Media Fact Sheet

current as of July 2024

Name of organization: Tewa Women United

Please note that “Tewa” is not an acronym and therefore should not be written as “TEWA.” Tewa is the linguistic group of the Indigenous people who speak the Tewa language and share Pueblo culture in the region now known as Northern New Mexico. The six Tewa-speaking pueblos are Nambe, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, Ohkay Owingeh, Khapo Owingeh (Santa Clara), and Tesuque.

We sometimes use “TWU” as an abbreviation for “Tewa Women United.”

Mission

Through Relational-tivity, we embody courageous spaces that center Indigenous women and girls to connect with ancestral knowingness, healing strengths, and lifeways for the wellbeing of all.

Leadership and Staff

Dr. Corrine Sanchez (Pueblo of San Ildefonso) is the executive director of TWU. She is currently on sabbatical until July 2025; until then, Nathana Bird is the Interim Executive Director. A staff directory can be found on this web page. https://tewawomenunited.org/about-us/staff

Programs

TWU currently has three programs:

• Environmental Justice
• Reproductive Justice
• Gender Justice

Who does Tewa Women United serve?

While TWU centers the voices and experiences of Indigenous women and girls in our work, we are a multicultural and multiracial organization. Most of our services and events are open to people of all backgrounds. We will note if a particular service or event is limited to Native people.

TWU is located in the ancestral Tewa homelands, with its office in Española, New Mexico. We are dedicated to serving the land-based people of this region, and to advocating for environmental and reproductive justice.

Brief History

Tewa Women United started in 1989 as a support group for women from the Pueblos of the northern Rio Grande concerned with the traumatic effects of colonization, religious inquisition, and militarization leading to issues such as alcoholism, suicide, domestic/sexual violence and environmental violence. In the safe space we created, we transformed and empowered one another through critical analysis and by embracing and reaffirming our cultural identity.

In 2001 TWU transitioned from an informal, all volunteer group to a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Tewa Women United was incorporated for educational, social and benevolent purposes, specifically for the ending of all forms of violence against Native Women and girls, Mother Earth and to promote peace in New Mexico.

Press Inquiries

Please contact Maia Duerr, maia@tewawomenunited.org, 505-310-3790