A Time to Love and Care for One Another
A Letter to Members of Our Beloved Community
Like all of you, we at Tewa Women United have been watching with great concern since January 20 as the new administration recklessly de-funds and dismantles government agencies that provide essential services to so many in the United States (and internationally), and as immigrants, transgendered people, and women have been targeted with discriminatory “policies” in the form of executive orders (which lack any actual legal standing) and outright hatred.
Native American Tribes are one of the groups experiencing the brunt of this impact. On February 13, 2025, the federal government began issuing layoffs for employees of the Indian Health Service (including 90 physicians, 350 nurses, and at least 25 nurse practitioners), the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education, and more. Hours later, the IHS layoffs were rescinded but employees at each of these agencies were deeply shaken and the future remains uncertain, with budget cuts threatening essential services.
In January, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memo to freeze all federal funding, which was subsequently paused thanks to a lawsuit filed by Council of Nonprofits and a decision by a federal judge. Still, nonprofit organizations are in a position of not knowing when or if already-approved federal funding will come through for important projects. As of this writing, the White House is defying court orders to release the funds.
Tewa Women United has been working hard over the last few years to diversify our funding. Since 2022, we no longer have to rely on federal grants, thanks to the generosity and trust of community and family foundations, and you, our donors. As a nonprofit organization that has served our community for more than 35 years, Tewa Women United is committed to staying in this struggle for the long term. Nathana Bird, TWU’s interim executive director, says, “We are here for the people, Mother Earth and community. I love to say that we must keep to the original intention of why we started, and that’s for the community.”
Now more than ever, it is critically important for each of us to invest in our communities. There may soon be a time when the government actively attempts to suppress our work and that of other organizations led by Indigenous and People of Color. We need you, our community, to step up–-not only for TWU but for all nonprofit organizations and grassroots groups doing the important work of nurturing our youth, protecting our environment, and advocating for reproductive and gender justice. Your investment can take many forms:
- volunteering
- donating
- sharing emails and social media posts with action alerts
- …and simply reaching out to the organizations you care about to express your appreciation and ask what is needed
One of Tewa Women United’s core values is Seegi ma vay i – loving and caring for each other. This is a time to fully live into that value, as well as to remember that true power isn’t held by elected officials. Rather, it resides in Nung Ochuu Quiyo — our Earth Mother — and in each one of us, and can never be taken away, no matter who sits in the White House.
We remain dedicated to promoting peace in the heart-center-ness of All peoples, and to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community. Thank you for your support and solidarity.
Un bi a’agin di, Go’odah di kagingdi
(With respectfulness, thank you for supporting us),
The Board and Staff of Tewa Women United
