COUNTY News:

Los Alamos County Library System will host Dr. Porter Swentzell of Santa Clara Pueblo, 3-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16 at Mesa Public Library. Dr. Swentzell will share a presentation of the historical and cultural importance of the Tewa language during National Native American Heritage Month.

As a leader in his community, Dr. Swentzell has held several roles throughout the region including former professor at the Institute of American Indian Arts and tribal secretary of the Pueblo of Santa Clara. Today, he is the Executive Director of the Kha’p’o Community School in Santa Clara where he oversees the education of the next generation with a focus on ensuring young students today have access to learn their community’s traditional language.

Tewa is one of the most common pre-colonization languages of northern New Mexico. Dr. Swentzell will share details of the language and outline the challenges and successes to be had in re-establishing a traditional language in the connected world we live in today.

The Los Alamos Public Library has worked with the J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Committee (JROMC) to bring Dr. Swentzell’s important discussion to Los Alamos County. The JROMC supports the bilingual Kha’p’o Community School in honor of Oppenheimer’s legacy. More information about the committee and it’s work across the region can be found at jromc.org.

This event and all events at the Los Alamos Public Library are free and open to the public. More information can be found at LosAlamosLibrary.org.