Tó Nizhóní Ání tables at the annual Parent Summit in Piñon
PINON, AZ – On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, Tó Nizhóní Ání (TNA) tabled at the Annual Parent Summit at the Piñon Unified School District #4 (PUSD#4). TNA organizers Andrew Atencia and Makaius Marks tabled alongside programs that serve Navajo parents and students, such as the Office of Navajo Nation Scholarships and Assistance.
The PUSD#4 Parent Summit successfully pulled together organizations and local school programs to share information with parents. A large number of parents and teachers from PUSD were in attendance and had many questions about the campaigns and efforts of Tó Nizhóní Ání.
TNA Organizers engaged their questions regarding ecological restoration, workforce, and the watersheds of Black Mesa. At the TNA booth, participants helped themselves to stickers and one-page handouts detailing TNA campaigns and engaged in dialogue about the organization’s establishment.
Andrew Atencia, TNA Watershed Project Lead, was eager to share with PUSD staff and teachers how TNA has worked with various schools, institutions, and groups to talk about watershed restoration on Black Mesa.
“Representing the watershed restoration campaign and presenting restorative economy work to the Pinon School community in the heart of Black Mesa speaks directly to my main role at Tó Nizhóní Ání,” said Andrew. “Our ecological restoration activities relate not only to science, but to vital cultural teachings.”
PUSD staff, Ms. Mathilda Denny was one of the many staff in attendance who gravitated toward the TNA booth. “It was great to see TNA come to our annual PUSD Parent Summit,” said Ms. Denny. “They were outstanding and very knowledgeable about how water is very sacred to us and not to take it for granted.”
The TNA watershed restoration campaign has hosted students in what we’re calling an Outdoor Classroom, where they are taught to create low-tech nature-based solutions that benefit native plants, native wildlife, the environment, and rural infrastructure. This information was shared with parents at the parent summit. “I encourage the teachers and staff at PUSD to consider adding Watershed Restoration,” said Andrew Atencia. “To their Earth Science curriculum and Diné Culture studies.”
Tó Nizhóní Ání would like to thank the Piñon Unified School District #4 for organizing these annual parent summits. Outreach and education are crucial to water protection. When communities are informed, this sparks action. The goal for Tó Nizhóní Ání’s watershed restoration campaign is to get impacted communities to consider where their water comes from and how we can work to restore and protect it. For more information about this outreach event, contact Makaius@tonizhoniani.org.
