I was born in the heart of the Jemez Mountains, and my childhood was shaped by the rhythms of the Jemez Valley. My school years at Jemez Valley were a time of small class sizes and tight-knit bonds with my classmates. But as I grew older, I realized the strength of our bonds was often tested by a quiet conflict—a war of races between Native Americans, Hispanics, and Anglos, all trying to find their place in a land they called home. It was a conflict of unhealed ancestral wounds, a challenge that went unspoken but was felt by everyone.
This was the first hard decision I had to make. While the bonds were strong, the lack of opportunities was real. I chose to move to Nevada for high school, seeking more educational opportunities. And that was when I first felt the powerful, bittersweet ache of leaving home. I knew then that it would be hard to truly return once I left.
After high school, I came back to the Jemez Mountain Area, only to find the jobs I needed weren’t here. Without enough money for college, I moved to Albuquerque. For 20 years, I built a life in the city, but the call to come home never faded. It became a powerful, undeniable pull. My wife and I sold our home in the city and moved back into an unfinished house, using our savings to make it livable. We wanted to raise our two children in a smaller, closer community.
Today, my wife works from home as a teacher, and I take odd jobs to help the community and make a little money. We don’t have a big income, but because of my lovely wife, we make it. My purpose is now in keeping things local: supporting the local economy, the local citizens, and the local youth. When we step outside of the community for work or education, we split our focus and lose touch with both places. Now, by building JemezVillage.com, working at the library, and running local programs, my life’s skills are put to use right here at home. This feeling reminds me just how important community is.
The Unseen Pillars: Why Essential Residents Are Vital to Our Jemez Mountain Communities
This is the reality for many in the Jemez Valley and surrounding towns of rural Sandoval County. We don’t have big-city homeless shelters or extensive housing programs. Instead, housing insecurity often looks like a quiet struggle: families doubling up, long commutes, and talented individuals leaving because they can’t afford to stay.
When our neighbors struggle with housing, our entire community feels the ripple effect.
- A Quiet Crisis for Our Elders: Our elderly neighbors, many on fixed incomes, face a unique and often silent challenge. Rising property taxes, unexpected home maintenance, or increasing rents can create a constant state of anxiety, threatening the security of the very homes they’ve lived in for decades. The stress of housing insecurity can have a profound impact on their health and well-being.
- The Drain on Our Youth: There’s a quiet challenge facing our community—the gap between graduating school and having to move away. Too often, our talented young people leave the Jemez Mountain Area to find jobs, affordable starter homes, or higher education, creating a “brain drain” that weakens our community’s future. The businesses that rely on their energy and fresh ideas lose out, and we lose the next generation of leaders and innovators.
- Local Businesses Face a “Revolving Door”: The local businesses that form our economy—from the Jemez Valley to the Jemez Mountain Area—rely on consistent, reliable employees. When housing is unstable or too far away, turnover increases. Businesses then spend valuable time and money constantly recruiting and training new staff, which can impact service quality and their ability to stay open.
This isn’t just about helping “them”; it’s about strengthening “us.” It’s about recognizing that our collective well-being is intertwined.
Lending a Hand, Building a Home: Local Solutions We Can Embrace
The good news is that we, as a community, have the power to create solutions that fit the unique character of our area. We don’t need to wait for outside forces to fix our challenges; we can do it ourselves, together.
We have pillars of our community already lighting the way. Look at Los Ojos Restaurant & Saloon, where owners Monique and Nick Alton have made a commitment to stay open every day for the locals. Running such an old building is a huge task, but they do it because they are dedicated to being a pillar of our community.
Consider Amanda’s Jemez Mountain Country Store. Owner Ray Andersen has, for years, reported weather, stocking, and fishing reports he receives at the store on JemezCentral.com. He does this out of the courtesy of his heart, seeing it as vital to let the community know. More than that, Ray is an exceptional local employer who focuses on providing meaningful, long-term jobs for local youth and treats his employees with kindness and respect. Businesses like his are actively building a future for the next generation right here at home, creating stability and a reason to stay.
These are the spirits of selfless service that define our home. And we can do more to support them and each other:
- Support Jemez Helping Hands: We have a local non-profit dedicated to helping those in need. By supporting them, we directly provide assistance and comfort to our neighbors facing tough times.
- Empower Our Businesses: Every dollar you spend at a locally owned business supports a local job. This is the most direct way to invest in the stability of your neighbors.
- Explore Community Solutions: We can research and advocate for ideas like a Community Land Trust to create lasting affordable housing, or a community-led rental assistance fund to provide a crucial safety net for our neighbors.
Our Shared Future, Our Shared Responsibility The Jemez Valley, the Jemez Mountain Area, and all of rural Sandoval County are more than just a place on a map; it’s a feeling, a spirit, a home. And just like any home, it needs a strong foundation. That foundation is built on the stability and well-being of every person within it.
You don’t need to be an expert to make a difference. You simply need to care. By making conscious choices to support our local businesses, by discussing and advocating for community-led housing solutions, and by extending a hand to a neighbor, you are actively building a more inclusive, resilient, and thriving Jemez Mountain Area for everyone.
Let’s light the way for each other. Let’s build that foundation, together.
Love this article.
Thank You for your Comment Connie! We Love you!