On the Streets and in the State House: American Indian and Hispanic Women and Environmental Policymaking in New Mexico (Indigenous Peoples and Politics)

This study explores the politics of American Indian and Hispanic women leaders in New Mexico's environmental policymaking arena. Using non-random purposive sampling, 50 women were selected for participation who were political activists in grassroots organizations or public officials, elected or appointed to local, state or tribal government. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Dedications......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 List of Tables......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 1. Introduction......Page 13 2. Design of the Research Project......Page 42 3. New Mexico’s Environmental Justice Movement......Page 58 4. Women’s Paths to Leadership......Page 70 5. The Role of Identity and Political Ideology......Page 107 6. Practicing the Politics of Environmental Justice......Page 143 7. Conclusions......Page 169 Appendix A......Page 179 Appendix B......Page 181 Appendix C......Page 185 Appendix D......Page 189 Notes......Page 191 References......Page 206 Index......Page 226 This study explores the politics of American Indian and Hispanic women leaders in New Mexico's environmental policymaking arena. Using non-random purposive sampling, 50 women were selected for participation who were political activists in grassroots organization or public officials, elected or appointed to local, state or tribal government. Personal interviews were employed to gather data on their political socialization, their leadership trajectories, their motives for engagement in public life, their political ideology, their racial-ethnic- and gender identity and their policy agendas and strategies for influencing public policymaking.