IAIA Funding Threatened; MLK, Jr. Commission's New Leader

New Mexico in Focus (A Production of NMPBS)

This week, questions are swirling for Santa Fe's Institute of the American Indian Arts as the school's federal funding is threatened to be cut. Robert Martin, president of the institute, gave Senior Producer Lou DiVizio his perspective on the school's importance to indigenous culture and its uncertain future.

In March, the New Mexico Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission named Dannelle Kirven as its new executive director. This week, Kirven stopped by the studio for a conversation with Lou about her group's work in 2025, at a time when the federal government has explicitly targeted initiatives that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. Also, she tells us how the organization is moving past a 2018 financial scandal.

Host: Lou DiVizio

Guests:

Dr. Robert Martin, president, Institute for American Indian Arts

Dannelle Kirven, executive director, New Mexico Martin Luther King Jr. Commission