Solving Food Deserts, State Redistricting, The Line

This week on New Mexico in Focus, correspondent Antonia Gonzales travels to Jemez Pueblo to meet Tina Archuleta, who has made it her mission to decolonize Native diets. Archuleta founded Itality plant-based wellness to restore health and balance to pueblos and reservations that often find themselves in what nutritionists call “food deserts,” or places far from a store that sells fresh groceries. As we head into the holiday season, Archuleta is pushing easy, healthy meals that confound some of what we assume to be Native dishes.

Senior Producer Matt Grubs speaks with UNM journalism faculty member (and NMiF contributor) Gwyneth Doland about her report on redrawing political boundaries in the state. “Redistricting NM 2021: A troubled history and opportunities for change” details over 40 years of strained geographic relationships that don’t always produce the kind of local representation communities need. The state is set to begin its next redistricting cycle following the 2020 Census.

Gene Grant and The Line opinion panel discuss what State Auditor Brian Colón calls an “abuse of power”: nearly $3 million in legal settlements approved during former Governor Susan Martinez’s administration. The Line panelists debate whether a publicly financed stadium for New Mexico United is right for Albuquerque. For their final topic, the panelists look at opposition by Native American leaders against another proposed nuclear storage facility in our state.

Host: Gene Grant

Correspondents:
Antonia Gonzales
Matt Grubs

Field Guest:
Tina Archuleta, Founder/Owner, Itality plant-based wellness

Studio Guest:
Gwyneth Doland, UNM Dept. of Communication and Journalism

Line Panelists:
Michael Bird, public health consultant
Dede Feldman, former state senator
Tom Garrity, The Garrity Group PR
H. Diane Snyder, former state senator