The pandemic study research team and our Acoma guide. Left to right: Dr. Michelle Watts, Anthony Caole, “Gooby” Garcia and Dr. Kristi Drexler. Image courtesy of Kristi Drexler.
By Dr. Kristin Drexler
Faculty Member, School of STEM
with Dr. Michelle Watts
Associate Dean, School of Security and Global Studies
and Anthony Caole
Doctoral Student, School of Security and Global Studies
As part of our multi-year pandemic study, we conducted interviews for our study examining the experiences of Indigenous people during the COVID-19 pandemic. These interviews took place in our second New Mexico community – Acoma Pueblo.
The Purposes of Our COVID-19 Pandemic Impact Study on Indigenous Communities
The purpose of our study on the pandemic impacts of Indigenous communities of the Americas is two-fold:
- To contribute to the academic literature on Indigenous communities and their experience of the pandemic.
- To learn about the experiences of unique Indigenous communities during the COVID-19 pandemic and specifically to examine how people coped, adapted, and worked together during the pandemic.
To date, we’ve interviewed over 150 Indigenous community members and leaders on their lived experience during the pandemic.
Our COVID-19 research, funded by grants from American Public University System, is to examine a variety of impacts to Indigenous communities, including cultural, economic, health, education, environment, and governance. We use the asset-oriented Community Capitals Framework, which Kristi has used in previous publications, including Climate Journal (November, 2022) and Advancements in Environmental and Engineering Research (July, 2024).
Along with Anthony Caole and Bridget Kimsey, we recently published an article titled “Spiraling Up: Agency and Resilience among Indigenous Communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic” earlier this month in the Latin American Perspectives journal.
Acoma Pueblo: The ‘Sky City’ and The Oldest Continuously Inhabited Community in North America
Acoma is the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America, according to the Sky City Cultural Center and Haak’u museum and New Mexico Tourism office. It is located in central New Mexico – about 60 miles west of Albuquerque.
According to the Pueblo’s website, four nearby communities make up the village of Acoma Pueblo: Sky City, Acomita, Anzac and McCartys. The world “Acoma” means “a place always prepared.”
The language spoken by Acoma residents is Keres.
Acoma Pueblo and an Ancient Mesa
We had the honor of learning about the history, culture and people of Acoma Pueblo first-hand with a visit to the ancient adobe structures on its mesa. The Pueblo and mission are registered National Historical Landmarks.
“Gooby” Garcia, our Acoma guide, shows Michelle Watts the intricate designs of Acoma pottery. Image courtesy of Kristi Drexler.
Historically, access to the Pueblo’s mesa has been difficult. According to New Mexico Tourism, “The faces of the mesa are sheer. Before modern times, access was gained only by means of a hand-cut staircase carved into the sandstone.”
We experienced a taste of this difficulty as we descended the steep staircase through the canyon after our tour of the historic Pueblo.
Kristi begins the descent from the mesa top of Acoma Pueblo on ancient carved steps. Images courtesy of Michelle Watts.
Michelle Watts, Anthony Caole and Kristi Drexler (unpictured) descend from the Acoma mesa through ancient carved steps to the valley below. Images courtesy of Kristi Drexler.
With the exception of certain feast days, visitors can only access the ancient city with a guide. Our guide, “Gooby” Garcia, was extremely knowledgeable and one of the only remaining tribal members living full-time on the mesa.
Gooby explained the painful history of the construction of the San Estévan del Rey Mission, completed in 1640 at the cost of many Indigenous lives. During the mission’s construction, the men of Acoma were forced to haul lumber that weighed up to four tons. If the beams they carried touched the ground, they would be executed.
During the two-hour tour, Gooby explained in detail both the sad history of how the Pueblo was invaded by Spanish conquerors, as well as how the people of Acoma put their own spin on the mission they were forced to construct. They used their own interpretations of religious pictures that they were forced to paint, adorning traditional structures with grapes representing the wine they knew the priests were fond of drinking.
Acoma has an impressive Haak’u Museum and Sky City Cultural Center. According to the National Park Service, they focus on the revitalization of lost art forms, language, and the preservation of Acoma’s history through site tours, educational programs, and exhibits.
The cultural center hosts public events – dances, walks and community gatherings – throughout the year. Tourism is a major economic support for Acoma. During the pandemic when Acoma was closed to the public, tours and artist sales were greatly impacted.
The San Estevan del Rey Mission in Acoma Pueblo. Image courtesy of Kristi Drexler.
Interviewing Acoma’s Tribal Government and Community Members for Our Pandemic Study
In Acoma, we talked to community leaders and members about their pandemic experiences. Acoma was featured in several national news outlets, including the New York Times, as being one of the hardest-hit communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During our visit, people in Acoma were incredibly welcoming and accommodating. While we just scratched the surface of people’s experiences in Acoma, several people spoke frankly about losses, hospitalizations, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Tribal government acted very quickly to shut the community down at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. People were not allowed on or off the Pueblo without permission from the Tribal Governor.
