NMiF looks at Earth Day’s N.M. roots and Bernalillo County transparency mess

This week on New Mexico in Focus, Our Land's Laura Paskus sits down for a two-part discussion with Arturo Sandoval, one of the organizers of the first Earth Day in 1970. In the first half of their conversation, Sandoval tells us about his role in putting together the first event and takes a step back to look at how it has since changed. Later, the two talk broadly about the concept of colonization, how it has defined the world around us and observe how it is intertwined within capitalism.

In 2016, the Pueblo of Santa Ana paid $30 million for 60,000 acres of their own ancestral lands - land that had been privatized and then grazed for more than a century. Now, they're using traditional knowledge and western science to protect Tamya Kwii Kee Nee Puu for traditional uses. In this preview of an Our Land Special, airing on NMPBS, Ch. 5.1, on April 25 at 7 p.m. and streaming on the PBS App, Laura Paskus visits Tamaya Kwii Kee Nee Puu.

Executive Producer Jeff Proctor talks to Melanie Majors, executive director of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government (NMFOG), about new allegations of state transparency law violations against Bernalillo County commissioners. During their interview, Proctor asks why public business should always be conducted with the door open.

This fall, the Rio Grande corridor will be planted with thousands of milkweed plants, thanks in part to students from Sandia High School, who put aside their textbooks for pots of soil and seeds. The "River for Monarchs" project is meant to help restore the Rio Grande's habitat, and make the land more hospitable for the monarch butterfly.

NMiF airs on NMPBS 5.1 (KNME HD) on Friday, April 19 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 21 at 7 a.m., and streaming on the PBS video app.

NMiF Segments
Earth Day's New Mexican Roots
and
Arturo Sandoval on How Colonization and Capitalism are Connected

Correspondent
Laura Paskus

Guest
Arturo Sandoval, founding director, Center of Southwest Culture

An Our Land Special Preview: Ancestral Connections
Correspondent
Laura Paskus

NM FOG Alleges BernCo Commissioners Violated State Sunshine Law
Correspondent
Jeff Proctor

Guest
Melanie Majors, executive director, New Mexico Foundation for Open Government

River for Monarchs: Sandia High School Seed Workshop
Correspondents
Tara Walch
Michael Kamins

Host
Jeff Proctor

New Mexico in Focus is the New Mexico PBS prime-time news magazine show covering the events, issues, and people shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. NMiF takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic health, education, and art issues and explores them in-depth with a critical eye to give them context beyond the "news of the moment.

NMPBS Executive Producer, Public Affairs, is Jeff Proctor. New Mexico in Focus's senior producer for public affairs is Lou DiVizio. "Our Land" Senior Producer is Laura Paskus. The producer of New Mexico in Focus is Antonio Sanchez, and co-producer is Kathy Wimmer.

Funding for New Mexico in Focus is provided by the McCune Charitable Foundation and Viewers Like You.

Funding for the Your New Mexico Government Project comes from the Thornburg Foundation and New Mexico Local News Fund.

The Neeper Natural History Programming Fund for KNME-TV provides funding for Our Land: New Mexico's Environmental Past, Present & Future.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.