.

>>Nash: So, you feel like the trust you're seeing trust on the ground, increasing in election -- >>Burling: I hope -- that trust on the ground is increasing.

But I cannot point you to any numbers for that.

>>Nash: Well, let's talk logistics of the voter guide.

Folks can find it at Vote411.org.

What kind of information are they going to find when they go there?

>>Burling: Well, there are three possible pages to go to and the first allows you to register to vote, though, I believe that deadline has already passed in New Mexico.

It was October 8th.

Then you can check your registration just to make sure you are registered -- registered, or you can go to Find my ballot.

You enter your address on the next page, you enter your language and there's your ballot.

>>Nash: So when you say, “there's your ballot,” what is the information that's going to be laid out for someone that's basically customized, right?

Based on their address.

>>Burling: Based on their address.

they will see the the races for their district, which could be schoolboard, Soil and Water Conservations District County Commissioner, City Councilor.

>>Nash: So, that could be informative in and of itself, just knowing everything that's going to be on your ballot.

>>Burling: Right?

It has for whatever the number of races is, if you click on the race, you will see the candidate or you will see the ballot question.

>>Nash: And so, besides the registration you've talked about and candidate information, is there other kind of information that folks can glean from, vote for?

>>Burling: There is generally, the last thing listed under the races is New Mexico election information.

If you click on that, you will see all these links taking you to the Secretary of State's office, the County Clerk's office, and to the various websites of the local leagues, all of which have a printable PDF in English and Spanish.

>>Nash: Great.

Yeah, that's -- >>Burling: Of the voter guild.

>>Nash: I was going to ask you because, you know, for for less tech savvy voters, they may be interested in, a less interactive option.

So there's PDF, printable PDFs.

>>Burling: Yes.

>>Nash: For your local leagues, is that right?

>>Burling: Right.

>>Nash: And then before you right now, you have got a paper copy of one.

>>Burling: I do.

>>Nash: And so, which, local league is that from?

>>Burling: This is Santa Fe County.

They printed one this year.

And here is candidate photos with the answers to our questions.

>>Nash: And are they the only ones that have a print version?

>>Burling: I think Los Alamos is also printing this year.

>>Nash: All right, and is that because of -- financial constraints or because this is a local election, not a big statewide election, or why are some folks printing in some folks are -- >>Burling: Money.

>>Nash: Okay.

>>Burling: Money.

And we'd like to save some money for the 2026 elections.

And apropos of that it was so interesting that you asked about people trusting more in local elections when they vote, so much less in local elections.

>>Nash: Right.

The turnout is so much lower.

But, you know, it has been shown that when you're looking at like the day to day impact in somebody's life of an election, they're likely to find far more direct impact on their life from a local election than something as popular or maybe as a presidential election.

>>Burling: Right.

Right.

If you're interested in your School Board, your County Commissioner, your Water and Sanitation District, the local election is the place to make your voice heard.

>>Nash: Thank you to Hannah Burling for coming down from Santa Fe to join us in studio.

Early voting is available through Saturday, November 1st.

Election day is Tuesday, November 4th.

If you are not yet registered to vote, you can get that done in person when you go to cast your ballot.

Online registration has closed.

If you're filling out an absentee ballot, your county clerk must receive it by 7 p.m.

on Election Day.

So, as that date mirrors, you might consider dropping it off at a voting site rather than sticking it in the mail.

The New Mexico's Sexual Assault Helpline launched one year ago, this week.

It's a free, confidential resource for survivors and those supporting them to be heard and connected to services.

To learn about what it's like to contact the helpline, run by the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs and the impact it's made in its first year.

I talked it through with Executive Director Alexandria Taylor and Deputy Director of Programs Rachel Cox.

>>Nash: Rachel, Alexandria thanks so much for joining us.

>> Both: Thank you for having us.

>> Nash: So, you are marking one since the help line began.

Alexandria, let's let's kind of back up to how this came about in the first place and what need it was meant to serve.

>> Taylor: Yeah.

Nash.

The New Mexico Sexual Assault Helpline, the idea for it really started back in 2020.

And we all know we were home.

We were all working really hard to ensure that services were still available as, we were seeing more and more people becoming isolated as we were needed to stay at home.

And we as a statewide network of sexual assault service providers, were working really hard to get out messaging and make sure that anybody that was seeking help in needed care knew that our sexual assault service providers all over the state were still available.

