Indigenous Justice

Indigenous Justice is the freedom and ability of Indigenous people to exercise their rights and sovereignty over themselves, their people, and their land. This includes the freedom to engage in traditional ways of governing, being, healing, and knowing while also learning and celebrating culture, language, tradition, and heritage by ceremonies and other practices.

New Mexico is home to 23 Pueblos, Tribes and Nations. Each tribal community is a sovereign nation with its own government, life-ways, traditions, language, and culture. The ACLU of New Mexico seeks to support and advance the collective rights of Indigenous peoples in New Mexico, through culturally authentic and Indigenous-centered work designed to dismantle colonial systems of oppression.

Using an approach that is guided by Indigenous core values, this work seeks justice for Indigenous people through healing and restorative advocacy within the legal, social, and political systems.

The ACLU of New Mexico seeks to uplift Indigenous peoples, communities, and organizations, following their lead, and uphold Indigenous sovereignty, dignity, and autonomy. We also are working with ACLU affiliates across the country to develop and institutionalize a framework which will be used going forward by the organization as a way to more effectively partner with Indigenous communities in the pursuit of justice and freedom.