Indigenous Communities & Native Nations Blog

In the Pueblo of Sandia New Mexico, there are 850 acres of pastures used for agriculture where some animals are free to graze. Broken fencing along the pastures is a major problem, as the animals can enter the main roadways causing extreme danger for the animals, area pedestrians, and the drivers. According to Pueblo of Sandia officials, reporting a broken fence would take days, because of an outdated paper process. The Pueblo needed to find an efficient way to report road issues in real time, to make potential lifesaving roadside repairs. 

The Pueblo created a Transportation Safety Reporting Mechanism using Survey123 forms, ArcGIS Geoevent Server and Web App Builder Applications. The form allows users to report hazardous damage to Pueblo operations in real time, allowing them to respond quickly and prevent accidents. The data is accessible across all the Pueblo departments, allowing them to track and analyze damage patterns. Eliminating the paper reporting process, the department ensures issues are fixed quickly, resulting in safe roadways for its community.

This prompt is designed to provoke thoughtful responses by encouraging our community to think critically about the intersection of modern infrastructure development and traditional practices and how GIS can support Native Nations. It also invites our community to explore practical applications of GIS, consider potential challenges, and discuss how technology can be used to respect and preserve cultural and environmental values.

Within tribal communities, unique health challenges often necessitate tailored solutions. An effective tool for addressing these issues is Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In this discussion, let's delve into the potential of GIS for mitigating health risks within tribal communities.

From the Native Nations Summit, it has become evident that there is a pressing need to foster a more profound connection within our community. The challenges our communities encounter demand our united attention, as does the task of collaboratively generating innovative ideas.

With this objective in mind, we invite you to participate in an ongoing conversation that aims to address the diverse challenges faced by Indigenous communities and Native Nations.

We invite you to join the conversation.