President's Letter

Vecinos Outreach Project

Dear Friends,

I would like to extend an invitation to be part of the Vecinos Outreach Project.

Vecinos means “neighbors” in Spanish. It is in that spirit that we are raising funds to help indigenous communities address needs that they deem important. Instead of relying on laws that address everyone’s concerns and hoping they are fair, we believe in starting this community-based approach founded on respect and honor. We anticipate some challenges with implementation at first, but all activities will be 100% transparent. We hope that this will be just the beginning of meaningful relationships that will serve as a model for the future.

The ATADA Foundation will be the conduit for the donations. The accounts will be under my purview and verified by our CPA. Please feel free to ask questions and make suggestions, as much of our policy will be determined as we go.

Further information about the ATADA Foundation and the Vecinos Outreach Project can be found by visiting https://atada.org/atada-foundation

As you plan your charitable donations, please consider supporting this important project. Working together, we can help to build stronger communities, forge new relationships and a better future for all.

Sincerely,
Robert V. Gallegos
The ATADA Foundation

November 30th is Giving Tuesday

Please help us raise $5,000 on this #GivingTuesday to jump start the Vecinos Outreach Project.

DONATE BY CHECK

Please make checks payable to:
The ATADA Foundation
* include ‘Vecinos’ in the memo line

Mail checks to:
Robert Gallegos
215 Sierra Drive S.E.
Albuquerque, NM 87108

DONATE ONLINE

You can make a donation using your credit card or PayPal account.
Click the Donate button to get started.

ATADA Foundation Update - Letter from the President

New Year's Day Greetings from the President of the ATADA Foundation

As we start this new decade I would like to tell you about some of the notable funding opportunities that we accomplished in 2019.

  • $1,000 donation to Children's programs through the Acoma Museum and to their library for book purchases.

  • Donation of five pieces of pottery made by Acoma matriarch potters from the 1960's with a value of approximately $1,600.

  • $5,000 donation to pay for an indigenous Fijian curator at LACMA'S show "Fiji - Art and Life in the Pacific." The Prime Minister of Fiji attended the opening ceremony and thanked everyone who was involved, along with the deputy senior director publicly thanking the ATADA Foundation for its support.

  • $3,500 donation to support the upcoming "Apsaalooke Woman and Warriors" exhibition organized by the Field Museum and the Neubauer Collegium.

  • $1,500 donation to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to fund the travel of a young Fijian performer and artist, Jahra Rager, as part of the Met's "World Cultures Festival: Dance" during the closing weekend of the "Atea" exhibition.

As more problems arrive with repatriation and other issues, I believe whole heartedly that the above examples are where we can find a "middle" path with indigenous people everywhere and honor their cultural heritage.

In the spirit of goodwill, I am asking you, as members, to make a donation to the ATADA Foundation so we might continue and expand our mission in the coming year. Whether your donation is $50.00 or $5,000.00, it does make a difference.

As President of the foundation, I wish to donate the first pledge of $500 as we enter this new decade and hope to inspire others to follow.
Happy New Years!

Thank you for your continued support.

Mark Blackburn
President, ATADA Foundation
mblackburn@aol.com
808-228-3019 (m)

“God House” dance by Fijian performer Jahra Rager at the Metropolitan Museum.

LACMA presents a groundbreaking exhibit on Fijian art, displayed for the first time in the U.S.

Fijian Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, at the opening ceremonies of Fijian exhibition at LACMA.