HELP NATIVE AMERICAN ELDER FIGHT UNJUST EVICTION

Dear Family and Friends near and far, my Family and I humbly ask for your support and helping hand during this difficult time. An unexpected life-changing crisis has struck us.

What would you do if your 74 year old Mother, Grandmother, Sister, Auntie was being forcibly removed from her home of 35+ years? That is what is happening to us right now. On April 5, Flo’s 74th Birthday, she received a final notice of eviction telling her to be out by Sunday, April 16, 2023.

On Behalf of our Mother and Grandmother – Florence “Flo” Yepa – Please hear our call for help. Flo needs you to share this and send your support.

Flo Yepa, a well-respected elder, is currently facing an unjust eviction from her home of over 3 decades due to an unjust order made by Jemez Tribal Council.

She is an upstanding and devoted member of her tribal community. Flo has done no wrong and has only provided positive aid to the community from the home she currently resides in, which is rightfully hers. In the 1990’s as a wife to husband Sal, Flo helped pay off his BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) mortgages in the amount of approximately $21,000. Through their commitment to pottery art, catering and cultural entertainment they satisfied and paid off the home mortgage and have since made several home improvements.

Flo shared a life with her husband, Salvador “Sal” Yepa, in their tribal home on the reservation until he Journeyed to the Spirit World in 2021. His kind heart and warm presence is missed daily. Current Jemez leadership has since ignored Sal’s Last Will and Testament and is set to remove Flo from the place she and Sal called home in favor of another tribal member. This is a decision from the Jemez Tribal Council and not the Tribal Court Judge. Flo’s Probate Application is still pending in The Pueblo Tribal Court System.

But it is not just her home, it is also her business, her livelihood and a central gathering place for friends and family – who she treated all the same. Sun & Fire Pottery House is where you would have been greeted by the friendly and hospitable Sal and Flo Yepa. Rain or Shine, they welcomed all walks of life into their home and pottery shop in the Pueblo. Flo never requested or received any PPP loans during the COVID-19 shutdown preferring to make her own money.

If the Tribal Council Eviction stands – she must be out by Sunday, April 16th, 2023 and will lose everything she owns and she will be homeless.

You Can Help – Please help Flo with any monetary donations to continue to support herself and fight the eviction. She never wanted to leave and this is all just wrong. Flo will use the money to pay for movers, storage, find emergency accommodations and get new permanent housing to build or buy a new home. If you can lend a hand and are willing to provide support, Flo will use any and all money raised to directly re-establish her life and business. If you or anyone you know would like to donate, My Family and I THANK YOU from the bottom of Our Hearts for your contribution. Even if you cannot donate for whatever reason, Thank You for taking the time to read this. We will never lose hope, and we hope to pay this sentiment forward. Thank you, And God Bless You All.