>> FUNDING FOR NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS PROVIDED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

>> Lou: THIS WEEK ON NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS A SHOOTING SHATTERS A MOMENT OF PEACE AND HEALING IN THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES.

WE SPEAK TO SOMEONE WHO WAS AT THE DEMONSTRATION PROTESTING THE REINSTALLATION OF THE JUAN DE ONATE STATUE IN ESPANOLA.

AND DIG THROUGH SOME OF THE CULTURAL CONTEXT.

>> WE NOW ALLOW THESE ACTS OF VIOLENCE TO PERPETUATE FEAR IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

TO PERPETUATE CYCLES OF TRAUMA.

BECAUSE WE COME FROM GENERATIONS OF CYCLE BREAKERS.

>> Lou: AND A SPECIAL ROUNDTABLE PEERS INTO THE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE LED TO MAJOR STAFFING SHORTAGES ACROSS STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS STARTS NOW.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

I AM SENIOR PRODUCER LOU DIVIZIO.

LAST WEEK IN ESPANOLA A 23 YEAR OLD MAN WEARING A "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN" HAT IS ACCUSED OF SHOOTING NATIVE AMERICAN ACTIVIST JACOB JOHNS DURING A PRAYER EVENT WHERE LOCAL OFFICIALS WERE PLANNING TO REINSTALL A STATUE OF SPANISH CONQUISTADOR AND WAR CRIMINAL JUAN DE ONATE.

RYAN DAVID MARTINEZ IS CHARGED WITH FIRST DEGREE ATTEMPTED MURDER AS WELL AS A FOURTH DEGREE FELONY COUNT OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON.

IN JUST OVER 15 MINUTES NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS CORRESPONDENT ANTONIO GONZALES SPEAKS WITH TWO INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY LEADERS ABOUT THE SHOOTING AND THE VIOLENT HISTORY SURROUNDING COLONIAL MONUMENTS LIKE THE ONATE STATUE.

THEN LATER IN THE SHOW, A DYING PRE-EIGHTEENTH CENTURY SPANISH DIALECT IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO IS GETTING SOME LIFE SUPPORT THANKS TO A NEW PROJECT FROM THE NATIONAL HISPANIC CULTURAL CENTER.

IN THE SECOND HALF OF TODAY'S SHOW I SPEAK WITH CENTER DIRECTOR, ZACH QUINTERO, TO DISCUSS THE LEGACY PROJECT AND ASK HOW HE AND HIS TEAM PLAN TO RECORD AND PRESERVE THE 400 YEAR OLD LANGUAGE.

FIRST WE TURN OUR ATTENTION TO PUBLIC SECTOR.

IN THE HOST CHAIR FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS WEEK AS A NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS CORRESPONDENT, IS JOURNALIST NASH JONES.

NASH IS CONDUCTING A SPECIAL ROUNDTABLE TO TALK ABOUT WHY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE TO HIRE AND RETAIN EMPLOYEES IN THE WAKE OF THE COVID PANDEMIC.

>> Nash: THANKS LOU.

JOINING ME AROUND THE TABLE ARE DYLAN LANGE, ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE STATE PERSONNEL OFFICE, CASEY PADILLA, PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES OR AFSCME COUNCIL 18, WHICH COVERS COLORADO AND NEW MEXICO, OF COURSE.

AND SARITA NAIR, THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS.

WELCOME ALL.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

SO THE PUBLIC SECTOR, BOTH NATIONALLY AND HERE IN NEW MEXICO, HAVE NOT COVERED FROM PANDEMIC DRIVEN STAFFING LOSSES.

DYLAN, YOUR AGENCY HAS BEEN TRACKING THIS ON THE STATE-WIDE LEVEL.

WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU SEEING IN TERMS OF VACANCY RATES AND FOR FOLKS WHO DON'T KNOW, WHAT KIND OF JOBS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?

>> Lange: THANK YOU, NASH.

SO AT THE STATE PERSONNEL OFFICE WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION AND OVERSIGHT OF THE STATE PERSONNEL CLASSIFIED SYSTEM AND IT CONSISTS OF ABOUT 18,000 STATE EMPLOYEES WITH APPROXIMATELY 68 STATE AGENCIES AND BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHO IS A STATE EMPLOYEE, IT IS REALLY THE GAMBIT OF SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED BY THE STATE.

I HAVE A FIVE YEAR OLD SON AND 1 1/2 YEAR OLD SON AND THEY HAVE LITTLE COMMUNITY HELPERS.

THAT IS REALLY WHO OUR STATE EMPLOYEES ARE.

THEY ARE CONTRACTORS, THEY ARE MECHANICS, THEY ARE ATTORNEYS, THEY ARE ENGINEERS, THEY ARE SCIENTISTS.

SO THAT IS REALLY WHO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT DIRECT CARE SERVICES IN NURSING.

THAT IS WHO WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT STATE EMPLOYEES.

NEW DATA CAME OUT THAT WE DO HAVE, I GUESS, 23.8% VACANCY RATE IN THE STATE.

TO PUT THAT IN CONTEXT, THAT IS KIND OF RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE, A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN WE WANT HERE AT THE STATE BUT OTHER STATES HAVE AS LOW AS 10% VACANCY RATES AND OTHERS HIGH AS 30.

SO WE ARE KIND OF RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE.

THERE IS A LOT OF CAUSES FOR THE VACANCY RATE WHICH WE CAN GET INTO, BUT SOME OF THE POSITIONS I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT ASK ABOUT, WHERE WE ARE SEEING VACANCIES IN THE STATE AND I KIND OF PRINTED OFF A COUPLE OF JOBS THAT MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, MEANINGFUL TO INDIVIDUALS TO UNDERSTAND WITH AT LEAST 30 POSITIONS IN THE STATE WHERE THERE IS A HIGHER VACANCY RATE THAN 30% AND FIRST IS EPIDEMIOLOGISTS.

RIGHT, THERE IS A 62% VACANCY RATE, 24 POSITIONS IN THE STATE.

WE ARE ACTIVELY TRYING TO FULL THOSE JOBS AND FILL THOSE RATES, BUT WE DID LOOK AT THE SALARY AND WE ARE PAYING MORE TO EPIDEMIOLOGISTS THAN THE STATE GOVERNMENT SURVEY AVERAGE.

OTHER STATES AROUND THE COUNTRY WE WERE ACTUALLY PAYING THEM 2,000 MORE.

>> Lange: EPIDEMIOLOGISTS ARE WELL ABOVE THE AVERAGE IN TERMS OF THE VACANCY RATE BUT ON AVERAGE YOU'RE SEEING ALMOST 25% VACANCY RATE; IS THAT RIGHT.

>> Lange: IN THE STATE, FOR SURE.

>> Nash: I AM INTERESTED, IN BEYOND THE STATE.

SARITA, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT WE ARE SEEING IN TERMS OF VACANCIES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, AT CITIES AND COUNTIES ACROSS NEW MEXICO?

>> Nair: SURE, AND THANKS FOR HAVING US.

FIRST OFF, I THINK FOR THE BIG PICTURE WHAT WE SEE RIGHT NOW IS A STRONG ECONOMY, BUT WHAT I THINK BUSINESSES OF ALL TYPES ARE FEELING RIGHT NOW IS WHAT WE CALL THE ESTIMATED EMPLOYMENT GAP.

AND THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE UNEMPLOYED AND THE CURRENT JOB POSTINGS.

RIGHT NOW, THERE IS ABOUT A 34,400 PERSON ESTIMATED EMPLOYMENT GAP, WHICH MEANS IF EVERYONE WHO IS UNEMPLOYED AND LOOKING FOR A JOB GOT A JOB TOMORROW, THERE WOULD STILL BE 34,400 VACANCIES.

WHEN WE TAKE THAT DOWN TO THE GOVERNMENT LEVEL, GOVERNMENT AS A WHOLE HAS BASICALLY RECOVERED FROM THE PANDEMIC.

WE HIT THAT MARK FOR STATE GOVERNMENT IN ABOUT JUNE AND NOW WE ARE UP ABOUT 1300 JOBS FROM PRE-PANDEMIC.

BUT WHO IS FEELING IT IS LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

THEY ARE STILL 5400 JOBS SHORT OF FULL RECOVERY FROM THE PANDEMIC.

>> Nash: WHEN WE TALK LOCAL, WE ARE TALKING CITIES AND TOWNS AND MUNICIPALITIES BUT ALSO AT THE COUNTY LEVEL?

>> Nair: CITIES, COUNTIES AND LOCAL SCHOOLS.

>> Nash: WITH THAT BEING KIND OF THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT TONIGHT, I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IS FUELING IT, RIGHT.

CASEY, AFSCME HAS LAUNCHED A NATIONAL RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN.

CAN YOU TALK A BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU SEE AS THE PROBLEM.

WHAT IS THE RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN RESPONDING TO?

>> Padilla: PRETTY MUCH, I THINK, IT IS EXPANDED TO JUST FROM HERE RIGHT?

IT IS BASICALLY ACROSS THE NATION AND THAT IS KIND OF WHAT AFSCME WAS DOING.

THEY HAD A BUS TOUR THAT YOU WERE PART OF AND THEY WERE GOING ACROSS THE NATION AND SEEING VACANCY RATES AND TRYING TO COME UP WITH A WAY OF WHY?

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH IT?

WHY AREN'T PEOPLE APPLYING?

I THINK SARITA MENTIONED EVEN IF EVERYBODY WENT AND GOT A JOB, THERE WOULD STILL BE A VACANCY RATE THERE.

WE ARE STILL TRYING TO SORT THROUGH ANY INFORMATION WE CAN GET TO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON WITH IT, BECAUSE SOME OF THE THINGS WE ARE SEEING, NOW, SOME OF THE JOBS PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR, ARE MORE CONVENIENCE, LIKE WORKING FROM HOME, SOME OF THE JOBS WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT DURING PANDEMIC.

I THINK SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES ENJOYED THAT AS A BENEFIT.

YOU HAVE UBER NOW.

YOU HAVE DIFFERENT JOBS WHERE THEY CAN HIT AN APP AND WORK THE HOURS THEY WANT TO AND WHEN THEY DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF -- >> Nash: SO, CONVENIENCE BEING ONE.

ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU'RE SEEING AS POTENTIALLY A BIG PIECE OF THIS?

>> Padilla: I THINK, SPECIFICALLY, LIKE WITH THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE, THEY ARE DOING A COMP AND SOME OF THEIR PAY RATES ARE HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER AREAS.

WE ARE KIND OF WORKING ON THAT SAME ASPECT TO SEE IF THAT IS AN ISSUE ALSO TO SEE WHERE WE ARE COMPETITIVE, RIGHT.

>> Nash: THE STATE PERSONNEL OFFICE THAT YOU DIRECT RECENTLY COMPLETED A REPORT THAT TOUCHED ON SOME OF WHAT IS DRIVING THESE SHORTAGES.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT WAS ILLUMINATED AS IMPORTANT AND WHETHER WHAT CASEY IS TALKING ABOUT IS RESONATING AT ALL WITH WHAT YOU FOUND.

>> Lange: ABSOLUTELY.

YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVEN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS BUT THOSE ARE SOME HURDLES HERE, BUT, WHAT MR. PADILLA WAS TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE SEEING THAT AND STATE PERSONNEL OFFICE IS TRYING TO ATTACK THE CLASSIFICATION ISSUE THAT MAY BE HURDLES TO ATTRACT MORE COMPETITIVE CANDIDATES.

>> Nash: WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY CLASSIFICATIONS?

>> Lange: BASICALLY WHAT JOBS DO THE JOB DUTIES AND HOW MUCH YOU CAN PAY INDIVIDUAL CLASSIFICATIONS OF EMPLOYEES.

SO, WE JUST WERE GOING TO BE DOING A CLASSIFICATION STUDY ON ATTORNEYS, RIGHT, TO MAKE SURE WE CAN PAY THEM COMPETITIVELY.

WE JUST DID ONE FOR FORENSIC SCIENTISTS IN DPS SO WE CAN PAY THEM MORE AT WHAT THE MARKET IS ALLOWING THEM TO PAY.

WE ALSO DID ONE FOR HR STAFF, RIGHT.

IT IS SOME OF THESE HARDER AREAS TO FILL.

IF WE ALLOW OURSELVES FLEXIBILITY TO OFFER MORE COMPETITIVE SALARIES WE HOPE, YOU KNOW, TO ATTRACT INDIVIDUALS TO COME INTO THOSE POSITIONS IN THE STATE AND WE HAVE SEEN THE STATE HAS INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF OUT-OF-STATE EMPLOYEES.

THEY ARE STILL NEW MEXICANS, OUT-OF-STATE EMPLOYEES COMING INTO THE STATE SYSTEM.

SO, WE HAD MORE IN FY '23 THAN '22 SO WE ARE HIRING PEOPLE.

JUST THAT WE ARE CREATING MORE AND MORE JOBS, POSITIONS, I GUESS, TO SAY AND WE JUST HAVE TO GET PEOPLE IN THOSE POSITIONS NOW.

>> Nair: LET ME JUST ADD THAT THE DATA ACTUALLY BEARS THAT OUT IN THE SENSE THAT STATE GOVERNMENT JOBS ACTUALLY PAY MORE THAN THE AVERAGE NEW MEXICAN WAGE, AVERAGE ABOUT $66,000 A YEAR, WHEREAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT JOBS DO NOT.

THEY PAY ABOUT $51,000 A YEAR ON AVERAGE.

YOU CAN SEE THAT DISPARITY IN THOSE NUMBERS AS WELL.

>> Nash: WHY IS THAT?

AND, IF I MIGHT, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE TO SIMPLY PAY PEOPLE MORE?

>> Nair: HAVING BEEN AT BOTH LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, I CAN SAY THAT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT JOBS ARE FRONT LINE IN A WAY THAT MOST STATE JOBS ARE NOT.

SO, DURING THE PANDEMIC, TRASH TRUCK DRIVERS COULDN'T WORK FROM HOME.

PARAMEDICS, FIREFIGHTERS, COPS, THERE JUST WASN'T THAT LEVEL OF FLEXIBILITY, BUT ALSO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, EXCEPT FOR THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE AND BERNALILLO COUNTY, NO LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THE STATE GOT DIRECT AID THROUGH THE CARES ACTS OR THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN.

SO, THEY ALL HAD TO FACE REALLY DIFFICULT DECISIONS ABOUT CUTBACKS AND FALLING REVENUE AND ALL THOSE THINGS WITHOUT ANY SUPPORT.

SO, I THINK THAT IS HOW WE ENDED UP WHERE WE ARE HERE WITH SUCH A DISPARITY BETWEEN LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT PAY.

>> Nash: YOU KNOW, I THINK PROBABLY AT THE STATE LEVEL AS WELL AND ON THE LOCAL LEVEL, WORKFORCES ARE DEALING WITH AN AGING WORKFORCE, RIGHT?

SO, HOW ARE RETIREMENTS IMPACTING THE SHORTAGE, IF AT ALL, AND WHAT IS SPEEDING THOSE UP.

>> Nair: IT IS INTERESTING.

SO THE 55 TO 64 CLASS OR AGE GROUP IS ACTUALLY INCREASING ITS LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION RATE, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN.

THAT IS NOT QUITE RETIREMENT AGE, THAT IS LIKE RIGHT BEFORE RETIREMENT.

BUT I THINK WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS FOLKS WHO WENT INTO EARLY RETIREMENT, WHICH A LOT OF GOVERNMENT FOLKS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO, ARE COMING BACK.

THEY CAN'T MAKE THE DOLLARS STRETCH OR I LIKE TO SAY, THEIR WIFE SAID, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO HOME BUT YOU CAN'T STAY HERE, KIND OF THING.

SO, I THINK, WE ARE SEEING MAYBE A RAMP UP OF THAT RETIREMENT AGE, OF THAT POPULATION COMING BACK INTO THE LABOR FORCE.

>> Nash: YOU MENTIONED SOME FOLKS RETIRING EARLY.

ANY SENSE OF WHY THAT HAPPENS?

>> Nair: WELL, YOU TOP OUT IF YOU'RE PERA AND CASEY IS GOING TO KNOW THE NUMBERS BETTER THAN I DO, BUT I THINK IT IS SOMEWHERE AROUND 26 YEARS.

AND SO YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE THAT INCENTIVE TO KEEP WORKING IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO TAKE YOUR RETIREMENT AND CHOOSE ANOTHER LINE OF WORK.

>> Nash: ANY SENSE OF WHETHER THE PANDEMIC -- YOU KNOW, THAT WAS A STRESSFUL TIME FOR FOLKS TO BE WORKING, MAYBE PARTICULARLY IF THEY WERE ON SHORT STAFFED TEAM.

WHAT ROLE THAT HAD IN LOSING FOLKS, WHETHER TO RETIREMENT OR LEAVING TO A DIFFERENT POSITION.

>> Padilla: I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE REALLY SEEN AN UPTICK IN RETIREMENT DURING THE PANDEMIC.

THE MAIN THING THAT REALLY AFFECTED THE PEOPLE, A LOT OF OVERTIME IN THESE AREAS, LIKE THE CENTER, RIGHT, WHERE WE GET A LOT OF THESE FEDERAL GRANT MONEY RIGHT IN THE CITY.

ONCE THAT CATEGORY OF WATER AUTHORITY, SOLID WASTE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AS THINGS FELL SHORT IN EMPLOYEES, MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR WORK, BECAUSE THERE WERE A LOT OF PROGRAMS WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO STAY OUT FOR A WHILE, SO THEY REALLY WEREN'T GOING OUT TO LOOK FOR OTHER JOBS, RIGHT, SO THAT PUT A STRESS ON THE WORKFORCE, REALLY.

THESE ROUTES HAVE TO BE PICKED UP.

TRASH NEEDS TO BE PICKED UP.

YOUR WATER NEEDS TO BE ON.

I MEAN THE BUS SERVICE KEPT ON RUNNING AND TIME AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILY, THE MORE TIME AWAY, IT IS A STRESSFUL THING, RIGHT, SO A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE LEAVING EMPLOYMENT OR TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING ELSE IF THEY COULD, RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY JUST -- IT PUTS A STRAIN ON THE FAMILY AT THAT POINT.

>> Nash: SPEAKING OF EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE OF THIS, RIGHT, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE A SENSE OF THE SCOPE OF THE ISSUE, AND WHAT SOME OF WHAT IS FUELING IT AS WE JUST DISCUSSED, THE END RESULT IS THE HALLOWED OUT DEPARTMENTS, RIGHT?

SO, WHAT ARE YOU ALL HEARING ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE ON THE GROUND OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES?

CASEY, YOU JUST TOUCHED ON THIS A LITTLE BIT.

MAYBE I CAN ASK YOU TO EXPAND.

WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM AFSCME MEMBERS ABOUT WHAT THIS PROLONGED STAFFING SHORTAGE HAS MEANT FOR THEM IN TERMS OF EXPERIENCE AT WORK.

>> Padilla: IT JUST SEEMS TO THEM LIKE NOTHING IS HAPPENING, RIGHT.

I MEAN I BELIEVE THAT THE AGENCIES ARE ACTIVE IN THE HIRING PROCESS AND TRYING TO GET PEOPLE LIKE THE JOB FAIRS WE HAVE BEEN DOING, BUT WHEN SOMEBODY COMES IN OFF THE STREET, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE NOT LASTING.

SOME PEOPLE DON'T MAKE IT OFF PROBATION.

SOME HAVE BEEN THERE A YEAR OR TWO AND WITH THAT OVERTIME LIKE I AM SAYING, IT STRESSES THEM OUT, RIGHT, THEY HAVE OTHER THINGS THEY NEED TO DO AT HOME, WHATEVER IT MAY BE BUT THEY DON'T STAY LONG ENOUGH, RIGHT?

IF IT IS A 28% VACANCY RATE, TWO PEOPLE COME IN, THREE PEOPLE LEAVE.

TWO MORE COME IN, FIVE HAVE LEFT.

AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN'T KEEP UP WITH BECAUSE OF THE OVERTIME AND LONGER HOURS THEY HAVE HAD TO WORK.

>> Nash: I BELIEVE THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT SAW THAT A NUMBER -- I THINK IT WAS ONLY JUST OVER 60% OF NEW EMPLOYEES WERE LASTING THROUGH THEIR PROBATIONARY PERIOD.

