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Efforts to return sacred objects to tribes in New Mexico.

This week on NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS, correspondent Antonia Gonzales leads a discussion on efforts to return sacred objects to tribes in New Mexico and across the United States. There’s an ongoing debate among tribal leaders, artists, art dealers and federal officials about how to handle the return of items that were removed from tribal lands without permission. We look at how that conversation has changed in recent years.  

Correspondent Russell Contreras sits down with photographer Maria Varela to talk about her experience photographing voting rights demonstrations in Alabama and efforts to create Head Start programs in poor, rural areas of the American South during the Civil Rights movement. Varela has an exhibit up now in the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago.

 Host Gene Grant and the Line opinion panelists discuss the latest news on the special session, a recent announcement that APD officers will issue more citations and make fewer arrests for some crimes, and new questions about financial management inside the UNM Athletics department. 

Line Panelists:
Merritt Allen, Vox Optima LLC
Diane Denish, former lieutenant governor
Dan Foley, former New Mexico House minority whip
Sophie Martin, attorney and editor of DukeCityFix.com

Correspondents:
Russell Contreras   
Antonia Gonzales

Studio Guests:
Aaron Sims (Acoma Pueblo), Attorney
Robert Gallegos, https://www.atada.org/ATADA
Dallin Maybee (Northern Arapaho/Seneca), COO Southwestern Association for Indian Arts
Maria Varela, photographer

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New Mexico in Focus is involved, informed, in-depth media airing weekly on New Mexico PBS. The program debuts Friday nights at 7 p.m. on NMPBS 5.1 and appears online at www.newmexicoinfocus.org. The show rebroadcasts on NMPBS 5.1 Sundays at 7 a.m.(pre-empted March 26) and on NMPBS 9.1 on Saturdays at 5 p.m (pre-empted March 25) and Sundays at 3 p.m.