Gallup cuts Ceremonial funds
Council slashes support by 50%
for annual Native American gathering

By Kevin Killough
Staff writer

GALLUP — During Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, the mayor and council whacked away at the recommendations for lodgers tax appropriations, including cutting the Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial’s part by half, down to $12,500. Mayor Harry Mendoza cited the in-kind services and reduced costs of using Red Rock Park, which, he said, came to about $150,000 that the city already gives to the event.

“I don’t think we should give them another $25,000,” the mayor said. “I think we’re already doing enough for the Ceremonial.”

The council agreed that the money should go into the park and other promotions for the city. Rather than cut the lodgers tax appropriation entirely, they finally agreed to half the amount.

Executive Director of the Gallup Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial Jeri Poletto tried to discourage the council from its decision, saying that the organization has been working hard to improve the event’s financial situation. They have taken more revenue-enhancing actions and cut costs wherever possible, she said. She said that the organization was doing all it could to run the event “as a business.”

”Everybody expects the Ceremonial to support itself at some point,” Poletto said.

According to Poletto, the event ran at a loss of $40,000 last year.

Another Ceremonial organizer, Louis Bonaguidi, interrupted the council’s vote on the matter in an attempt to persuade the city to keep the appropriations at $25,000. He said that plans for the event had already been made on the assumption that the money would be there.

“We’re only six weeks away from the event,” he said.
He said that the group was a state agency from 1936 until 1996 when the Johnson administration separated the organization from the state. Since that time, Bonaguidi said, the group has acquired $45,000 in debt.

“Those have been the hardest years the Ceremonial has ever had,” he said.

He said that this year would be particularly difficult due to increased gas prices, which would greatly inflate the cost of travel for performers. He also said that it could reduce attendance.

“Help us get through this year,” he said.

The mayor said that the discussion of reduced funding had been going on for some time. And he pointed out that the city was still providing half the requested amount. In the end, the council approved the cut.