Pojoaque Boys & Girls Club closes temporarily

Governor said organization became less about pueblo and its youth over the years

The Pojoaque Pueblo Boys & Girls Club, which has provided summer and after-school programs for hundreds of tribal and nontribal youth for about two decades, has been closed at least temporarily, pueblo Gov. Joseph Talachy said Monday.

Talachy said the goal is to restructure the pueblo-funded youth development program so that it focuses primarily on tribal children. The emphasis will be on passing along the pueblo’s cultural and language traditions to its youth, he said.

Talachy said the pueblo will provide support, including possible funding, to schools or other community organizations to develop programs for nontribal area youth who have been served by the boys and girls club.

“We don’t want to leave anybody behind,” the governor said.

The club closed Friday, according to a message on its voicemail and a posting on its Facebook page.

“Thank you to all the parents, kids, friends, and family members who invested in the program,” the Facebook posting said.

The posting sparked appreciations for the work the club has done, as well as criticism of the pueblo for shuttering it.

“You helped my son grow into the respectful, hard working young man he is today,” a woman wrote.

Talachy said the club had about 250 enrolled members, including about 50 or 60 youth from the pueblo.

The club had about six staff employees and has provided summer employment to high school and college students to serve as youth leaders, according to its website.

Talachy said the club will refund any money paid for its after-school program this fall.

The club has provided homework assistance, instruction in technology and the arts, sports and programs in character and leadership. It also has awarded college scholarships and sponsored a

Halloween carnival and Christmas toy giveaway.

Talachy said the club had become less about the pueblo and its youth over the years.

“We missed the mark with our own tribal youth,” he said.

Talachy said the pueblo didn’t want to segregate pueblo youth at the club for programs on the tribe’s culture and language.

He said the restructuring of the youth program is expected to take two to three weeks. It isn’t clear whether the program will reopen as a boys and girls club.

Talachy said the pueblo’s finances also played a role in deciding to restructure the youth program.

The boys and girls club was costing the pueblo about $700,000 a year, he said.

The pueblo recently agreed to a new gaming compact with the state that will require it to pay a higher share of its casino revenues to the state.

The pueblo’s decision to sign the compact followed years of costly legal wrangling with the state over revenue sharing and other issues. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled this year against the tribe’s bid to continue operating its casinos without sharing revenues.