But it also became apparent that should someone not live in a town or a city in New Mexico where we had a service provider on the map, they may not know where to call.

And so we started this deep inquiry and, started having conversations not only with our programs, but with people in communities all across new Mexico to see if a statewide helpline would be needed and if it would add infrastructure to our response in the state.

And so since 2020, we've been, going around the state.

We conducted a needs assessment.

We were in deep listening and planning.

And we were also working with the New Mexico State Legislature asking for the funding to be able to start a helpline.

And last October, that vision became a reality.

And all of that hard work came together when we actually launched the helpline and accepted our first call.

>> Nash: And Rachel is is the helpline unique not only locally but nationally, >> Cox: the Helpline for New Mexico and everything that Alexandria is describing that's been built out.

We're really proud to have this resource in New Mexico, because when we look across the country, only about a third of states and territories have a statewide resource like this that's really been built out, with local, communities in mind to really meet those local needs.

And so we want everyone to know that often in New Mexico, we can find ourselves, unless that we might not always want to be at the top or the bottom of.

And we really are leading in the country when it comes to providing access, for people in communities, to address the impact of sexual assault -- >> Nash: kind of not only unique nationally and that very few states have a statewide network, a helpline like this, but also unique in that it sounds like it's local, it's culturally responsive.

It's rooted in community here.

>> Cox: Absolutely.

Everyone working on the helpline lives across the state, works remotely across the state.

And so people when they're answering those calls, connecting with people through our chats, if they're offering a local resource, people responding on the helpline can picture the roads people are going to have to drive down to get that, right?

so they know how to really coach people and to think through what's possible for them.

Rooted again, in those communities, >> Nash: It seems like it could really, amplify trust.

>> Cox: Absolutely, yes.

>> Nash: Alexandria, you mention the helpline is state funded.

How much does the state put into it?

And, what part of money does that come from?

>> Taylor: Currently, we receive about $900,000 from the state, and the state Crime Victims Reparations Commission is our is the state entity that administers the funding from that for that.

We also have a small bit of money through the health care Authority and the Behavioral Health Services Division, and all of that money goes directly into the staffing of the helpline and the programing of the helpline.

And so that money is going directly to ensuring the helpline is operational.

And that there is someone there to answer the call whenever anyone picks up the phone to reach out to us.

And so for the past three years, we have gotten a one time appropriation, for the helpline.

And so, right now, the funding for the helpline has been going year to year.

We will be back in Santa Fe in January of 2026.

>> Nash: What are you asking for?

>> Taylor: Yeah, we will be asking for $1 million, to support the helpline and then another million dollars to support the services that are happening, at our sexual assault service provider programs all across the state.

>> Nash: Rachel, sometimes an unfamiliar resource can create a barrier to access.

You know, if somebody doesn't know what to expect, they may not be willing to take that first step.

So I want to take a moment to talk through what is it like to call the helpline?

>> Cox: We want people to know that the helpline is an anonymous, confidential resource, and it's really been built out with access and inclusion at its core.

And so everyone reaching out is looking to address the impact of sexual assault in their lives.

That might be someone who's experienced a recent assault and is going to be exploring safety thinking about, the choices that they're going to make following that assault, those kinds of things.

And so the helpline responders are absolutely trained to be able to coach folks around that more recent experience of assault.

But we also receive a lot of outreach from people who are looking to maybe say this out loud for the first time.

Community members concerned about coworkers or sexual harassment in the workplace.

There's no one right way to make a call or one reason to call the helpline.

Everyone you know can call for whatever they might need support around.

So we really want to emphasize, if people are are hearing this and thinking like, I've, I've been thinking about reaching out, anybody can call, anybody can chat or text.

>> Nash: Yeah.

You mentioned chat and text.

So it doesn't have to be a call.

You have chat and text options.

Absolutely.

How does that work?

>> Cox: People can access that on our website.

And they can again, call, text or chat.

I think what what happens first is that on the helpline, when people are reaching out again to make sure that we can address any barriers or concerns people might have about that access, people are going to choose what language they want to access their support in.

That's going to be the first thing that people do.

Okay.

And then after that, they'll be connected with a responder who's going to answer the helpline.

New Mexico sexual assault helpline I'm here to listen.

People don't need to be ready with any kinds of specific information about themselves, insurances, you know, data or other kinds of things that they're going to have to share.

