Naomi Tucson-Martin

For a teacher, the sweetest form of recognition comes from a former student. Naomi Tucson-Martin, Crownpoint Institute of Technology (CIT) instructor, was thrilled to receive an award for Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers 2004 and to be told “a successful former student recommended you because you made a difference in his or her life.”

Tucson-Martin says, “My intent has always been to make a difference in my students’ lives everyday. I’ve stayed at CIT for years because I believe in what I do.”

When she began teaching in 1982 at the institute in Crownpoint, NM, on the Navajo Reservation, it was called the Navajo Skills Center. Originally an instructor of secretarial science, she currently teaches in the professional assistant certificate and degree programs. She took the lead in upgrading the program to its current status.

Tucson-Martin explains that the professional assistant program is for anyone, both male and female students, and that it often serves as a springboard to higher level positions. Of her nearly 2,000 former students, some are employed in federal programs and the courts in Washington, DC, and one recently contacted her from Japan where she works for an international program.

“Not only have I been an instructor, but I have often found myself in the role of counselor, midwife, and mom to students. Once I had to rush a student to the hospital when she went into labor.”

Always professionally dressed, she wears turquoise or coral jewelry coordinated with her outfits. She can be alternately stern and friendly, a combination not lost on her students and colleagues. At the fall 2004 student orientation, she used her years of experience to advise the students about how to be successful, including strict warnings and some playful suggestions.

“I’ve stayed at CIT for years because I believe in what we do. I even encouraged my son, Keith, to study electrical trades here. He has been steadily employed for years earning a salary higher than mine.” Another son, Justin, is a graduate of the University of New Mexico.

Tucson-Martin served for 12 years as the chair of the CIT accreditation steering committee, leading her peers through self-studies resulting in accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association. She has been through six NCA site visits. She has enjoyed contributing to the college’s growth and development. “We’re headed in the right direction,” she says.

Part of her inspiration may have sprung from the cruelty of a Durango (Colorado) High School teacher. In the early 1960s, there were only a handful of minority students. The teacher told Tucson-Martin, who is a Southern Ute Indian, that it was a waste of his time to teach someone who would just become a laundry worker. “That was his idea of what an Indian student was headed for.”

Despite his lack of faith, Tucson-Martin went on to graduate from Fort Lewis College with bachelor’s degrees in both secondary education and Spanish. She has also earned a vocational teaching certificate from the University of New Mexico. “I did also work as a car hop and as a laundry worker along the way,” she admits.

Tucson-Martin considers her mother a major influence. “She was strict and made sure we all went to college so we could be independent.” Thomas, her husband of 33 years, is her role model. “He’s a survivor. He started school not speaking a word of English, graduated, and attended college. He experienced punishment for speaking Navajo. He served in Vietnam and has been a government employee for over 32 years,” she says.

“People I’ve known on the job who are now leaders are my heroes. I worked with Linda Lovejoy years ago, and now she’s the CIT board president and on the New Mexico State Public Regulations Commission,” she says.

“CIT Vice President Elmer Guy is a non-judgmental person and a great listener.” Ethel Manuelito, assistant superintendent for Gallup McKinley County school district, is another person Tucson-Martin names, saying, “She was always honest and direct. She champions the accomplishments of local people.”

Tucson-Martin’s own achievements were recognized last summer by CIT President James Tutt, who presented her with an Outstanding Performance and Commitment Award. She was also thanked publicly at a gathering last spring by Lawrence Morgan, current speaker of the Navajo Tribal Council.

Tucson-Martin plans to retire in a few years. “I will volunteer through my church to work with young mothers. I know of run-away girls who need help.”

Whether in or out of the classroom, Tucson-Martin says her “biggest joy comes from working with someone who has no experience. It’s wonderful to give them tools to change their lives.”

Tina Deschenie (Diné/Hopi) is the associate dean of continuing education at Crownpoint Institute of Technology. An educator for over 20 years, she is also a poet and a contributing writer to Tribal College Journal, Native Peoples, and The Navajo Times.