The mission of the Center of Southwest Culture is to develop healthy Indigenous and Mexicano / Chicano communities through economic development, cultural, and educational programs. Our work takes a linguistically and culturally supportive approach and is centered on cultural lifeways, traditional knowledge, and existing resources to increase overall community health.

CSC assists in developing businesses based on owned assets such as land and water, with a focus on regenerative agriculture and culturally-based outdoor tourism. We provide backyard gardening workshops incorporating traditional foods and growing methods and offer an educational cycling program to children and youth that incorporates STEAM and storytelling curriculum through a cultural lens. We also fiscally sponsor more than 65 |nearly 70| discreet projects and organizations in New Mexico that enrich the lives of our community members.

It is CSC’s goal to implement programming that strengthens, promotes, and helps retain Chicano, Mexicano, and Indigenous culture in New Mexico and across the Greater Southwest. We believe the best way to nurture healthy communities is to be an integral part of the community. We consciously work to ensure our staff and board reflect the communities which we serve. We treat our core constituencies as equals engaged in an ongoing dialogue to seek solutions to pressing socio-economic problems. We always assume we are jointly seeking successful resolutions to the obstacles our communities face.

The Center is the leader in the Greater Southwest Region (Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico) in helping Indigenous and Mexicano / Chicano communities achieve economic, cultural and educational success using their own human and natural resources. The Center models innovative and supportive partnerships and programs with its communities, achieving scalable and sustainable long-term results of, by and for its communities.

• Restore Autonomy

  • The Center and the communities we serve are autonomous and self-sufficient.

• Agility

  • The Center responds quickly and efficiently to community needs.

• Mexicano / Chicano / Indigenous Cultures

  • The Center honors, reflects, and serves the traditions of Indigenous, Mexicano, and Chicano Communities.

• Transformation

  • We provide community-centered experiences and resources that contribute to positive transformation.

• The Land | Air | Water | Fire

  • The Center works to respectfully restore the health of earth cycles (air, water, fire, land)

• Critical Thinking

  • We nourish awareness of the wealth of knowledge within our communities while developing critical thinking about systemic forces.