WHICH RESONATES WITH WHAT CASEY IS SAYING.

IS THERE ANY SENSE OF WHY THAT MIGHT BE, WHY FOLKS ARE SEEKING THESE JOBS, GETTING THESE JOBS AND THEN NOT STICKING AROUND?

>> Lange: YOU KNOW THAT IS AN AREA OF CONCERN THAT WE HAVE GENERALLY WITH THE STATE THAT WE DON'T HAVE REALLY PINPOINTED THE EXACT REASON FOR THAT.

WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED EXIT SURVEYS SO WE ARE TRYING TO FIND OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE.

WE KNOW THAT SOME OF EMPLOYEES BOUNCE AROUND TO DIFFERENT STATE AGENCIES, RIGHT, AND SO THAT WOULD TO AFFECT THE PROBATIONARY PERIOD.

ALSO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING IS FOCUSING ON TRAINING, RIGHT, TO TRAIN BOTH AN OLDER WORKFORCE WANTING TO COME IN, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO COME BACK AFTER RETIREMENT OR A YOUNG WORKFORCE WITHOUT EXPERIENCE.

AND SO WE HAVE -- WE FOCUSED REALLY ON MANAGING SKILLS, FOR MANAGERS IN OUR OFFICE, BUT ALSO JUST BASIC TRAINING ON COMPUTERS, BASIC TRAINING ON EMAIL.

SO, I MEAN, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE FOCUSING ON BUT THAT IS AN AREA THAT WE REALLY ARE TRYING TO FOCUS ON IS WHY PROBATIONARY PERIOD EMPLOYEES ARE LEAVING.

AND JUST TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT IS, WHEN YOU FIRST JOIN STATE EMPLOYMENT FOR ONE YEAR YOU ARE A PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEE.

YOU DON'T GET ALL THE PROTECTIONS YOU GET IF YOU WERE IN CLASSIFIED SERVICE, A CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEE, AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WITH PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES.

>> Nash: THANKS FOR CLARIFYING THAT, YES, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT FOLKS THAT JUST RECENTLY STARTED IN POSITIONS WHO ARE NOT HANGING AROUND.

WELL, THANK YOU DYLAN, SARITA, CASEY FOR THIS CONVERSATION.

CASEY AND DYLAN AND I ARE GOING TO MEET BACK AT THE TABLE IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES WITH A NEW GUEST, ACTING HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE.

>> Taylor-Harris: AND SO WE WANT TO ALSO BE VERY MINDFUL OF SOMETHING THAT CASEY TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, IS RETAINING OUR STAFF.

SO, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE HISTORICALLY DEPLOYED SOME METHODS OF ASKING OUR TEAM TO WORK HARDER BY DOING SOME MANDATORY OVERTIME, WE ARE WELL IN AND PAST THE PANDEMIC SO NOW IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LOOK AT HOW DO WE MORE EFFECTIVELY RETAIN OUR EMPLOYEES AND CREATE THE CONSISTENCY OF SERVICES THAT OR COMMUNITY ABSOLUTELY NEEDS.

>> Lou: PART 2 OF NASH'S ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION IS COMING UP IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES.

NOW WE SHIFT OUR ATTENTION TO ESPANOLA WHERE RYAN DAVID MARTINEZ ALLEGEDLY SHOT A PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATOR AT THE SITE OF A PLANNED REINSTALLATION OF A JUAN DE ONATE STATUE.

NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS CORRESPONDENT ANTONIO GONZALES GOT A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH TWO EYE WITNESSES TO ASK HOW THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY IS RECOVERING FROM THE TRAUMATIC VIOLENCE AND TO GIVE HISTORICAL CONTEXT ON WHAT ONATE REPRESENTS FOR THEIR PEOPLE.

>> Antonia: NATHANA AND JANENE, WELCOME TO NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS.

FIRST I WOULD LOOK TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE GUN VIOLENCE, IN ITSELF, WAS TRAUMATIZING AND ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THE DEEP HISTORICAL TRAUMA THAT NATIVE PEOPLE FACE BUT ALSO JUST HOW IMPORTANT THIS DISCUSSION IS TO HAVE.

SO I WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR JOINING US TODAY.

AND NATHANA YOU WERE THERE.

TELL US ABOUT THE DAY.

>> Bird: SO, WE WERE THERE FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY.

I WAS THERE FROM THE MORNING, PARTICIPATED IN SUNRISE CEREMONY THAT MORNING WHERE MANY FOLKS FROM THE COMMUNITY LED US IN PRAYER AND LED US IN SONG AND ALSO THE VICTIM JACOB JOHNS ALSO LED US IN A SONG THAT MORNING, PARTICIPATING IN THE SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS THAT DAY, SO I STAYED TO THE PERIPHERAL TAKING A LOOK FOR FOLKS SAFETY AND MAKING NOTE OF WHERE FOLKS WERE AT.

SOME OF THE OTHER OPPOSITION FOLKS OR FOLKS IN OPPOSITION ALSO HAD STARTED TO LEAVE SO THE GROUP STARTED GETTING SMALLER AND SMALLER.

THERE WAS TWO OLDER MEN, ONE WAS IN A HAT AND ANOTHER GENTLEMAN WAS WALKING ALONG THE SIDEWALK WITH THE SHOOTER.

AND ALSO ALONGSIDE OF THEM, THEM THREE, AND THEN ONE OF MY FRIENDS.

MY FRIEND WAS WALKING ALONGSIDE WITH THEM ON THE SIDEWALK AND I KNEW SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT.

THE TWO GENTLEMEN WERE ALONGSIDE OF THE WALL, THE BIGGER WALL, STUCCO WALL, ALONG THE SIDEWALK AND I SAW THE ALLEGED SHOOTER RUN OR TRY TO CHARGE INTO THE SPACE WHERE WE WERE AT, WHICH WAS NEAR THE GRAVEL AREA.

AND I JUST SAW HIM TAKE A RIGHT, HE RAN, HE TRIED TO JUMP THE WALL.

HE JUMPED OVER THE WALL AND AT THAT POINT EVERYBODY STARTED SCUFFLING WITH HIM TRYING TO GET HIM OUT OF THE SPACE AND THEN THAT IS WHEN THEY HAD HIM AGAINST THE WALL.

HE FLIPPED OVER -- GOT FLIPPED OVER THE WALL AND STOOD UP AND IMMEDIATELY HE PICKED UP HIS JACKET AND PULLED OUT HIS GUN.

AND AT THAT POINT I JUST WAS, LIKE, OH, LIKE I JUST CUSSED.

I WAS, "OH ----, I GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE!"

MY IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS TO DUCK.

I WENT FOR COVER, I DUCKED, I CAME UP ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ALTER.

I STOOD UP AND FIRST THING THAT WAS GOING THROUGH MY HEAD WAS LIKE, WHERE IS MY PARTNER?

SOMEBODY GOT SHOT.

I HEARD IMMEDIATELY THE CRY OUT FOR HELP.

I HEARD THE BULLET -- THE GUN SHOT GO OFF.

AND I DUCKED.

I WENT AROUND THE CORNER.

I WAS THINKING LIKE IF HE COMES AROUND THIS SIDE, HOW AM I GOING TO PROTECT MYSELF?

WHERE IS EVERYBODY?

I STOOD UP IMMEDIATELY AND AT THAT POINT HE WAS ALREADY RUNNING TO HIS CAR AND HAD GOTTEN IN HIS CAR AND WAS DRIVING OFF.

MY PARTNER WAS RUNNING TO THE CAR.

MY PARTNER WAS RECORDING AT THE TIME AND SO I IMMEDIATELY RAN TOWARDS THE VICTIMS TOWARD THAT AREA AND AT THAT POINT EVERYBODY WAS LIKE CALLING 911.

EVERYBODY CALLED 911, SO, I CALLED 911, BUT MY PHONE WASN'T RINGING SO I HUNG UP AND TRIED AGAIN AND I CALLED 911 AND I GOT THROUGH AND THEY SAID THEY WERE ON THEIR WAY.

AND AT THIS TIME WAS JUST -- EVERYTHING JUST HAPPENED SO QUICKLY.

IT WAS JUST AWFUL.

IT WAS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT FOREVER IS LIKE A LIFE-ALTERING EXPERIENCE.

>> Antonia: I AM GLAD YOU'RE SAFE AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING AND JANENE, YOU WERE ALSO THERE.

WHAT HAS YOUR LIFE BEEN LIKE SINCE THE EVENT?

>> Yazzie: WE SWITCHED AFTER JACOB WAS ABLE TO GET MEDICAL ATTENTION, WHICH WASN'T UNTIL 10, 15 MINUTES LATER WHEN THE PARAMEDICS FINALLY ARRIVED, WHEN HE FINALLY WAS ABLE TO GET APPROPRIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION.

WE SWITCHED INTO HAVING TO DO OUR OWN WORK, TO ENSURE THAT THE WITNESSES WERE SAFE, THAT WE WERE RECORDING WITNESS STATEMENTS, THAT WE WERE COLLECTING INFORMATION FROM EVERYBODY.

WE EVEN SWITCHED TO SMUDGING EVERYONE.

LIKE I SAID THIS WAS A PRAYERFUL EVENT.

AND WE RELY VERY STRONGLY ON OUR MEDICINES AND TRADITIONAL WAYS TO PROTECT OUR PEOPLE, AND, SO, I WENT AROUND SMUDGING PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THE CHILDREN AND THE WOMEN THAT WERE EXTREMELY TRAUMATIZED BECAUSE THIS IS A FAMILY EVENT.

AND PEOPLE WERE, LIKE, ESPECIALLY THE CHILDREN WERE VERY TRAUMATIZED BY THIS TYPE OF VIOLENCE BEING BROUGHT INTO SUCH A BEAUTIFUL, PRAYERFUL AND LOVING SPACE.

AND SO SINCE THEN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T -- WE DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY TO REST, WE HAVE BEEN HAVING TO FIGHT A NARRATIVE WAR THAT HAS BEEN TRYING TO FRAME THIS AS IF THERE WAS SOME ELEMENT OF DANGER IN OUR TAKING A STAND IN HAVING THIS PRAYERFUL GATHERING.

