Since brutal killings, community waiting for city and tribe to take action

ALBUQUERQUE

Lauren Mansfield remembers the day Allison Gorman and Kee Thompson, members of the Navajo Nation, were found brutally beaten to death on the city’s west side the morning of July 19^th, as if it were yesterday.

Mansfield, an emergency medical tech for Albuquerque Ambulance, was one of the first responders to the vacant lot where the killings took place. Three accused Hispanic teenagers have been indicted for the murders.

“We were only two streets away from the call,” she said adding that the west Central strip is one of her regular routes.

Mansfield said that there was a third victim, Jerome Eskeets, who escaped with his life, but not without injuries.

“He was frantic. He didn’t want to leave his friends,” said Mansfield who learned later that his family is from Chinle.

She said she convinced him to go to the hospital because, “he had a broken nose and blood all over his face, bruises on his ribs, neck and all over his back; and a burn like from a cigarette,” she recalled.

“There are a lot of unreported sexual assaults and physical assaults in the homeless community. When they come through the door, I will see black eyes, busted noses, but they don’t want to contact law enforcement,” said Danny Whatley, director of Noon Day Ministries, an organization that provides food, clothes and other services to the homeless in downtown Albuquerque.

“We transport them (homeless) over and over again. The largest percent who go to the hospital are mostly Native Americans,” said Mansfield, estimating 2 to 10 injured a week.

“I got jumped and I know people who have been hurt. It makes me angry. Natives are the ones who get discriminated against the most, but there is also native on native. We should take care of each other,” said Frederika Benally, Din4, on December 4^th during the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission public hearing at the Albuquerque Indian Center.

Dozens of others testified, giving accounts of other beatings and deaths, along with incidences of police mistreatment. One woman reported how she was pulled out of her vehicle by her hair; a man reported that he was frisked without cause and another woman told how she is harassed regularly.

The Human Rights Commission is holding similar hearings in other border towns.

About a week after the murders, a street rally drew more than 200 people who walked down Central Avenue blocking traffic to protest Gorman and Thompson’s murders and the deaths of other tribal members.

One of the marchers was 14-year-old Tasha Lee, Diné, who held up a sign that read, “I want justice. I want closure,” referring to her father, Ferdlyn Lee of Wide Ruins, who was homeless when he was killed by a hit-and-run driver.

The day before the street protest, President Ben Shelly and Mayor Richard Berry sat down in a city hall conference room and agreed to create a task force that would put a stop to the chronic homelessness and violence against Native Americans in the city. Members of the NNHRC participated in the meeting.

To help in the effort, PNM, the city’s electric company, assigned one of their top staffers Sherrick Roanhorse, a member of the Navajo Nation, to set up a task force that is charged with making recommendations to Mayor Berry.

Roanhorse said that he has been working non-stop since then recruiting representatives who work in social and health services for the Navajo Nation, Laguna Pueblo, Zia Pueblo and the City of Albuquerque. He said that the task force also includes representatives of the All Pueblo Council of Governors, a behavioral health program and organizations like St. Martin’s Rescue Mission and Health Care for the Homeless.

On New Year’s Eve, Roanhorse said that he and staff of the UNM Institute of Indigenous Knowledge and Development would be meeting with members of the homeless community at a dinner sponsored by First Nations Health Source.

“We want to hear what the homeless individuals have to say,” he said.

“After we get their feedback, we will perfect the recommendations and share them with the mayor in early January,” he added.

When Indigenous People’s Resistance day rolled around on October 13^th, Brandon Benallie and former Miss Navajo Radmilla Cody hosted the first of four benefit concerts at the All Indian Pueblo Cultural Center to raise awareness about violence towards homeless Native Americans.

“We were frustrated that nothing was being done,” said Benallie.

“When we stand up against what is happening, we can let these border towns know that we are not going to tolerate this,” she told the audience of about 200 people, who had donated clothes and other necessities.

Cody said that other concerts would also be held in Gallup, Farmington and Flagstaff.

On the early evening of December 18^th, Helen Tafoya of To’hajiilee backed her truck up in front of the Sandia Mountain Church of the Nazarene on east Central in sight of the Sandia Mountains.

It was filled to the brim with donated clothes that she, her family and friends have been collecting for months.

“I brought things out from Blue Water Lake, like tooth paste, shampoo, mittens and hats. I am happy to help. Everybody is in need for something,” said Mary Jane Garcia.

Inside the church, volunteers from the congregation and Beyond Borders, another outreach ministry, stood behind a large table serving turkey, ham, potatoes, stuffing and vegetables. The line of people waiting to be served ran down a long hallway and out the door.

“We just happened to stumble on this, we are blessed, thank you,” said Evon, who attended the holiday meal.

“There is always a need for food, but more is needed. They (the homeless) need to be off the street and helped in a way that is long-term,” said Pastor Pete Meyers.

“I have been praying for resources and funds to get some kind of place for families. There’s only one that I know of and it’s way on the other side of town,” said assistant Pastor Daniel Wood.

“I see all these empty buildings and I see all these people living on the street and it’s depressing. There’s space to put up homeless shelters,” he said.

Wood added that a treatment center is also needed for people struggling with alcohol addiction. He said that for most programs, the bar is set so high to get in, it keeps some people out.

“When a person has to be sober, it’s like kicking a blind person out of your house for bumping into furniture, it doesn’t seem right. You have to help people with the disease and not punish people for the disease,” he said.

According to Roanhorse, the draft recommendations to the mayor call for access to emergency shelters, housing, public restrooms and resources, along with an effective communication system between service providers on and off tribal lands and cultural awareness training for city police.

“I’m excited that there is a plan in place, but the longer it takes, the more people are suffering. I wish there was something in place sooner. It’s hard to watch them struggle with nowhere to go,” Mansfield said upon learning about the task force.

On December 19th, dozens of people participated in a silent walk and vigil organized by the Coalition to End Homelessness, to pay respects to the people who died on the streets of Albuquerque this past year.

As they quietly walked towards downtown from Health Care for the Homeless on Mountain and 2^nd to the Immaculate Conception Church, each held a sign bearing a name of a single person.

When the walkers arrived at the church, they laid their signs on the altar amongst an array of fresh flowers and glowing candles.

“The reason we are here is to give us the opportunity to say good-by and honor those we lost,” the presiding minister said before she read the names of 61 people, who included Kee Thompson, Allison Gorman and Ferdlyn Lee from the Navajo Nation.

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