Promoting higher ed in Tribal communities
August 21, 2025
UNM-Taos Indigenous Outreach Coordinator Chenoa Velarde
Chenoa Velarde left an indelible mark on our campus during her tenure as an advisor for the Senior Student Program and Student Government Association. She also oversaw UNM-Taos’ cultural programming and DEI-related work on campus and in the community. Luckily for us, she’s back. Chenoa started her “semi-new” role as Indigenous Outreach Coordinator on August 4.
She hit the ground running before the start of the new term. At the top of her priority list is promoting dual credit: “We don't see a lot of Native students enrolled in dual credit. And that's one thing I've always witnessed and noticed since my time here. It’s a matter of understanding where our Native students are at the junior and senior levels in high school. And that's not just for Taos High, it’s for the communities we serve.”
Another priority for Chenoa is to get more feedback from Native students and their families about their needs and wants. Reaching more potential Native students, she said, requires knowing how to approach, work with, and sustain relationships with them.
“I think it's really important because Native students show up to the table or to the classroom with a whole wealth of knowledge from a whole different life,” she explained. “When they show up on campus, how do we best support them to make sure they're successful and that they're also being served in a way that's supporting their well-being. There are so many different ways we could do that. So, that piece also ties into the campus programs and services.”
Chenoa is not going down this path solo. Beyond the goals Chenoa has set, she participates in quarterly meetings with tribal leadership. In 2013, there was a Union of Taos Native American Student Task Force. It was a group of Native educators from Taos Pueblo who partnered with UNM to hear about the needs and wants of the Pueblo community. The task force report laid the foundation for her initial position at UNM-Taos, which she began in 2015. As the Senior Student Program Advisor, she joined the advisement team, met with students, assisted them with enrollment, resolved holds, and guided them through their programs.
About three years later, the advisor piece went away for Chenoa. Even though she was no longer involved in that aspect of student support, she was still focused on it. She aimed to keep tribal leadership priorities at the forefront, including ensuring that Native students had dedicated scholarships to apply for and that our programs addressed their specific needs and interests.
In 2023, familial needs claimed much of Chenoa’s focus. Her two young sons were involved with cultural obligations at the Pueblo. Not wanting her work to suffer, Chenoa knew that trying to fulfill her cultural role and maintain her job at the level she demands of herself was too much.
“So, if I decided to do both, I would be in the office, maybe worried about what was happening at the Pueblo. And at the Pueblo, I'm worried about UNM stuff. So, I had to make a really hard decision.”
Being a mom comes first. However, she still thought about her work and used that drive to voluntarily help students at the Pueblo.
During that time, the framework Chenoa created for her former position was being redefined by direction from former Taos Pueblo Education & Training Division Director Bettina Sandoval, Chancellor Gutierrez, and Taos Pueblo tribal leadership. When Chenoa first read the job description last December, her reaction was one of excitement and hope.
“I looked at the job description and was like, ‘Wow, this is everything I did,’” she recalled. “I thought, ‘This is really cool.’”
She applied soon after and was interviewed in May. It didn’t take long for an offer. “I was really happy to just be back in this higher ed mindset. It makes me feel good because this position came from the work of people from my community who know that education is important. Tribal leaders and UNM educational leaders are making a commitment and investing into this in a bigger way—in a way that's never been done before, so to speak.”
Chenoa is splitting her work hours on campus and at Taos Pueblo. Her Klauer office is located in PMH 120E, the Executive Office in Padre Martinez Hall. You can also reach her at 575.737.3774 or velardet@unm.edu.
Welcome back, Chenoa!