WHEN REALLY THE DANGER WASN'T COMING FROM US, THE DANGER WAS COMING FROM THESE RIGHT WING EXTREMISTS AND AGITATORS WHO FELT COMPELLED ENOUGH TO COME ARMED WITH WEAPONS, WITH GUNS, WITH KNIVES, AND TO HECKLE AND HARASS THE GATHERING OF PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE.

AND EVEN THOUGH POLICE SAW THIS AND EVEN THOUGH THEY ESCORTED RYAN OFF AT ONE TIME PRIOR, THEY ALLOWED HIM TO COME BACK IN.

AND, SO, THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE AND HAVING TO PROCESS THOSE THINGS, HAVING TO PROCESS THE FACT THAT THEY ALLOWED THE REST OF THE AGITATORS TO LEAVE THE SPACE BEFORE AN ARREST WAS MADE, BEFORE INTERVIEWS WERE TAKEN.

ALL OF THAT, I THINK, HAS REALLY MADE IT HARD TO FEEL SAFE FOR ANY OF OUR ORGANIZERS AND ANY OF THE PEOPLE THERE, DESPITE RYAN BEING ARRESTED, BECAUSE IT DOES NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED WHO HE WAS IN COLLABORATION AND RELATIONSHIP WITH BECAUSE THIS WAS A PRE-MEDICATED HATE CRIME.

>> Antonia: THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT AND I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND NATHANA WHAT DOES THE ONATE STATUE MEAN IN PARTICULAR TO YOU, PUEBLO PEOPLE, TO OHKAY OWINGEH, WHICH THE STATUE WAS ORIGINALLY NEXT TO YOUR COMMUNITY.

>> Bird: FOR ME, ONATE PERSONALLY REPRESENTS THE BRUTALITY THAT WAS PUT UP AGAINST OUR PEOPLE, RIGHT?

OUR PUEBLO PEOPLE, WE FOUGHT YEARS AND DECADES AND DECADES TO REALLY KEEP THE SORT OF LIKE DISMANTLING OF OUR COMMUNITIES OUT OF OUR COMMUNITIES.

WE REALLY HAVE SEEN THROUGH HISTORY JUST THE DOCUMENTATION OF HOW THE GENOCIDE, THE CULTURAL WASHING OR THE BANNING OF TRADITIONAL PRACTICES WAS DONE BY FOLKS THAT WERE BROUGHT TO REALLY COLONIZE OUR COMMUNITIES.

AND, SO, ONATE WAS SORT OF LIKE THE LEAD IN THAT PIECE ALONG WITH OTHER FOLKS THAT CAME BEFORE HIM.

AND SO IT WAS BASICALLY TO COLONIZE AND CONVERT NATIVE PEOPLE.

AND, SO, A LOT OF OUR HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS REALLY STATE THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF DESTRUCTION, THERE WAS A LOT OF VIOLENCE.

THERE WAS GREED.

A LOT OF OUR FOLKS WERE REALLY PUSHED TO CONVERT AND ALSO A LOT OF JUST VIOLENCE, VIOLENCE AGAINST OUR WOMEN, SEXUAL VIOLENCE, ENSLAVEMENT OF OUR PEOPLE.

AND SO NOW IT IS REALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, LIKE, KNOWING THERE IS THIS HISTORY THAT EXISTS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND KNOWING THAT WE ARE ALL SORT OF IN THIS COMMUNITY TOGETHER, IS HOW DO WE REALLY START TO GRAPPLE WITH THE WAY THAT COLONIZATION AND THE WAY THAT THESE FOLKS CAME INTO OUR COMMUNITY YEARS AGO, GENERATIONS AGO, AND IT STILL LINGERS HERE, BUT HOW DO WE SORT OF HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS OF, YES, WE ARE ACKNOWLEDGING HISTORY AND, YES, HISTORY DOES TELL A STORY OF HOW THIS IMPACTED OUR COMMUNITY.

WE STILL CARRY THAT.

>> Antonia: JANENE, INDIAN COLLECTIVE ADVOCATES NATIONALLY, INTERNATIONALLY EVEN, SO ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WHEN THERE IS OPPOSITION TO, SAY, CONFEDERATE STATUES THERE IS OFTEN ACKNOWLEDGMENT ABOUT THAT HISTORY INCLUDING SLAVERY.

SO, WHY IS IT THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS MAY NOT BE UNDERSTOOD MORE WIDELY IN THE PUBLIC ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY?

>> Yazzie: THE LACK OF EDUCATION IN THIS COUNTRY AROUND THE TRUE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY AND THE WHITE WASHING OF THE EDUCATION OF OUR GENERAL PUBLIC.

YOU KNOW, LIKE WE HAVE LIKE BEHIND A LOT OF THIS RIGHT WING EXTREMISM AND WHITE SUPREMACY RHETORIC THAT IS RAMPANT THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTRY IS THIS BELIEF THAT THEY ARE THE TRUE PATRIOTS, THEY ARE THE TRUE AMERICANS.

AND IT IS IRONIC BECAUSE IF THEY REALLY DID BELIEVE THAT, YOU WOULD THINK THEY WOULD UPHOLD AND UNDERSTAND THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS COUNTRY WAS ONLY ENABLED THROUGH TREATIES WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES.

WE WERE NEVER CONQUERED.

THAT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS, THOSE MYTHS OF COLONIAL WHITE WASHING OF OUR HISTORY THAT NEEDS TO BE PUSHED BACK UPON IN EVERY SETTING.

AS BRUTAL AS THESE COLONIZERS WERE AND ONATE REPRESENTS SOME OF THE MOST BRUTAL CRIMES OF COLONIZATION, SO MUCH SO THAT SPANISH CROWN IS THE ONE THAT BANISHED HIM FROM THIS AREA.

THEY DIDN'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH HIM.

SO IT IS IRONIC THEY WANT TO CONTINUE TO TRY TO RESURRECT HIM AS A SYMBOL OF WHAT MAKES THEM PROUD TO BE AMERICAN AND NEW MEXICANS EVEN.

WHEN EVEN THAT HIS REPUTATION IS NOT EVEN ACCEPTED OR UPHELD BY THE COUNTRY THAT HE WAS SUPPOSEDLY REPRESENTING DURING HIS CONQUESTS.

SO, LIKE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT WE ARE FIGHTING FOR AND THE SOLUTIONS THAT INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ARE BRINGING TO THE TABLE, THOSE SOLUTIONS ARE ENABLED BY UPHOLDING OUR RIGHT TO SOVEREIGNTY AND SELF DETERMINATION, RIGHTS WHICH WERE NEVER TAKEN AWAY BUT ARE EMBEDDED IN THE VERY CONSTITUTION OF THIS COUNTRY AS THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND.

WE NEED, ALL AMERICANS, TO UNDERSTAND THAT AND UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE OF THAT, WE WERE NEVER CONQUERED.

THAT IS WHY WE ARE STILL HERE AS SOVEREIGN NATIONS.

THAT IS WHY OUR RIGHTS ARE BOTH, LIKE, NATION RIGHTS AND COLLECTIVE RIGHTS TO BOTH OUR UNIQUE SPIRITUAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC WAYS OF LIVING AND OF CREATING SYSTEMS OF GOVERNANCE AND SYSTEMS OF COMMUNITY AND WHY WE WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH FORWARD AND UPHOLD THOSE RIGHTS BECAUSE THEY MAINTAIN THE PATHWAY FOR REAL SOLUTIONS, FOR SUSTAINABLE, WHOLE, SAFE COMMUNITIES AND WE WON'T ACCEPT ANYTHING LESS.

BECAUSE WE ARE NOT JUST RESISTING.

WE ARE BUILDING SOLUTIONS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

WE ARE BRINGING SOLUTIONS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

OUR ABILITY TO CREATE AND SUPPORT ORGANIZERS THAT HAVE A WHOLE BREADTH OF EXPERTISE FROM LAWS TO ECONOMICS TO POLICIES, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE WHAT IS NEEDED TO HELP CREATE AND CRAFT SOLUTIONS THAT BENEFIT NOT ONLY INDIGENOUS PEOPLES BUT ALL PEOPLES AND OUR MOTHER EARTH.

THAT IS WHY OUR FIGHT WILL NEVER DIE AND WHY WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP AND CONTINUE TO PERSIST EVEN IN THE FACE OF THIS TYPE OF VIOLENCE.

WE DO NOT ACT OUT OF FEAR.

WE DO NOT ALLOW THESE ACTS OF VIOLENCE TO PERPETUATE FEAR IN OUR COMMUNITIES OR TO PERPETUATE CYCLES OF TRAUMA BECAUSE WE COME FROM GENERATIONS OF CYCLE BREAKERS AND OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE RESISTED THIS IN ALL OF ITS BRUTAL FORMS THROUGHOUT HISTORY TO STILL REMAIN HERE IN OUR HOMELAND, CARRYING ON THESE WORLD VIEWS OUR LANGUAGES, OUR SPIRITUAL AND TRADITIONAL TEACHINGS AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO COME.

>> Antonia: THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE RESILIENCE OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND FOR BEING HERE ON NEW MEXICO PBS TODAY.

THANK YOU BOTH.

>> Zach: THIS SPECIFIC TYPE OF DIALECT HAS BEEN IN NEW MEXICO FOR THE LAST 400 YEARS.

AND WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO WITH THE LEGACY PROJECT IS MAKE SURE WE SERVE AS AN AUDIO AND DIGITAL REPOSITORY TO COLLECT, PROTECT AND PRESERVE THIS LANGUAGE FOR THE ENTIRE STATE AND FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, FOR THAT MATTER, AND MAKING SURE THAT HUNDREDS OF YEARS FROM NOW WHEN FOLKS ASK, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT KIND OF POINTS OF LANGUAGE AND DIALECT AND HISTORY WHERE SPANISH WAS BEING SPOKEN IN NORTH AMERICA, THEY CAN SAY, NEW MEXICO.

>> Lou: MY ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW WITH NATIONAL HISPANIC CULTURAL CENTER DIRECTOR ZACH QUINTANA IS COMING UP IN 15 MINUTES.

I ALSO WANT TO THANK ANTONIO GONZALES FOR HER INTERVIEW ALONG WITH BOTH OF OUR GUESTS.