This restriction was challenging for many people, but our respondents appreciated the actions taken by their Tribal government, as well as the support and cooperation of the New Mexico government.
Anthony Caole, Dr. Michelle Watts, and Dr. Kristi Drexler (unpictured) conduct an interview with Raymond Concho, Jr., Tribal Community Development Advocate and former 1st Lt. Governor of Acoma. Image courtesy of Kristi Drexler.
The Nature around Acoma
Our research team on the mesa of Acoma Pueblo, left to right: Anthony Caole, Michelle Watts, and Kristi Drexler. Image courtesy of “Gooby” Garcia, our Acoma guide.
According to a travel blog, Acoma is in a “shallow valley studded with towering monoliths or mesas, many of them sacred to the Acoma people.” The ancient community on the mesa is located on a sandstone bluff over 350 feet from the valley floor.
Publications and Conferences from Our Pandemic Study
The results of our pandemic study have appeared in numerous publications. For instance, we have published articles for two international conference presentations:
- Presenting COVID-19 Field Research at the SECOLAS Conference, Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies, Antigua, Guatemala (April, 2023)
- Pandemic Research and Presenting at the LASA Conference, Latin American Studies Association, Bogotá, Colombia (June, 2024)
Also, we’ve published these blog articles on the communities we have visited for this pandemic study:
- COVID-19 Research: Studying Its Impact on Native Communities, Taos Pueblo, New Mexico (May, 2022)
- COVID-19’s Impacts on Indigenous Communities in Alaska, Perryville, Alaska (June, 2022)
- Pandemic Impact Study to Continue in Alaska during August (July, 2022)
- A COVID-19 Pandemic Study Continues in Southeast Alaska, Metlakatla Indian Community (August, 2022)
- Pandemic Study in Belize: Silverio Canto, Mayan Healer (April, 2023)
- Faculty Continue COVID-19 Research: Belize and Guatemala, a focus on San Antonio Village in Belize (March, 2023)
- Researching the COVID-19 Pandemic Experience in Guatemala, in two communities: Panajachel and San Jorge La Laguna villages at Lago Atitlan, Guatemala (April, 2023)
- Exploring the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Aftermath in Belize, San Jose Succotz (November, 2023)
- Our COVID-19 Research Continues in Kodiak, Alaska: Part 1, Kodiak, Alaska (August, 2024)
- Our COVID-19 Research Continues in Kodiak, Alaska: Part 2, Kodiak, Alaska (August, 2024)
In the future, we will be submitting more manuscripts on the findings of our study. This study will continue into 2025.
Reflecting on Our Three-Year COVID-19 Pandemic Study
As a part of our travel experience to Acoma Pueblo, we discussed our experience there and reviewed the importance of our study.
Kristi: Michelle, what an amazing experience this has been for us! We’ve interviewed over 150 people in Indigenous communities in the Americas. Overall, how has the experience been for you?
Michelle: It has been an incredible experience to meet people in different communities, both in the U.S. and Latin America, and hear about their lives and coping mechanisms. In addition, it has been a wonderful opportunity to work with colleagues and students, whose contributions have been invaluable.
Kristi: Michelle, why will this research be important to record and to be a part of academic literature?
Michelle: It is important the Indigenous voices and perspectives are part of the academic literature. So much can be learned from examining the experiences of diverse communities.
Kristi: Anthony, you were sick with COVID-19 for our time in Kodiak, Alaska, earlier this year. How important was it to you to be a part of the Acoma field research experience?
Anthony: The Community Health Center in Kodiak couldn’t get over the irony of my presence in Kodiak to research the pandemic response and yet being self-quarantined at the hotel due to COVID-19.
The opportunity to participate in the field research at Acoma provided me with an invaluable opportunity to finally participate face-to-face in the ongoing research. I also had the chance to compare and contrast the response of Indigenous people in Acoma with the Indigenous response in Alaska, where I am most familiar.
I continue to be humbled by the degree of personal sacrifice made by tribal leadership to protect their communities. I’m also increasingly concerned at the apparent lack of processing and debriefing of the COVID-19 pandemic experience by survivors who were in the trenches, day in and day out.
Kristi: Why is field research important for you? You’re a doctoral student; how does this type of research inform your doctoral study at the University?
Anthony: As a doctoral student who is still mastering qualitative research skills, the experience of conducting research firsthand with you two leading the way was invaluable. One of the more practical lessons I learned was the importance of having an extra recording device while conducting field interviews and to come prepared with backup chargers.
The other lesson learned was the importance of doing on-the-ground networking. I gained diverse perspectives from respondents who otherwise would be difficult, if not impossible, to contact and secure from afar.
Additionally, the opportunity to visit Acoma and do “live” field research, as opposed to desktop studies, forced me to come to terms with my own position vis-à-vis the research subjects. While I am not Indigenous myself, my children are, and I have lived in and worked for Indigenous organizations in a leadership role for more than 30 years.
Listening to our Old Acoma guide “Gooby” describe the experience of surviving COVID-19 and dealing with the mental health and suicide crisis the pandemic left in its wake, struck particularly close to home. I’m a parent with an Alaska Native adult son who has struggled with mental health. “Dad, I am Alaska Native; the statistics are against me,” my son once said.
Just before we hiked down from the mesa at Old Acoma, I asked Gooby if he could share some words of encouragement with my son, who is currently residing several thousands of miles away in a group therapy home in the sub-Arctic. Gooby was more than willing.
Fortunately, we were able to briefly FaceTime with my son from the epicenter of Indigenous resilience and resistance. It felt surreal.
Gooby shared his wisdom, survivor spirit, and appreciation for life, and I could see my son lighting up during their talk. After hanging up, Gooby placed his forehead on my own and gave a parting blessing and final words of advice, one father to another, as tears streamed down my face.
Anthony and Gooby on Facetime with Anthony’s son. Image courtesy of Kristi Drexler.
Getting Involved in Indigenous Study at the University
For University students at the who are interested in joining a student organization, check out The Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). SACNAS promotes diversity in STEM in the contexts of social connections and sense of belonging, academic development, and professional development. You do not have to be Indigenous or Latinx/Hispanic to join SACNAS.
SACNAS received the University’s Outstanding New Organization award in 2023. Dr. Kristi Drexler and Dr. Michelle Watts are two of the faculty advisors.
If you are a master’s or doctoral student interested in becoming involved in our research, please contact Dr. Watts at Mwatts@apus.edu and Dr. Drexler at kristin.drexler@mycampus.apus.edu.
About the Authors
Dr. Kristin Drexler is a full-time faculty member in the Space Studies and Earth Sciences Department. She teaches geography, environmental science, conservation of natural resources, earth and planetary sciences, and sustainability for the School of STEM. Dr. Drexler holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication from New Mexico State University and a master’s degree in Latin American studies with an emphasis in natural resources management from Ohio University. She earned her Ph.D. in educational leadership at New Mexico State University with research in socioecological systems, sustainable agroecology, and community education.
Dr. Drexler earned the Undergraduate Excellence in Teaching Award for the School of STEM (2020) and the Dr. Wallace E. Boston Leadership Award (2021). Dr. Drexler has conducted numerous community surveys in Belize and Guatemala regarding sustainable agriculture and COVID-19 impacts and is a co-investigator for the multi-year research study, “A Case Study Comparison of Pandemic Experience of Indigenous Groups in the Americas.” In the late 1990s, Drexler served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Belize; she co-founded Full Basket Belize, a 501(c)(3) and has served on its Board of Directors since 2005. Drexler produced the award-winning short film Yochi; she also founded “Science Talks with Dr. Drexler and Friends” to assist teachers during the pandemic. Drexler also co-directs the Gila Film School and has produced seven documentary films sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service to celebrate the centennial of the Gila Wilderness in 2024. Drexler also serves as a faculty advisor for the University’s wSTEM, AWIS and SACNAS chapters.
Dr. Michelle Watts is the Associate Dean of the Department of Security and Global Studies, where she also teaches in the doctoral program. She has a bachelor’s degree in international studies from American University, a master’s degree in Latin American studies from the University of Arizona, and a Ph.D. in international development from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Dr. Watts has collaborated with colleagues on nine research grants encompassing a wide range of topics. Her work includes “Bomberos, Maestros y Psicólogos: Guatemalan Civil Society Response to the Volcano of Fire Disaster,”“Making Sovereignty Mean Something: Native Nations and Creative Adaptation,” “Drugs, Thugs, and the Diablos Rojos: Perils and Progress in Panama,” “Seguridad del Canal de Panamá: Una Década Después de la Salida de Estados Unidos” (Security of the Panama Canal: One Decade after U.S. Departure), and “Game of Norms: Panama, the International Community, and Indigenous Rights.” She is the principal investigator for the research study, “A Case Study Comparison of Pandemic Experience of Indigenous Groups in the Americas.”
Anthony Caole is a doctoral student in Global Security at the University. He serves as President/CEO for Three Star Government Solutions, owned by Oceanside Corporation, the ANCSA village corporation for the Sugpiaq village of Perryville, Alaska.
Mr. Caole is a former Tribal Administrator (Native Village of Kwinhagak), and former Senior Management Consultant at Northern Management, a Division of CE2 Engineers, Inc. He has spearheaded millions of dollars in rural infrastructure development projects for remote communities in Alaska.
Mr. Caole served as Regional Director (Contractor) for the Alaska Region T/TA Center, a Resource of the Administration for Native Americans. Mr. Caole has more than 30 years living in and working for Indigenous communities.
He completed his B.A. in rural development from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), and subsequently completed a master’s degree in International and Intercultural Management from the School for International Training (SIT). He is currently a doctoral student in the University’s Global Security Program, focusing on Arctic maritime security issues impacting Bering Sea Indigenous communities, with a particular focus on East Asia’s Arctic ambitions.
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