Pueblo of Jemez

The Jemez Pueblo Community Library in Jemez, NM, is undertaking a multifold project focusing on the preservation of the Towa language and Jemez Pueblo culture, traditions, and knowledge. The new “Towa Cultural Resource Center” in the library will serve as a centralized place to collect, house, and make resources available to tribal members. In collaboration with the Jemez Language Team and Cultural Preservation Officer, the library will offer quarterly workshops on cultural topics. Library staff will be trained by the local PBS affiliate TV station on how to create short videos and audio. These shorts will be produced in Towa, targeting children in early childhood to eighth grade, and based on the Towa Language and Culture School Curriculum already in place. The library will also participate in the SPARK Initiative (Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids) for children transitioning from preschool to kindergarten, in partnership with other local service agencies.