YOU CAN READ A STATEMENT FROM THE FAMILY OF JACOB JOHNS, THE VICTIM IN LAST WEEK'S SHOOTING, LINKED ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES.

NOW WE HEAD BACK NO NASH JONES' ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION.

THIS TIME AROUND THE GROUP EXPLORES POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO THE STAFFING SHORTAGES AND HIRING DIFFICULTIES THAT HAVE PLAGUED THE PUBLIC SECTOR.

>> Nash: WELCOME BACK TO DYLAN LANGE, ACTING DIRECTOR OF STATE PERSONNEL OFFICE.

CASEY PADILLA, PRESIDENT OF AFSCME, COUNSEL 18, WHICH IS ACROSS NEW MEXICO AND COLORADO AND THAT IS THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES.

AND WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST PANELIST, PATRICIA TAFOYA-HARRIS, ACTING HR DIRECTOR AT THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE.

>> Taylor-Harris: THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> Nash: SO, NOW THAT WE HAVE KIND OF A GRASP OF THE SCOPE OF THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE SHORTAGE AND HOW THAT IS AFFECTING GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW IT IS IMPACTING RESIDENTS.

RIGHT.

SO, ONE EASY EXAMPLE WOULD BE FEWER BUS DRIVERS IN THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE.

REDUCING BUS ROUTES THIS YEAR.

DYLAN, CAN YOU SPEAK TO HOW THOSE WATCHING TONIGHT ARE FEELING THE IMPACT OF THESE SHORTAGES.

>> Lange: SURE, MAYBE THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COULD PROBABLY ANSWER THAT QUESTION A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN I BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A VACANCY RATE BUT WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LAST SEGMENT AT THE STATE LEVEL, THESE POSITIONS ARE FILLED SOMEWHAT.

WE ALWAYS WANT THEM TO BE HIGHER AND WE ARE SEEING THAT LIKE WITH NURSES, DIRECT CARE PLACES AND SO WE ARE JUST ASKING EMPLOYEES TO MAYBE WORK A LITTLE LONGER, HARDER, BUT WE ARE SUPPORTING THEM WITH TRAINING.

BUT THAT IS WHAT WE ARE SEEING AT THE STATE LEVEL, THERE ARE SOME SHORTAGES WITH CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS, BUT, AGAIN, WE ARE TRYING TO SUPPORT AND GET THOSE POSITIONS FILLED QUICKLY WITH RAPID HIRES BUT I'LL DEFER TO -- >> Taylor-Harris: I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY ARE TRYING TO BE AS CONSISTENT AS POSSIBLE AND HAVING RELIABLE SERVICES WITHIN ALL OF THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE AT THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE.

AND SO IN ORDER TO BE CONSISTENT AND RELIABLE, WE REALLY RELY ON DATA TO HELP US WITH DETERMINING HOW THE IMPACT OF ANY CHANGE IS GOING TO MAKE ON OR COMMUNITY POPULATION.

AND, SO, WE WANT TO ALSO BE VERY MINDFUL OF SOMETHING THAT CASEY TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, IS RETAINING OUR STAFF, SO, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE HISTORICALLY DEPLOYED SOME METHODS OF ASKING OUR TEAM TO WORK HARDER BY DOING SOME MANDATORY OVERTIME, WE ARE WELL IN AND PAST THE PANDEMIC SO NOW IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LOOK AT HOW DO WE MORE EFFECTIVELY RETAIN OUR EMPLOYEES AND CREATE THE CONSISTENCY OF SERVICES THAT OUR COMMUNITY ABSOLUTELY NEEDS IN ORDER TO GET TO WORK AND TO DO THE THINGS THEY RELY ON.

Nash: SO, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CONSISTENCY OF SERVICES PIECE.

FOR ALBUQUERQUE RESIDENTS, WHAT DOES THIS ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE ON THE GROUND?

RIGHT?

WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON THEIR EVERYDAY LIFE THAT THERE ARE DEPARTMENTS AT THE CITY THAT ARE SHORT STAFFED?

>> Taylor-Harris: RIGHT, SO, THE INTENT IS TO UTILIZE THE DATA THAT WE HAVE IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE SERVICES THAT ARE BEING MOST UTILIZED AND WE FOCUS IN ON MAINTAINING THAT CONSISTENCY AND RELIABILITY OF THOSE SERVICES.

SO, WHAT THAT REALLY LOOKS LIKE TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS IS HAVING OUR EMPLOYEES REALLY HELP WITH MAINTAINING THE ROUTES THAT WE HAVE IN TRANSIT, MAINTAINING THE SERVICES FOR ANIMAL WELFARE AND FOR SENIOR AFFAIRS, MAKING SURE WE ARE DELIVERING THE MEALS TO THE SITES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE SENIORS ARE ACTUALLY GETTING THE MEALS THEY SO NEED TO BE HEALTHY.

>>Nash: ARE THERE PLACES WHERE THAT IS NOT CONSISTENTLY ABLE TO HAPPEN?

RIGHT.

>> Taylor-Harris: YES, NASH, THANK YOU.

OBVIOUSLY WHEN THERE ARE SHORTAGES THERE MAY BE SOME GAPS IN SERVICES BUT OUR TEAMS ARE -- AND THIS IS WHERE WE LEVERAGE THE AFSCME'S OF THE WORLD TO HELP US MAKING SURE THAT OUR STAFF UNDERSTANDS THAT THE RETENTION AND DELIVERY OF THESE SERVICES ARE SO NECESSARY.

SOMETIMES WE DO DEPLOY METHODS OF ASKING STAFF TO HELP WITH COVERING THOSE GAPS SO PEOPLE ARE GETTING THE MEALS OR THE TRANSIT RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED TO ORDER TO GET THROUGH THEIR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES.

>> Nash: CASEY, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THOSE METHODS?

>> Padilla: YEAH, UTILIZING OVERTIME, THE CITY, THEY TRY NOT TO DO THAT, RIGHT.

AT THE END OF THE DAY THEY TRIED TO NOT AFFECT THE EMPLOYEES' LIFE BUT AT SOME POINT, RIGHT, THE SERVICE HAS TO GET DONE, RIGHT.

WE HAVE MANY PEOPLE THAT DO VOLUNTEER, BECAUSE IT IS A VOLUNTEER FIRST SO THEY GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO PICK WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.

SO, THE SERVICES ARE GETTING DONE.

I BELIEVE LIKE IN SOLID WASTE IT IS GETTING DONE.

WE TALKED BACK MORE TO THE TRANSIT, THE BUS PART, THERE IS STILL A SERVICE BEING PROVIDED BUT IT IS LIKE A LONGER TIME YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR THAT BUS.

SO, IF THE SERVICE WAS 10 MINUTES, NOW IT IS 20 MINUTES.

THE CLOSER IN TIME YOU NEED THE MORE EMPLOYEES, RIGHT.

IN TRANSIT IT IS A DOUBLE WHAMMY.

IT'S NOT JUST A SHORTAGE ON DRIVERS, NOW IT IS A SHORTAGE ON MECHANICS, RIGHT.

SO, IF YOU'RE SHORT IN EVERY AREA, WHO IS GOING TO SERVICE THESE BUSES?

WHO IS GOING TO DO PRE-TRIPS, WHO IS GOING TO BUILD BRAKES.

WHO IS GOING TO REBUILD ENGINES.

WHO IS DOING THINGS THAT THESE BUSES NEED, RIGHT.

WE CAN HAVE A LOT OF DRIVERS AT ONE POINT AND AT ANOTHER POINT WE DON'T HAVE THE BUSES BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT BEING ABLE TO BE REPAIRED, RIGHT?

THE SERVICE IS OUT THERE.

THEY ARE UTILIZING PASSENGER VANS, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE DOING WHATEVER THEY CAN TO GET THE PEOPLE WHERE THEY NEED TO GO.

IS THERE IS A LAPSE SOMETIMES, I AM SURE IT IS POSSIBLE, RIGHT.

I THINK THEY WORK ON LOGGING THAT STUFF DOWN AND WORKING ON THE DATA AS PATRICIA SAID, A LOT OF THAT WE DON'T HAVE YET, BECAUSE THIS AS NEW THING SOMETHING WE HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED AND WE ARE STILL WORKING A LOT OF THESE THINGS TRYING TO FIGURE THESE THING OUT.

>> Nash: WOULD YOU SAY THERE IS ANY PARTICULAR COMMUNITIES THAT BEAR THE BRUNT OF THESE SHORTAGES?

IS IT SPREAD ACROSS THE BOARD?

IS IT EQUITABLE OR ARE THERE DISPARITIES THAT YOU SEE?

>> Padilla: WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHORTAGES THERE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

IF YOU HAVE PARKS, SOME OF THE PARKS THEY JUST -- THEY ARE PUT OFF FOR ANOTHER DAY AND MAYBE THE GRASS DON'T GET CUT FOR A DAY OR TWO LONGER, RIGHT, INSTEAD OF LIKE A REGULAR SCHEDULE.

AS FAR AS WHERE IT IS AFFECTED, I REALLY COULDN'T PINPOINT WHERE.

>> Nash: WELL, YOU TALK ABOUT BUSES, RIGHT?

IF YOU HAVE A CAR, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THE BUS AND SO YOU'RE NOT AFFECTED BY THAT SHORTAGE, RIGHT?

YOU KNOW, MORE OFTEN LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES ARE GOING TO RELY ON THE BUS MORE OFTEN.

ARE THERE OTHER EXAMPLES WHERE THERE ARE PARTICULAR COMMUNITIES IN THE METRO AREA IN THIS CASE WHERE COMMUNITIES ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY THESE SERVICES?

>> Tafoya: THAT IS WHERE THE DATA IS SO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT FOR US AS A CITY BECAUSE WE DO UTILIZE THE DATA IN ORDER TO HELP US TO UNDERSTAND THE UTILIZATION PATTERNS REGARDLESS OF WHAT CITY SERVICE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING.

