Across New Mexico, some of the most important opportunities ahead of us will depend on how well we work together—state, local, and tribal governments included. Respecting tribal autonomy while supporting tribal-led development is not only the right thing to do; it is essential if we want to close infrastructure gaps, improve quality of life, and create lasting opportunity in some of the most rural parts of our state.

This is not about inviting communities to the table after decisions are made. It is about recognizing tribal governments as sovereign partners—leaders in development, innovation, and stewardship—who must be in the driver’s seat from the very beginning.

Infrastructure Is Opportunity, Not an Afterthought

In many tribal and rural communities, access to basic infrastructure still lags far behind what others take for granted. Reliable electricity, modern water and wastewater systems, broadband connectivity, and transportation infrastructure are not luxuries—they are foundational to health, education, public safety, and economic participation.

Across New Mexico, there are communities where families still rely on septic systems because sewer lines have never reached them. There are areas where broadband access is limited or nonexistent, where electric capacity constrains housing development, and where even modest economic growth is held back by infrastructure gaps. These challenges are not unique to tribal communities—but they are often more acute there because of geography, jurisdictional complexity, and decades of underinvestment.

When infrastructure is built—thoughtfully and collaboratively—it changes daily life. It improves public health outcomes, enables remote learning and telemedicine, supports local enterprise, and gives young people real reasons to stay and build futures close to home.

Sovereignty Means Partnership, Not Permission

Tribal governments operate under a different legal and regulatory framework than state and local governments. Land held in trust by the federal government creates unique hurdles, particularly when it comes to financing infrastructure and development projects. Because trust land cannot be used as collateral in the traditional way, tribal nations often face barriers that other communities simply do not encounter when seeking capital.

That reality does not reflect a lack of capacity, vision, or ambition. It reflects systems that were never designed to support tribal-led economic development at scale.

This is why federal programs must work as intended—and why states like New Mexico must align their policies to support, rather than complicate, tribal initiatives. Financing tools, grant programs, and permitting processes need to reflect the realities of trust land, sovereignty, and tribal governance if they are going to deliver results.

Respecting tribal autonomy means letting tribes lead. Supporting tribal autonomy means ensuring the systems around them actually work.

The Often-Overlooked Challenge: Governance Continuity

One of the most important—and least discussed—issues facing tribal development is governance continuity.

Many tribal governments have election cycles that differ significantly from those of counties, cities, or the state. Terms may be shorter, leadership may change more frequently, and governing structures vary widely from nation to nation. This is not a weakness—it is an expression of sovereignty and self-determination.

But it does create real challenges when projects involve long timelines, complex financing, technical regulation, and multi-year negotiations.

Just as a project begins to take shape with one administration, leadership may change. New officials must quickly get up to speed on energy markets, infrastructure finance, environmental review, federal programs, and regulatory frameworks. Without sufficient support, turnover can unintentionally slow progress or stall projects altogether—not because priorities changed, but because institutional knowledge did not carry forward.

Ironically, this dynamic can work against tribal autonomy. It makes it harder for tribal governments to fully regulate, oversee, and benefit from development—despite their authority to do so.

Capacity Is the Key to Long-Term Autonomy

True autonomy requires more than jurisdiction—it requires capacity.

That means access to subject-matter expertise, technical assistance, legal and financial guidance, and institutional memory that persists beyond any single administration. It means having systems in place so that when leadership changes, progress does not reset.

This is where partnership matters most. State and local governments, colleges and universities, utilities, and technical institutions all have a role to play in supporting tribal governments with training, data, and tools that allow elected leaders to make informed decisions quickly and confidently.

The goal is not to take decisions out of tribal hands. The goal is to ensure those hands are fully equipped.

When tribal leaders have access to consistent resources and expertise, they are better positioned to negotiate from strength, regulate development responsibly, and pursue projects that align with long-term community priorities—across multiple administrations and generations.

Navigating a Complex, Checkerboarded Landscape—Together

Development in the Southwest often occurs across a checkerboard of jurisdictions—tribal, federal, state, local, and private lands interwoven in ways that are uniquely complex. That reality demands coordination, patience, and mutual respect.

Projects on or near tribal lands frequently require engagement with multiple agencies, overlapping authorities, and distinct regulatory processes. When these layers are misunderstood or oversimplified, projects stall. When they are respected and coordinated, progress becomes possible.

Understanding this complexity is not an excuse for delay—it is a call for better collaboration.

Tribal Communities as Leaders, Not Participants

Tribal nations across New Mexico are already leading in areas like renewable energy, water infrastructure, broadband deployment, workforce development, and land stewardship. These efforts are not about catching up; they are about shaping the future in ways that align with cultural values, community priorities, and long-term stewardship.

The role of partners—state agencies, local governments, and federal institutions—is not to dictate outcomes, but to support tribal-led visions. That means aligning resources, removing unnecessary barriers, and respecting the pace and priorities set by tribal governments themselves.

An “Us” Approach That Reflects New Mexico

One of New Mexico’s quiet strengths is its lived culture of collaboration. Ours is a minority-majority state with deep historical and cultural ties across communities. Tribal, rural, and urban New Mexicans live and work together every day, often without the rigid boundaries seen elsewhere.

That matters here.

When we talk about tribal communities, we are not talking about “others.” We are talking about neighbors, colleagues, elected leaders, educators, workers, and partners who serve at every level of government and contribute to every sector of our economy.

An inclusive approach—one that sees tribal communities as integral to New Mexico’s future rather than separate from it—is essential if we want solutions that last.

Empowerment Through Long-Term Support

Respecting tribal autonomy does not mean stepping back. It means stepping alongside.

It means ensuring federal agencies fulfill their responsibilities, state policies work in practice, and tribal governments have consistent access to the tools needed to pursue infrastructure, economic development, and community well-being over the long term.

Water systems, broadband networks, electric infrastructure, wastewater facilities, and transportation corridors are not just projects—they are investments in people. When we help make those investments durable across leadership transitions, we strengthen not only tribal communities, but the entire state.

Moving Forward Together

New Mexico’s future will be shaped by how well we collaborate across jurisdictional lines and political cycles. Tribal communities are not peripheral to that future—they are central to it.

If we commit to partnership, respect sovereignty, and invest in long-term capacity, we can ensure that development is not stifled by turnover or bureaucracy, but strengthened by continuity and shared purpose.

This work is not about doing things for communities.
It is about doing things together—so opportunity, stewardship, and self-determination can endure across administrations, generations, and time.