The responders are trained and supported to really meet people where they're at.

So if people have questions, if they just want to talk, it's all going to happen in their own time and at their own pace and with what they want to share.

>> Nash: And so they don't necessarily have to be in crisis or have experienced assault recently.

>> Taylor: No, not at all.

Nash.

We know that the experience of sexual assault in one's lifetime can come up for people at any time, and people can seek support for that at any time.

And I think that that's really important.

We, issued a victimization survey last fall that found that over 50% of New Mexicans shared that they have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime.

At some point, a third of them have sought some form of professional help.

Related specifically to that, >> Nash: two thirds have not sought help.

>> Taylor: That's correct.

And that could be for many different reasons.

Right?

We don't know.

But what we do with that data is continue to open the door and say, when you are ready, we have a resource ready to listen.

And it it does not have to be about calling the helpline or reaching out to the helpline to be connected directly with another resource.

If what you're wanting to do is, is reach out to the helpline to have someone hear you tell your story.

That's what we are also here for at any point, that someone is ready to do that, >> Nash: to just say the hard thing out loud, >> Taylor: to say the hard thing out loud and the other thing that we have found is so much of sexual violence is, shielded in secrecy and the keeping of that story to oneself.

And I think what is happening now and any time we see sexual assault being talked about more, is that it resonates with people, that I, too, had that experience and who can I talk with about that?

How do I not hold this story to myself any longer?

And our responders are there and they are ready.

>> Nash: And so, in addition to being able then to simply chat with somebody, talk out loud about what happened, you mentioned resource referral, and that's also a piece of what you do.

What kinds of referrals do you make, Rachel.

>> Cox: Well, so we want to make sure is that, again, it's getting folks to either their closest resource or one that they're most comfortable with.

And so talking through what's available, people would be able to either get a referral to a local sexual assault service agency where they can talk through also local community resources, those kinds of things.

And people can just be referred that website or that phone number to follow up in their own time.

But we also have infrastructure on the helpline that supports, that three way referral, process.

>> Nash: Okay so if somebody you know, sometimes getting that number, maybe they'll sit on it.

>> Cox: Right.

>> Nash: So if they need somebody to hold their hand event or, or hand them off to someone, that's something you offer through three way call.

>> Cox: That's right.

And I think something that's really important about something that we also made sure was possible, is that if someone has access to interpretation services on the helpline, that interpreter can also be, transitioned during that three way.

>> Nash: That same interpretation can come with to the next.

>> Cox: they don't have to start over again in that experience.

>> Nash: And what about law enforcement if, if do you make referrals to law enforcement and whether or not that's something that a survivor is looking for?

>> Cox: I think that's a really important question.

And I think that we have a lot of, you know, sort of there's a presence of the idea that people are going to address this through their criminal justice system.

You know, I think that's the history in many ways of our of our movement.

But we also want that to always be a choice for people.

And so I think the way our referral systems are really built out, or if people are considering that is to connect them with a local resource to be able to talk through that advocacy and also to find out where that best referral will come from.

So we're really relying on the infrastructure of sexual assault service providers as well.

We're deeply connected and partnered with our community resources in those ways.

And so if again, like just connecting people locally, I think, you know, the more local the resource, the more specific the help can be for people.

>> Nash: And what about, a sexual assault nurse examiner?

Is that something that you are you all are able to connect somebody with?

>> Taylor: Absolutely.

So the beauty of the helpline being a part of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault program is NMC sat for 41 years, has been coordinating the sexual assault services at our sexual assault service programs, which have been known as rape crisis centers and our sexual assault nurse examiner programs.

And so when you go to the New Mexico Sexual Assault Helpline, or when you contact the helpline, those resources are all there.

But also that same warm referral process where if someone is in need of a scene exam, a responder can connect them directly with that same program or can three way call that same program, and then they'll work with the local same program to get scheduled for them to come in and get that essential medical care.

>> Nash: Okay.

Let's talk a little bit about, who has called the the help line.

From where in New Mexico are you reaching, folks?

How many people have you served in this first year?

>> Taylor: Yeah.

So one of the things that's been really important to us in the development of the helpline is to remain values aligned.

And so one of the values that we have is that you do not have to share any information, any demographic information to be able to access care on the helpline.

And so all of our data is self-reported by those who decided to share any information.

And so what we have from this first year shows that we have made contact with people in 25 of the 33 counties in New Mexico.