AND OBVIOUSLY OUR BIGGEST COMMITMENT IS TO MAINTAIN SERVICES ACROSS OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY BUT THAT UTILIZATION DATA SPECIFICALLY HELPS US WITH UNDERSTANDING WHAT PATTERNS ARE BEING USED IN THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS OF THE CITY AND WE REALLY MAKE AN ACTIVE EFFORT TO HAVE AS MUCH SERVICES AVAILABLE SO THAT DATA IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTANDING THE UTILIZATION PATTERNS.

>> Nash: SO, YOU HAVE THIS DATA THAT YOU ARE COLLECTING AND LOOKING AT AND TRYING TO ADJUST TO OR RESPOND TO.

I DO WANT TO SHIFT THE CONVERSATION INTO SOLUTIONS HERE.

I MEAN, I THINK THAT IS SO KEY IF WE ARE GOING TO PRESENT THE PROBLEM ITSELF.

PATRICIA, WHAT IS THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE UP TO IN TERMS OF RESPONDING TO THIS PROBLEM?

>> Tafoya: REALLY WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IS STAFFING SHORTAGES.

AND THAT IS MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE ROBUSTNESS OF SERVICES REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE DEPARTMENT IS OR THE POSITION IS.

SO, WE HAVE REALLY STARTED A CAMPAIGN.

WE ARE CALLING IT THE HIRING EXPERIENCE WHERE WE ARE REALLY EVOLVING OUR PRACTICES WITHIN THE HUMAN RESOURCES HIRING PROCESSES IN ORDER TO MAKE OUR PROGRAMMING MORE EFFICIENT.

WE ARE TAKING A LOOK AT THE QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR JOBS.

WE ARE LOOKING AT OUR JOB DESCRIPTIONS.

WE ARE LOOKING AT JUST THE FLOW OF APPLICANTS THROUGH OUR SYSTEM AND IT CAN BE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS THE PROCESS.

I AM VERY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT OUR TRANSIT DEPARTMENT IS ACTUALLY HAVING A HIRING EVENT ON THE 17TH AND 27TH OF THIS MONTH IN OUR DAYTONA COMPLEX, AT 8001 DAYTONA.

THE NEATEST THING ABOUT THIS HIRING EVENT IS WE ARE LITERALLY GOING TO TAKE OUR APPLICANTS THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROCESS IN ONE DAY.

SO THEY COULD LITERALLY COME IN APPLY FOR A JOB ON SITE AND ACTUALLY GET OFFERED AND HIRED ON SITE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE CITY'S HISTORY.

THESE ARE PRACTICING THAT WE BELIEVE ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO REALLY FOSTERING THAT QUICK HIRE PROCESS THROUGH.

A LOT OF AGENCIES YOU'RE SEEING STATISTICS IN THE 60 PLUS DAYS IN TIME TO HIRE.

WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO DRIVE THAT TIME FRAME DOWN.

>> Nash: THE LONGER IT TAKES, YOU ARE SEEING THAT FOLKS BAIL IN THE PROCESS?

>> Taylor-Harris: ABSOLUTELY.

>> Nash: WHEN YOU SAY THAT YOU'RE ADJUSTING QUALIFICATIONS, ADJUSTING JOB DESCRIPTIONS, IN WHAT WAY DOES THAT SUPPORT -- I MEAN, HOW ARE YOU ADJUSTING IT AND HOW DOES THAT RESPOND TO WHAT YOU'RE FINDING IS ONE OF THE ISSUES.

>> Taylor-Harris: YEAH, HISTORICALLY THE CITY HAS HAD A VERY ATTRACTIVE APPLICANT POOL THAT COMES THROUGH FOR POSITIONS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.

AND THAT HAS GIVEN US AN ABILITY THROUGH QUALIFICATIONS TO HAVE A SCREENING PROCESS THROUGH THAT.

WELL, NOW, WHEN WE HAVE SEEN A REDUCTION IN APPLICATIONS THROUGH, WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE IDENTIFYING ALL QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS THAT CAN EFFECTIVELY PERFORM THAT JOB AND THE SKILLS REQUIRED IN THAT JOB.

SO, WE EVALUATE THOSE QUALIFICATIONS TO SEE, ARE WE ACTUALLY BEING TOO AGGRESSIVE?

DO WE NEED TO LOOK AT LEVERAGING EXPERIENCE MORE THAN MAYBE SOME OF THE EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN IN SOME OF THESE JOBS.

IT IS REALLY BEING MINDFUL OF WHAT IS GOING TO HELP TO ATTRACT A QUALIFIED WORKFORCE TO FILL THIS GAP.

>> Nash: WE TALKED IN THE LAST SEGMENT ABOUT PAY BEING A SUCH A SIGNIFICANT PART OF WHERE THE PUBLIC SECTOR STRUGGLES TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

WHAT IS THE STATE DOING TO BOOST WAGES AND BETTER ATTRACT AND RETAIN EMPLOYEES?

>> Lange: WAGES IS ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT COMES UP IN EMPLOYEE RETENTION, BUT SINCE 2019 AVERAGE PAY FOR THE STATE HAS INCREASED 29%.

SO, I MEAN, THE LEGISLATURE AND EXECUTIVE BRANCH, WE HAVE HAD A 6% AND 7% INCREASE IN PAY FOR STATE EMPLOYEES.

SO THAT IS JUST THE REALITY OF THE LAST TWO YEARS.

THERE MAY BE ANOTHER ONE COMING.

WE ARE TRYING TO ATTACK PAY IN THAT WAY, BUT ALSO FLEXIBILITY FOR INDIVIDUAL AGENCIES WITH FLEXIBILITIES IN THE STATE PERSONNEL BOARD RULES WITH TEMPORARY SALARY INCREASES, WITH RETENTION, PAY INCREASES THAT WERE -- SO WE ARE BEING FLEXIBLE IN WHAT WE CAN PROVIDE WITH PAY, BUT AT A CERTAIN POINT IT COMES DOWN TO AGENCY BUDGET, RIGHT.

AT A CERTAIN POINT, PAY CAN'T BE THE ONLY SOLUTION AND SO WE ARE LOOKING AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT RETENTION ISSUES THAT THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE IS DEALING WITH AND WE ARE DOING THE SAME THINGS TO GET OUTSIDE OF JUST THE PAY.

BECAUSE, I MEAN, WORKING IN STATE OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS DIFFERENT THAN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

YOU HAVE TO BUY INTO THE MISSION, BUY INTO THE VALUE THAT YOU PROVIDE TO YOUR COMMUNITY.

AND SO, THAT IS WHERE THE RETENTION PIECE COMES IN.

YOU'RE NOT ONLY MOTIVATED BY PAY.

IT IS ALSO COMPENSATION BUT IT'S ALSO REALLY THE MISSION, WHY WE ARE HERE, PUBLIC SERVICE, AND WHY IT IS SO ATTRACTIVE TO A PARTICULAR TYPE OF WORKER.

>> Nash: AND SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS UNIQUELY DIFFERENT ESPECIALLY HERE IN NEW MEXICO IS STATE REVENUE IS DRIVEN LARGELY BY THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY.

RIGHT.

WHICH IS A BOOM AND BUST INDUSTRY.

SO, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THAT BUST COMES IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH RAISING THESE WAGES UP FOR STATE EMPLOYEES?

>> Lange: THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE TO CONSIDER, RIGHT?

BUDGET WILL ULTIMATELY DRIVE MOST OF THESE DECISIONS.

SO THAT IS WHY WE HAVE THESE TOOLS AVAILABLE TO US AT THE STATE LEVEL TO INCREASE SALARY BUT ONLY, YOU KNOW, TEMPORARILY OR HAVE IT COME INTO THE BASE SALARY BUT ULTIMATELY, I THINK DISCUSSIONS AT A STATE LEVEL AND ALSO GOES TO THE LOCAL LEVEL HAS TO BE CONSISTENT AND COOPERATIVE WITH DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, WITH THE LEGISLATURE AND THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO MAKE SURE WE ARE ASKING THE RIGHT THING AND ASKING FOR THE RIGHT BUDGETS AND NOT JUST FOR POSITIONS AND NOT JUST FOR ANYTHING ELSE.

SO IT IS A CONTINUED EFFORT EVERY YEAR TO UNDERSTAND, HEY, HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING SERVICES AND HOW DOES THAT ALIGN WITH OUR BUDGET REQUESTS.

>> Nash: IT IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TO RESPOND TO AS THINGS CHANGE.

CASEY, IF I MIGHT, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IN SOMEBODY'S BANK ACCOUNT ISN'T NECESSARILY THE ONLY CONSIDERATION, RIGHT, FOR WORKING FOR THE GOVERNMENT.

WHAT ELSE MAKES THESE JOBS APPEALING AS CAREERS?

>> Padilla: LIKE WHAT HE STATED, YOU HAVE TO HAVE, BUY IN, RIGHT, LIKE AT THE SAME TIME, BUT LIKE THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE AND ALSO THE STATE HAS A GREAT BENEFIT PACKAGE, RIGHT, AND THAT IS WHAT, I MYSELF, GOT ME TO APPLY TO THE CITY 23 YEARS AGO, WAS THE RETIREMENT IN ITSELF, RIGHT, THE MEDICAL FOR MY FAMILY, FOR MY KIDS, WHICH I HAVE, LIKE, MY GRANDKIDS ON THERE NOW AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

I MEAN, THAT IS REALLY THE BIG PART OF IT, RIGHT.

I THINK THAT IS SOMETIMES WHAT WE DON'T LOOK AT.

WE LOOK AT THE PAY SOMETIMES WHICH I THINK WE COULD BE MORE COMPETITIVE.

I THINK IN SOME AREAS.

BUT I MEAN IT IS JUST THE BENEFITS -- CITY PAYS 80% OF OUR MEDICAL.

THEY PAY 75% AND SOME CHANGE FOR OUR RETIREMENT.

THOSE ARE SOME OF THINGS WHERE BUY IN DOES COME IN, WHERE WE ARE OFFERED THAT WHERE WE WANT TO HANG AROUND AND BE THERE, 25, 26 YEARS THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW.

>> Nash: CASEY, PATRICIA AND DYLAN THANKS FOR THIS CONVERSATION.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS WILL CONTINUE TO COVER, AS WILL I AT KUNM RADIO.

THANKS AGAIN.

>> Lou: THANKS ONCE AGAIN TO NASH JONES IN THEIR FIRST APPEARANCE AS A NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS CORRESPONDENT.

WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON THE LOW STAFFING LEVELS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES, INCLUDING A LINK TO THAT REPORT FROM THE STATE PERSONNEL OFFICE.

THIS FALL, THE NATIONAL HISPANIC CULTURAL CENTER BEGINS WORKING ON A PROJECT TO PRESERVE A COLONIAL SPANISH DIALECT SPOKEN ONLY IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO, A HISTORICAL LANGUAGE THAT THE CENTER SAYS COULD DIE WITHIN THE NEXT 18 YEARS.

THE LEGACY PROJECT IS A THREE-YEAR ARCHIVAL ENDEAVOR THAT WILL SEND MEMBERS OF THE CENTER INTO NORTHERN NEW MEXICO TO RECORD AND PRESERVE THE AGING LANGUAGE.

CENTER DIRECTOR ZACH QUINTERO RECENTLY STOPPED BY OUR STUDIO TO DISCUSS THE PROJECT.

ZACH, THANKS FOR JOINING US HERE ON NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS.

>> Zach: IT'S A PLEASURE.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> Lou: OF COURSE.

THE NATIONAL HISPANIC CULTURAL CENTER IS ABOUT TO BEGIN THE FIRST OF THREE YEARS WORKING ON THIS LEGACY PROJECT.

WHEN HAD THE SPANISH DIALECT IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO BEEN SPOKEN MORE COMMONLY AND WHERE EXACTLY?

>> Zach: SO THIS REALLY BUILDS AROUND RIO ARRIBA COUNTY, IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO, EVERYWHERE FROM RIO ARRIBA COUNTY TO MORA COUNTY TO TAOS COUNTY.

I SAW AN ARTICLE RECENTLY IN THE LAST FIVE MONTHS ABOUT THE VILLAGE OF QUESTA AND HOW THEY ARE SPECIALIZING IN A SPECIFIC DIALECT THAT IS TRADITIONAL SPANISH THAT GOES BACK, YOU KNOW, 200 YEARS.

AND THIS SPECIFIC TYPE OF DIALECT HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE IN NEW MEXICO FOR THE LAST 400 YEARS.

WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO WITH THE LEGACY PROJECT IS MAKE SURE WE SERVE AS AN AUDIO AND DIGITAL REPOSITORY TO COLLECT, PROTECT AND PRESERVE THIS LANGUAGE FOR THE ENTIRE STATE AND FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, FOR THIS MATTER, AND MAKING SURE THAT HUNDREDS OF YEARS FROM NOW WHEN FOLKS ASK, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT KINDS OF POINTS OF LANGUAGE AND DIALECTS AND HISTORY, WHERE SPANISH WAS BEING SPOKEN IN NORTH AMERICA, THEY CAN SAY, NEW MEXICO.

>> Lou: WHAT IS THE CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DIALECT IN THAT AREA?

>> Zach: THE CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE IS IT STARTS WITH NOT ONLY THE STORY OF WHAT IS BUILT INTO BEING NEW MEXICO AS IT IS ALONGSIDE OUR INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES, HAVING SHARED FAMILY MEMBERS, BOTH HISPANIC AND INDIGENOUS.

BEING ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THE LARGER CONCEPT WHAT REALLY FORMS WHAT WE KNOW NOW AS THE UNITED STATES AND BEING PART OF THE MULTICULTURAL PIECE OF WHAT WE NOW UNDERSTAND TO BE THE UNITED STATES.

IT IS POWERFUL ON THE CULTURAL SIDE TO GATHER THIS INFORMATION AND COLLECT THE SPECIFIC AUDIO, VIDEO AND HISTORIC DOCUMENTS.

WE JUST RECEIVED, TWO WEEK AGO, YOU KNOW, A HISTORIC DOCUMENT GOING FROM VALENCIA COUNTY TO SANTA FE COUNTY FROM 1841.

TO DATE THAT FOR YOU, THE GADSDEN PURCHASE DIDN'T HAPPEN UNTIL AFTER THAT.

THE TREATY OF GUADALUPE HIDALGO DID NOT HAPPEN UNTIL AFTER THAT.

THE STATEHOOD OF NEW MEXICO DIDN'T EXIST UNTIL AFTER THAT.

1841 IS GOING BACK QUITE FAR.

AND BEING ABLE TO HOUSE THAT HERE AT THE NATIONAL HISPANIC CULTURAL CENTER IS REALLY SPECIAL FOR US.

>> Lou: HOW DID YOU AND THE CULTURAL CENTER DECIDE ON DEVOTING YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS SPECIFIC DIALECT?

>> Zach: IT WAS TWO PARTS.

THE FIRST WAS GOING AROUND TO HISPANIC COMMUNITIES AND BEING IN GOOD CONVERSATION WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS AND FOLKS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF NORTHERN, CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN RURAL NEW MEXICO WHO ARE SHARING THAT A LOT OF THEIR LANGUAGE WAS BEING LOST, THAT THEIR GRANDKIDS COULDN'T UNDERSTAND DIFFERENT KINDS OF WORDS THAT THEIR GRANDMOTHERS WERE SPEAKING OR THEIR GRANDFATHER.

FIRST FROM THE COMMUNITY, IT CAME TO OUR ATTENTION.

THE SECOND PART WAS THE MEDIA ATTENTION WE STARTED TO SEE FROM THE NATIONAL SIDE ABOUT SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS SHARING THAT THIS DIALECT, THIS SPECIFIC FORM OF SPANISH BEING SPOKEN, WAS GOING TO BE EXTINCT IN 18 YEARS.

WE SAW IT AS A ANTHROPOLOGICAL TIME CLOCK.

WE HAD TO GO ON AN ANTHROPOLOGICAL RESCUE MISSION HERE TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY TO PROTECT THIS LANGUAGE, THE HISTORY, THIS SPOKEN DIALECT AND PRESERVE IT.

THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT OUR MISSION IS AT THE NATIONAL HISPANIC CULTURAL CENTER.

>> Lou: ARE THERE GAPS IN THE LANGUAGE NOW AND HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FILL THOSE GAPS?

>> Zach: SURE, THERE IS GAPS AND GOING BACK TO THE STATE'S HISTORY, THERE HAS BEEN DIFFERENT PRACTICES DONE SPECIFICALLY TO THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY ABOUT SPOKEN SPANISH.

MY PARENTS, GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT, THEY DELIBERATELY TRIED NOT TO TEACH ME SPANISH BECAUSE OF HOW THEY WERE TREATED IN PUBLIC SCHOOL, BECAUSE HOW THEY WERE TREATED IN PRIVATE SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY AS WELL.

TRYING TO ROOT OUT AND THE ROOT WORD THAT THEY LIKED TO USE BACK IN THE DAY WAS ASSIMILATION, WHICH IS A VERY DEROGATORY TERM NOW.

THEY WANTED THEM TO FORGET ALL PARTS OF THEIR HISPANIC IDENTITY OR LATINA OR LATINO IDENTITY AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW ANY OTHER LANGUAGE BUT ENGLISH, SO THERE WILL BE GAPS THERE.

THERE WILL BE GAPS BUT WHAT WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO IS WORK WITH DIFFERENT EXPERTS IN THE FIELD THAT ARE LINGUISTS, FIRST AND FOREMOST STARTING FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT SPEAK THIS TRADITIONAL SPANISH THAT ARE GOING TO THESE INTERVIEWS WITH US, THAT ARE TALKING WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, THAT HAVE TRUST WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, THAT SHARE WITH THEM AND HELP US BE ABLE TO SHARE THE FULL CONTEXT AND STORY OF HOW THIS LANGUAGE HAS DEVELOPED.

WE SEE DIFFERENT DIALECTS FROM NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO TO NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO.

AND EVERYTHING FROM CASTILIAN SPANISH TO BASK AND IT IS REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE THAT KIND OF TRADITIONAL SPANISH STILL BE SPOKEN THE WAY IT WAS, COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE AMERICAS.

IT IS A REALLY SPECIAL WAY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE FULL DIALECT IN ITS ENTIRETY.

>> Lou: ARE THERE ANY WORDS OR PHRASES COMMON IN THIS SPECIFIC DIALECT THAT STAND APART FROM TRADITIONAL SPANISH SPOKEN ELSEWHERE.

>> Zach: THE MOST COMMON KNOWN ONE I WOULD SAY, JUST FROM THE QUALITATIVE PIECES WE PULLED TOGETHER IS PLEBE.

A LOT OF YOUR VIEWERS WILL KNOW THIS WORD IF THEY ARE SPANISH SPEAKING VIEWERS IN THAT SENSE AND NEW MEXICAN, IN PARTICULAR, IN THE HISPANIC SPEAKING COMMUNITIES.

PLEBE IS A TRANSLATION OF THE WORD GENTE, ANOTHER PARALLEL WORD OF IT, WHICH IS PEOPLE, SO OUR PEOPLE, RIGHT?

SO, PLEBE, THAT IS MY PERSON, THAT IS OUR PEOPLE RIGHT THERE.

THAT IS ONE OF THE TRADITIONAL WORDS WE HAVE COME ACROSS BOTH IN SOUTHERN, CENTRAL AND NORTHERN NEW MEXICO.

WE SEE TYING TRENDS OF CERTAIN WORDS BEING USED OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

PLEBE IS ONE OF THEM.

>> Lou: WHO STILL SPEAKS THIS DIALECT AND MORE SPECIFICALLY WHO DO YOU KNOW THAT WANTS TO SPEAK THIS DIALECT STILL?

>> Zach: SO THE FOLKS THAT STILL SPEAK THIS DIALECT ARE, YOU KNOW, MATRIARCHS AND TRUSTED ELDERS OF THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY.

RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES AS WELL, PROTECTED COMMUNITIES, THAT TEND TO BE VERY PRIVATE AND WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO RESPECT THAT PRIVACY THAT HAVE LEARNED THIS LANGUAGE THROUGH RELIGIOUS SONG, RIGHT, THROUGH TRADITIONS DURING THE HOLIDAYS, THROUGH CERTAIN PRAYERS, EVEN ON FRIDAYS, THROUGH SATURDAYS, SUNDAYS, MONDAYS, CERTAIN PRAYERS OF THE DAY.

THEY LEARNED IT THROUGH RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND.

