The 100% Taos County Initiative was born at Taos Pueblo with the Tiwa Babies Home Visiting Program in collaboration with the Pueblo Outreach Project in 2017. April Winters, Family Support Specialist for Tiwa Babies, introduced this initiative to help identify why the needs for families and children are not being met and how to fill those gaps. The initiative was developed at New Mexico State University with the Anna Age Eight Institute, based on public health research throughout counties and tribal lands in New Mexico.

Winters explains, “Building supportive partnerships with families is at the heart of what I do. These partnerships build on the strength and resiliency for families and children that are improving outcomes and changing generations. The inspiration of this work came from the families whose experiences helped shape the idea that basic needs such as adequate housing, access to health care, food, and many other services are essential in building healthy, stronger, resilient communities.”

Decades of extensive research on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) make the clear connection between childhood trauma and poor physical health, substance use disorder, suicide, even life expectancy. These experiences impact individual and community wellbeing, livelihood, and economic development. When enough people in a community experience ACEs, the trauma becomes collective.

Taos County has one of the highest rates of ACEs in the United States. In the 2019 NM Community Survey, 50% of Taos County Adult respondents reported having 3 or more ACES before the age of 18. While Taos County has strong organizations and programs working independently and in teams to address physical and behavioral health needs, many people in our community are unable to access what they need to thrive and survive.

Coordinated, community-wide engagement, intentional collaboration, and support are needed to build community capacity and improve access to needed services for 100% of our community.

In 2020, the 100% Community Initiative at Taos Pueblo invited people from Taos County to join in a countywide effort to ensure access to services for surviving and thriving for everyone in our county.

The Mural Project was developed to spread awareness about the initiative and celebrate the roots of local culture and history that are vital to our community. With sponsorship from LOR Foundation and in partnership with Paseo Project, 100% was able to commission Lynnette Haozous for this mural. Because of the role of Taos Pueblo to start 100%, bring it to the County, and draw us together in collaboration, we wanted to work with an indigenous artist for this mural. Lynnette says that her mural expresses “The matriarchal spirit that takes care of our community.”

With this Mural Project, 100% Taos County intends to create more murals to be painted around Taos County. The Community Day is on July 30, 11-1, and all are invited to come and learn more about the Initiative.

Contact: 100taoscounty@gmail.com

About the artist: Lynnette Haozous is an enrolled member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe (Chiricahua Apache), and is part Diné, and Taos Pueblo. Haozous is a multi-media artist, currently based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She grew up living on all three of her tribal nations, learning a unique blend of Indigenous perspectives, intersectionalities, traditions, and experiences. She works in paintings, murals, installations, digital illustrations, screen-printing, and community art workshops.

Haozous received her Bachelors degree in Social Work from New Mexico Highlands University in 2016. She has received artist residencies through SWAIA, Nativo Lodge, Ute Mountain Studios, Santa Fe Art Institute, Bears Ears’ Artist Residency, The Harwood Arts Center's Arts and Social Justice Residency, and an apprenticeship with artist, muralist, Nanibah Chacon, through the Native Arts and Culture Foundation in 2020-2021.

Haozous has exhibited at The Harwood Art Museum, IAIA MOCNA, Denver History Museum, David Anthony Fine Art Gallery, FarahNhieght Fine Art Gallery, the Harwood Arts Center, and, most recently, the Portland Art Museum.

Haozous has worked as an Artist Educator, with such programs as Working Classroom Inc., OFFCenter Community Arts Project, and The Identity Project, working and mentoring youth.

Notably, Haozous is most recognized by her mural worksn the public art field. Her murals often have bold, vibrant, color palettes, often seen with contemporary Apache, Dine', and Pueblo designs, depicting large scale Indigenous matriarch imagery.