And for us, when we're looking at implementing a new statewide resource in a state like New Mexico that is so beautiful but also so vast, with a diversity of rural communities, and population centers.

That's what the helpline is about.

Are people in are are people in communities all over the state seeing this as a resource and a tool that they can reach out to.

>> Nash: And speaking of communities across New Mexico, Rachel the hotline is also available within the prison system to prevent the Prison Rape Elimination Act.

Can you tell us about how that works?

>> Cox: Sure, The Prison Rape Elimination Act is a federal statute that requires, amongst many things, for state facilities, or detention facilities to provide confidential access to advocacy support services for incarcerated survivors.

And for a long time that was handled by one of our local programs.

But when we were able to add this infrastructure to the state, just a few months after we launched our our helpline last October, we started to begin to develop the process to umbrella the Prison Rape and Elimination Act hotline under the statewide helpline.

And so I think, again, to like what Alexandria saying each step of development has been values aligned.

And we want to be able to provide access to support services to everyone in New Mexico, no matter where they are >> Nash: and is it jails and prisons, or just prisons?

>> Cox: The requirement is for all facilities for detention facilities.

>> Nash: And do folks who are incarcerated need to worry about that confidentiality piece or paying, to be able to connect?

>> Cox: That's an important question.

And so the way that the number is preprogrammed into people's devices in the, in the detention centers allows people to make an anonymous call, the recordings would stop, and it's free access to that support.

>> Nash: Okay.

Alexandria Taylor, Rachel Cox, thank you so much.

>> Cox: Thank you.

Nash.

>>Nash: Thank you to Alexandria Taylor and Rachel Cox If you need support or resources, call or text the New Mexico Sexual Assault Helpline at 1-844-667-2457 or visit NMSAhelp.org.

We now return to our conversation with Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!

When we left off, Goodman was talking about sourcing and how important it is for the news to feature people, not pundits, speaking from their own experience and how the media can be a force for peace if wielded responsibly.

As we continue, Goodman breaks down how Democracy Now!

chooses which stories to cover, recounts being arrested in the field, and tells the story of when a former U.S.

President called her hostile and combative.

>> Nash: What about story selection?

How do you all your team at Democracy Now!

Choose what stories to cover?

I mean, there's a lot out there, but how do how do you personally >> Goodman: I mean, it is a firehose of stories.

Now, we might book a show through the day and then we have to, dump the whole show because, President Trump announces, for example, he's going to engage in CIA covert action in Venezuela at night, whatever.

And now you have this issue, and then you have to take that on.

And we've book studios and broadcast bands and, guests around the world, and we have to shift everything, but, we just follow the news and we follow it all over the planet.

I think reporters should know no borders.

It's critical that we cover power, not cover up for power.

It's critical that we give voice to the masses of people who deeply care about our society and countries around the world.

>> Nash: And you're known for for going out to these protests, being in the thick of it, I think of 2016 standing Rock coverage.

We were arrested at the 2008 RNC, the Republican National Convention.

>> Goodman: And I should say in that case and the 2008 Republican convention, we had covered the protests in Denver.

That was when President Obama, was nominated, but there were mass protests against war.

It was the middle of the Iraq War.

And then we flew to Saint Paul, Minnesota, the Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

And that was McCain Palin.

It's hard to remember back to these times.

And I was actually on the convention floor with our camera person.

I was interviewing people, and I got word that two of my colleagues at Democracy Now!

I'm sure Nicole Salazar had just been arrested.

I said, what are you talking about?

They're in editing tape.

But they had seen a protest outside.

They'd seen the riot police, and they wouldn't have been doing their jobs if they hadn't grabbed their press passes and their cameras and microphones and ran outside.

So when I heard that, and it's hard to get onto the convention floor, I said, oh my God, I have to go bail them out.

I mean, not I'm not talking about money.

I'm saying I have to prevent them from going to jail.

Yeah.

And also, we have a show to produce.

The show must go on.

But I also cared about them.

So a race down to, where this the riot police had, taken over this area, and I just came up to the police.

They had formed a ring around, it was like a parking lot.

And I said, I'd like to speak to your supervising officer.

We have two reporters inside.

They need to be freed, and they just grabbed me, pushed my arms behind my back, handcuffed me, pushed me to the ground, and that was it.

We ultimately got out that night, and Sharif and Nicole got out.

But that is doing our job.

And when I went back to the convention center that night to I was being interviewed, I think it was by the NBC.

The guy, one of the reporters came over to me and he said, how come I didn't get arrested?

He said, I said, oh, were you out there also?

And he said, no.

I said, well, I don't get arrested on the convention floor either.

It's our job to be here to get into the corporate suites.

Who is sponsoring and paying for this and to get out onto the streets where the uninvited guests are.

You know, that's the protesters, and to talk to them as well.

And that's where it's so often happens.

>> Nash: how do you prepare?

How do you prepare to go out in the field into a protest?

It can obviously be hectic.

It could be dangerous.

And it requires a lot of improv.

What do you do to prepare yourself to to be out there and be responsive to what's happening?

>> Goodwin: We're a team Democracy Now , it's a team of dedicated, reporters, videographers, journalists who deeply care about independent media.

And you mentioned 2016.

And, you know, New Mexico is such a large native indigenous population, it's so important to recognize what happened, the standoff at standing Rock.

And we should have been out there earlier.

It was Labor Day 2016.

It was the middle of the presidential race between, Trump and Clinton.

It was Hillary Clinton, the presidential debates.

They were hardly mentioning the environment.

They weren't there wasn't a question asked, let alone this epic gathering of thousands of indigenous people, First Nations from Canada, Native Americans from the United States, Latin America and their non-Native allies gathering to say no to the Dakota Access Pipeline.

So we flew out.

We have camera.

We're very careful what we do.

We want to be very accurate and careful, and we are covering the protests.

And that's when we came upon, girls, boys, men, women, challenging bulldozers at, what they considered their sacred site.

In fact, a judge was going to rule on this in a few days.

It was a holiday, Labor Day weekend.

They didn't expect that.

The bulldozers would be carving up the land that the judge was going to rule on, and they stood in front of these bulldozers.

And those bulldozers had, I mean, earth crushing machines.

It was so dangerous.

We're recording everything.

The bulldozers pulled back.

But then the guards took out these dogs, and we filmed a dog with its mouth and nose covered with blood.

It's our job to capture these images, to show the pictures.

We actually had to leave.

We uploaded the video, we went back to New York, and it wasn't for until a few days later.

The judge was going to rule the next day that, the, North Dakota governor, they had called out the National Guard.

What I didn't know is the authorities had issued an arrest warrant for me.

I was totally shocked.

What are they talking about?

All we did was capture the image.

Millions of people saw the video.

I think over 24 hours.

It was 14 million people around the world.

I didn't think.

Take it personally.

What, I felt was they were issuing a nationwide threat.

Do not come to North Dakota.

That's why they were arresting me, to let other journalists know.

Don't come here.

And so we, a few weeks later, we were back in North Dakota to challenge the charges, and I called my North Dakota lawyer.

Not that I had won before, as I was saying.

Well, what's happening?

He said, they've dropped those charges.

Good.

Okay, good.

And he said they've brought more serious ones.

Felony charges.

Felony charges for capturing the images.

And so I said, how much time do I have?

And he said, three days before the arraignment, I said, good, we have three days to cover the protests.

Then that Monday morning we had a broadcast truck pulled up in front of the courthouse, the jail and the Ten Commandments in between.

And we did the show because the show must go on.

And then I was going to turn myself in.

I was about to go across the street, and then a host of North Dakota Public Radio called and said, they're not going to do it.

The judge will not sign off on these charges.

I said, why not?

He said, it's too much attention.

I mean, we were on the home page of the New York Times, of the BBC.

It was Vogue magazine was covering it.

And I said, that really shows this is serious.

And, they not only dropped the charges against me, but against Native Americans that day who are facing felony and misdemeanor charges.

And that just shows and this is the idea of steal the story, please.

Like, take the images all of the media should be showing these images.

And if we can be the source of that, fine.

But everyone should be out there.

That is, you shine the spotlight in the right direction.

What a difference it means.

I you know, I'm not for all that reality TV, but this is the reality TV that we need.

This is the reality TV that will save us all.

>> Nash: The former president, Bill Clinton, once called you hostile and combative.

He had called in, on Election Day 2000 to Democracy Now!

For like, a get out the vote, spiel.

And you hit him with some substantive questions, about clemency for Leonard Peltier.

The death penalty, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict back in 2000, back in 2000.

And, and so that was his reaction.

I think a lot of people who listen to that interview, or who have heard you interview people in power over the years, would call you gutsy.

And I wonder, what drives your commitment to asking the tough questions?

Where do you find your resolve?

>> Goodman: I mean, because I'm serious about democracy.

I don't think you ever achieve democracy.

You have to fight for every single day.

And I think that's certainly what we've learned.

Now, look at the title Democracy Now!

Not whenever.

Not at some point.

Absolutely.

Now.

And I think most people in this country, across the political spectrum, feel the same way.

And this is media, I feel, serving a democratic society again, holding those in power to account.

So when you have the Pentagon demanding that the Pentagon reporters sign, promise that they will have their reporting, pre-approved, it's amazing to see who walked out of the Pentagon.

Just in these last days, all the major networks, as well as Fox and the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, his former employer is Fox.

They all said no.

>> Nash: speaking of that, you know, we are seeing attacks from the white House, the Pentagon, FCC on free speech, free press.

Democracy Now!

Doesn't accept, corporate dollars, advertising dollars, government dollars.

It is community funded.

Foundation funded.

What does that mean?

That you're funding model.

What does that mean today in this landscape?

>> Goodman: Let it be a model for everyone.

You know, a lot of international journalists come to do documentaries on Democracy Now!

And they say, we don't get this.

There's private, channels and there's government channels.

What are you.

Well, we're independent, and as you said, were listener, viewer reader funded.

And it makes such a difference.

You know, we have for 30 years been talking about the dangers of the corporate media.

And now I think we are, there are journalists within the corporate media and we see what happens when, CBS is taken over by, you know, Skydance, Paramount, and, reporters are leaving the reporters with inside these networks look at ABC when they are, these corporations that own them are trying to make deals to the tune of six, $7 billion in corporate mergers.

They're willing to pay off President Trump 15, $16 million when he sues them.

Just so they can get these corporate mergers approved by the FCC.

So it's the reporters inside these networks who are saying, thank you for raising the issue of what you've called the corporate media for all these years.

We agree.

I mean, not that they want that they support the way corporations have consolidated the media.

But now they see the personal effects and most importantly, the dangers to democracy.

>> Nash: Amy Goodman, what a pleasure.

Thank you so much.

>> Goodman: Thank you Nash, so much for what you do too.

>>Nash: Thank you so much to Amy Goodman for sitting down with [New Mexico] in Focus while she was in Santa Fe for the screening of Steel This Story, Please.

a documentary about her and her work to learn more about the film from directors Carl Deal and Tia Lessin head to StealThisStory.org and to hear more from Goodman, find our full conversation on the New Mexico in Focus YouTube channel.

Every day is Indigenous Peoples' Day.

That's a phrase and a mindset that correspondent Bella Davis heard over and over again at an event celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day at Albuquerque's Tiguex Park on October 14th.

Bella headed out there with other members of our crew for the latest installment of Indigenously Positive, our collaboration with nonprofit Newsroom New Mexico in-Depth.

More than a dozen states recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day on the second Tuesday of October each year.

Starting in 2019, New Mexico memorialized it in place of Columbus Day, the federal holiday.

Bella found some extra significance this year against the backdrop of President Trump's Proclamation earlier this month that quote, “honors the legendary Christopher Columbus,” the man known for his brutal treatment of indigenous people that he came into contact with in the Americas.

Here's Bella.

>>Shendo: Indigenous Peoples' Day is everyday to me.

You know, it's the way you represent yourself when you walk out in the world.

When we were younger, any field trip we go on to like you, representing Jemez, Cochiti, your people, your household.

And so that has always stood with me every time I go outside, and especially being from New Mexico and the tribes Jemez and Cochiti you know, this is home.

And for so many years, you know, this has been a place where people have gathered so many years.

[Upbeat music] >>Davis: Over a dozen states, including New Mexico, recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day on the second Monday of October.

It's meant to be a celebration of Native peoples resilience, cultures and contributions to the U. S. And it started as an alternative to Columbus Day.

But as you'll hear from my guests, it's about so much more than just one day out of the year.

[Live music] >>Gonzales: What Indigenous Peoples' Day means to me is being able to carry on our tradition where we value community and culture, the language, participation in ceremony.

So, being able to express ourselves in 2025, the way our ancestors wanted us to continue, it means a lot to me.