THEY LEARNED IT THROUGH THEIR COMMUNITY GATHERING BACKGROUND.

THEY HAVE ALSO LEARNED IT THROUGH PLANTS.

THROUGH NAMING CERTAIN THINGS THE WAY THEY ARE NAMED AND SHARING THAT AND THEN CARRYING THAT OVER TO THE TRADITIONAL LANGUAGE.

>> Lou: HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR TEAM WORKING TO GAIN TRUST IN THESE COMMUNITIES WHERE DIALECT IS SPOKEN SO THAT YOU CAN RECORD AND ARCHIVE IT BUT ALSO RESPECT PEOPLE CURRENTLY SPEAKING IT?

>> Zach: WELL, IT HELPS FIRST AND FOREMOST TO APPROACH IT FROM A PLACE OF HUMILITY AND RESPECT AND UNDERSTANDING.

I HAVE AN OBLIGATION AS A NEW MEXICAN, AS A HISPANIC NEW MEXICAN TO INSURE THAT I LOOK AT THIS TRUE THE EYES THAT IS RESPECTING THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SPEAKING IT RIGHT NOW.

AND THAT IS TALKING WITH THE COMMUNITY FIRST AND FOREMOST WHO IS ALREADY SPEAKING IT IN THESE COMMUNITIES, UNDERSTANDING THE FULL SCOPE OF WHAT KIND OF ACTIVITIES HAPPEN AND WHAT EVOLVED IN THAT LANGUAGE AND BEING PART OF IT SLOWLY AND BEING ABLE TO SHARE THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT THAT SPECIFIC LANGUAGE WITH THEM, SLOWLY.

THAT KIND OF TRUST TAKES TIME BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT I FEEL THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GATHER OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS IN A VERY POWERFUL WAY.

OUR FIRST VISIT WAS TO FAMILIES IN MORA, NEW MEXICO, MORA COUNTY.

AND THE TOWN OF MORA AND BEING ABLE TO TALK TO WITH CERTAIN FAMILY MEMBERS ABOUT THE FORM OF DIALECT THEY USE WITH THEIR FAMILY, FORM OF DIALECT THEY USE IN THE COMMUNITY.

THAT IS A HUGE FIRST STEP AND ALSO WORKING WITH KEY INSTITUTION PARTNERS LIKE UNM AND NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY, NMSU, NORTHERN NEW MEXICO COLLEGE, PLACES WHERE PEOPLE SEND THEIR KIDS FROM NEW MEXICO.

NEW MEXICO HISPANIC STUDENTS ATTEND THESE AND THEY ARE SPEAKING THIS LANGUAGE STILL.

BUT THEY ARE GOING BACK TO THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS AND SAYING, HEY, WE HEARD ABOUT A PROJECT THAT IS ABOUT THE WAY GRANDPA SPEAKS SPANISH OR GRANDMA SPEAKS SPANISH.

OR THE WAY THAT DAD OR MOM SPEAKS SPANISH AND THEY CONNECT WITH US.

SO, IT IS VERY NATURAL OF WHAT THE CONNECTION TAKES PLACE BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND US, BUT IT IS FIRST COMING FROM A PLACE OF RESPECT AND HONORING THE LANGUAGE AS IT IS BEING SPOKEN IN THAT AREA.

>> Lou: YOU TALK ABOUT A CONNECTION WITH THE COMMUNITY.

HOW WILL THESE FAMILIES WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT BE ABLE TO ACCESS THIS INFORMATION?

OBVIOUSLY PARTS OF NORTHERN NEW MEXICO'S INTERNET ISN'T AS EASY TO COME BY AS IT IS DOWN HERE.

WILL THERE BE A SPECIFIC EFFORT TO KEEP THESE PEOPLE INVOLVED COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC?

>> Zach: YES.

WE ARE TAKING ACTIVE TRIPS IN THE FIELD MAKING SURE WE STAY IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T HAVE INTERNET ACCESSIBILITY OR HAVE DIRECT CONVERSATIONS WITH US AT THE NATIONAL HISPANIC CULTURAL CENTER.

WE HAVE REMOTE SITES THAT WE ARE SETTING UP THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SOME OF OUR UNIVERSITY INSTITUTIONS.

WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE RE-OCCURRING INTERVIEWS, RE-OCCURRING DOCUMENT SCANNING SO WE CAN BE ABLE TO SHOW WORKSHOP PRACTICES TO PRESERVE TRADITIONAL DOCUMENTS.

LIKE I JUST MENTIONED THAT DOCUMENT FROM 1841, THAT WAS DONATED TO THE CENTER.

THAT WAS FANTASTIC.

WE ARE GRATEFUL ABOUT THOSE KIND OF THINGS BUT WE KNOW MORE IS OUT THERE.

SO WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SHOW AND SHARE WITH FELLOW HISPANIC NEW MEXICANS IN DIFFERENT FOLKS THAT HAVE THESE DOCUMENTS HOW TO PROTECT THEIR OWN FAMILY HISTORY, HOW TO PROTECT THOSE DOCUMENTS SO THEY CAN HOLD ON TO IT AND PASS IT ON TO THE NEXT GENERATION OR IF THEY WANT TO ENTRUST IT TO US TO PROTECT IN THE CENTER AND THEY COME SEE IT, WE ARE HAPPY TO DO THAT TOO.

>> Lou: THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES FROM WHICH AN ORGANIZATION LIKE YOURS CAN APPROACH A SITUATION LIKE THIS OR A PROJECT LIKE THIS, AS ANTHROPOLOGISTS, AS HISTORIANS, SOCIAL LINGUISTS.

ARE YOU IN THE CENTER APPROACHING IT FROM ONE OF THOSE IN PARTICULAR OR IS THERE VALUE IN APPROACHING IT FROM ALL THREE.

>> Zach: THERE IS VALUE IN APPROACHING IT FROM ALL THREE.

THE MAIN ONE WE ARE APPROACHING IT FIRST WITH IS A POINT OF PRIDE AND HONOR FOR THE COMMUNITY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE SHARE IT FROM THE COMMUNITY'S PERSPECTIVE FIRST.

AND BEING ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THEM AND SHARE WHAT KIND OF DOCUMENTS, WHAT KIND OF STORY, WHAT KIND OF LANGUAGE THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO FIRST START OFF THE CONVERSATION WITH.

AND THEN AS THAT GROWS, BE ABLE TO SHARE THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL PIECE, WHICH YOU TALKED TO THIS, RIGHT?

WHERE DID IT COME FROM ORIGINALLY.

THIS TOWN OVER HERE SPEAKS DIFFERENT FROM THIS TOWN.

WHY IS THAT?

BUILDING THAT NARRATIVE AND TIMELINE IS THE HISTORY PART AFTER THAT.

AND THEN FOLLOWING STRAIGHT FROM THAT IS THE SOCIOLOGICAL COMPONENT OF HOW DID THAT INFLUENCE THE MAPPING OF LANGUAGE THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IN THE STATE?

HOW DID IT INFLUENCE THE MAPPING OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THAT MATTER AND WHAT IS BEING SPOKEN NOW.

>> Lou: IT IS ONE THING TO ARCHIVE AND PRESERVE A LANGUAGE BUT THERE IS A CLEAR AND MAJOR VALUE IN THAT ALONE BUT IS THERE ANY PLAN TO TEACH THIS, TO DISSEMINATE IT TO PEOPLE SO IT DOES BECOME A BIT MORE COMMON?

>> Zach: SURE.

SO THE LONG-TERM GOAL THAT WE HAVE, THERE IS THREE STAGES.

THE SHORT TERM IS, AGAIN, BUILDING THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHICH WE ARE ACTIVELY DOING NOW AND SUCCESSFULLY CARRYING OUT AND BEING ABLE TO DO INTERVIEWS AND PULLING TOGETHER RESOURCES FROM DIFFERENT PARTNERS.

SECOND PART IS BEING ABLE TO DISPLAY THE INTERIM PIECE OF WHAT WE PULLED TOGETHER, LIKE THOSE DOCUMENTS, AND EVEN ANOTHER RECORDING WE GOT FROM CUBA NEW MEXICO, WE HAVE A SERIES OF 15 TAPES THAT WE RECEIVED ON A TRACK-TO-TRACK PLAYER, A VERY OLD SCHOOL WAY OF PLAYING AUDIO.

AND IT IS TRADITIONAL SPANISH BEING SPOKEN IN SANDOVAL COUNTY IN CUBA, NEW MEXICO.

ANOTHER PRECIOUS ARTIFACT THAT WE ARE ENTRUSTED TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE BY SMITHSONIAN STANDARDS OF CARE.

THAT IS THE MIDTERM PART AND THE LONG-TERM PIECE IS WITH THESE DOCUMENTS AND WITH THAT AUDIO, IS SERVE IT AS A REPOSITORY HERE AT THE NATIONAL HISPANIC CULTURAL CENTER, SO THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE VISITING, WHETHER IT BE FELLOW NEW MEXICANS OR VISITORS TO NEW MEXICO THAT MAY NOT KNOW A LOT ABOUT THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY OR WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SPANISH SPEAKING COMMUNITIES, HOW IT KIND OF DEVELOPED, AND VISIT THE NHCC AND BE ABLE TO LISTEN TO THIS AND MAKE IT INTERACTIVE AND BE ABLE TO MAP IT OUT AND SHOW THE HISTORY OF THIS AND BE ABLE TO SHOW THE WORDS AND WHAT THEY MEAN, AND THE SIGNIFICANCE IT MEANS CULTURALLY, SO THAT PEOPLE HAVE MORE EDUCATION.

BE ABLE TO COME FROM A PLACE OF A LOT MORE RESPECT TOWARDS THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY.

>> Lou: ZACH QUINTERO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME HERE ON NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS.

>> Zach: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

>> Lou: I WANT TO THANK ZACH QUINTERO AND THE REST OF OUR GUESTS ON THE SHOW THIS WEEK FOR MAKING TIME TO SPEAK WITH US AND THANKS TO KUNM'S NASH JONES FOR THEIR WORK THIS WEEK AS A SPECIAL GUEST PANEL HOST.

AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU FOR WATCHING.

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

FUNDING FOR NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS PROVIDED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU