Myron Armijo
Ensuring a heritage
Myron Armijo is a man deeply tied to his people and culture.
Armijo, 53, grew up on Santa Ana Pueblo just outside of Bernalillo, and spent his childhood learning from his elders and playing with his neighbors.
After a short period working in Las Vegas, Nev., Armijo returned to his home and began working to pass on his culture to the next generation.
Armijo has served the pueblo in a number of capacities, including governor and lieutenant governor. In 2012, he became chairman of Southern Sandoval Investments, a development group associated with the tribe.
In that position, Armijo has devoted himself to advancing the tribe’s interests and bringing Santa Ana into the modern age.
What is Southern Sandoval Investments?
SSI is a land development corporation. The Pueblo Tribal Council leadership put this in place just over a decade ago.
As you can see we’re doing some development off of (N.M.) 550. We have the two (convenience) stores and then we have a lease with the casino, a lease with the golf course, the Hyatt, to generate income.
That’s basically what SSI is responsible for. We have approximately 1,000-plus acres that is under our direction.
What are your personal goals as chairman?
Well, my primary goal here is to generate revenues for the tribe, for the operations of the government and the pueblo’s ability to take care of our people, providing educational scholarships, housing, infrastructure, to name a few.
Did you grow up in Albuquerque?
Up here in Santa Ana. It was great growing up here. The Rio Grande was our playground. We used to play baseball, we used to ride our bikes throughout the whole village, then there was work in the fields with our dad or grandfather pulling chile, or irrigating … that sort of thing. We were fortunate; we didn’t have a lot, many of us, but the cultural and traditional aspects were taught.
We would have, a lot of times, breakfast, lunch and supper together, and it was the whole family, not just the mother and child. The whole family would get together for the meals and back in the day, our language was spoken. We are all fluent. That was a very close-knit time.
What would you say was your favorite part of growing up?
I think it was the times at the old pueblo during Christmas. About mid-December, the entire pueblo would move to the old pueblo. We would live there from mid-December, probably through the end of January every year. We would go to school from there; we would do our homework by kerosene lamps, and it was just fun.
We’d get off the bus after school, and first thing was chores. First thing was chopping wood and getting firewood for the evening, then we would play. All kind of games or we would dance, the kids
would dance in the village. It was a really fun time.
What did you go into after college?
I went into being a technician at the Nevada Test Site, doing electronics working for a company called EG &G, a contractor to the Atomic Energy Commission at the time. And so we provided nuclear weapons data to the Lawrence Livermore Labs.
When did you come back to New Mexico?
I came back in 1978. What brought you back?
Basically, my culture. Well. … my parents asked me when I was going to come home because of the duties as a male person of the tribe.
What are some things you do for fun?
You’re not going to believe this, but work. I just love to work. During the week, it’s working with New Mexico state agencies, the Office of the State Engineer; then on the weekends, either working at the house or up here (with) our cattle, but always doing something.
Are you riding horses and wrangling cattle?
We generally do it now from a pickup truck. We’ve got our cows trained. We just honk the horn, and they come over and we feed them.
What are some of the big challenges you see for the pueblo moving forward into the future?
If anything was a challenge, it is to ensure that the pueblo is going to be well taken care of, after I’m gone, our generation is gone.
I have a board that’s pretty dynamic — young men and women who I have a lot of confidence in, and I think given that, I think the pueblo will do well. We have people like the people who sit on the board with me, knowledgable about their work for the pueblo.
Do you see the younger generation stepping up?
Yes. There’s a few people that are stepping up to the table and are taking the next step to become leaders of the pueblo. Not only on the tribal leadership level, but also at the business level.
Do you see it throughout the pueblo?
Oh yes, this is not going to stop anytime soon. Our traditions are going to carry on, hopefully, into the next millennium.
Can you talk a little bit about your time as the pueblo’s governor.
It’s an honor to serve in tribal leadership. All I want to do is to promote and make sure that the pueblo is progressing in its ability to take care of its people. It’s not about me, it’s about the pueblo and its people. But I’m honored to serve in those capacities, and it’s quite a honor to do that.
It’s a lot of work, 24/7. You’re on 24/7, and it’s a lot of work with the government employees and... we’re a huge employer here in Sandoval County. I would almost expect almost 2,000 employees along with the government down at the pueblo and the businesses up here. We employ quite a lot of people.