>>Naanee: I think it means, a recognition that we are still here.

We've always been here, and we will remain here.

And it's a reminder to other people that we are here, you know, Indigenous means first You know, it innate.

So we've been here.

We're still here.

Still resilient.

>>Announcer: So how do you celebrate Indigenous Peoples day I'm sure you're all aware, but we don't celebrate Columbus Day here no more.

We celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day.

Yeah.

>>Shendo: Hoop dancing for someone who's never been here.

So hoop dancing, they say, is hundreds if not thousands of year old.

You know, traditionally, you know, river wood was being used.

So when you dance hoop it was typically known as, medicine people for healing.

Maybe someone was hurt.

They come dance, pass you through it.

You know, if I have a connection, I have things here.

I get my buddy, and then, you know, I teach a little thing.

I'm here, you know, as I'm teaching the kids these hoops are like people in life, you know, you're not all the same.

They're different and shapes, colors.

But if we work together, we can make something happen in this world or with the kids.

It's like I said inside before.

They're the future governors, politicians, educators, mothers, fathers.

You know, for enrolled members in our village, You feel that breeze coming?

When they are in our language.

We say [Native Language] hand it off your heart.

Everybody, if you do this, whatever is bothering you is leaving you, you give this working together.

>>Lente: Life is short.

Like I said, remember we are not victims.

We come from a resilient culture that is thriving as we heal and as we heal, we continue to do so with pride, knowing that we are the blessings that our ancestors prayed for.

And too, someday we will be the ancestors.

Our future is relying on.

I will thank you very much once again, happy Indigenous Peoples Day.

>>Davis: In 2021, Joe Biden became the first U.S.

president to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day.

At the same time, he also issued a Columbus Day proclamation honoring Italian-Americans while acknowledging the painful history of wrongs and atrocities that many European explorers inflicted on tribal nations.

Four years later, The message coming from the white House is very different.

President Trump, and a proclamation that makes no mention of Indigenous people, wrote that the country is reclaiming Columbus's legacy of courage and virtue.

But for some native folks, even though the proclamation is, in their words, disappointing and hurtful, it doesn't hold much weight.

>>Gonzales: It's a ridiculous thing, for him to me, not for for him to do that.

I guess you would say back track, so it's disappointing.

But as Native Indigenous people on land, it is up to us to continue our heritage and our culture.

Our language is a big part of it.

I mean, you look from East Coast to West Coast, people are losing their language.

It's very important around the world in general, it's very important to keep our language and our heritage, our culture, strong because that's our, our identity.

>>Trujillo: We are all so used to like, being together and, like, knowing that that's like what we face already, like, you know, and like having to write our own narratives.

So, like us kind of being like, underneath all those things and having to come through all that already exists.

So we're not so tired of it, I guess.

You know, if anything, it just makes us more of who we are.

And we're, definitely trying to, live, as you know, in the Hozho and, like, the peace and the things that we're taught to, but also like, you know, knowing where we come from as far as where we stand with that.

>>Naanee: I think it's disgusting I think it's trying to erase and show disrespect, on a national level.

And to be like, you guys aren't recognized.

We don't see you and what our, our contribution was.

Oh, y'all would have died.

You know, we're if we're being real serious, without us, there would be no, you so, you know, to take that away is blatant disrespect.

But then again, it's a day, you know, and if you want to recognize it as your day, keep your day.

We have the rest of the year, >>Davis: Indigenously Positive is all about the joyful stories, the uplifting work Native people living in New Mexico are doing for their communities so far to name just a few of those stories, we visited a language nest where throughout the day, children exclusively hear and speak the Diné bizaad, the Navajo language.

We've heard how farmers are helping build a stronger local food system using indigenous agricultural practices in Shiprock.

On the Navajo Nation, we've learned how native led nonprofit is supporting small business owners on and off the reservation.

I'm so grateful to all of the people who have been generous with their time and trust, and I'm excited to keep bringing you these kinds of stories.

>>Nash: Thanks to the team at Indigenously Positive, Bella Davis, Benjamin Yazza, and Joey Dunn and everyone else who contributed to this week's show And see you next week when we will take you inside a search and rescue mission in the Cibola National Forest to learn how these massive efforts to find Missing Persons work, and how well.

For New Mexico PBS, I'm Nash Jones until then, stay focused.

Funding for a New Mexico in Focus is provided by: Viewers like You