Jeanne Gauna was born September 26, 1946 in Vaughn, New Mexico. Her parents names were Willie and Josephine Gauna. growing up in New Mexico, Gauna made it her lifes mission to fight for injustices her and her family faced in New Mexico. She's worked with numerous amounts of organizations to fight for injustices around the whole world. Jeanne Gauna had two sons, and a sister. later in her life, she was diagnosed with cancer and died February 17, 2003.[1]
Jeanne Gauna had a sister named Eileen Gauna who won an award titled the Fighting For Justice Reward.[2] Gauna had a son named Jason with her first husband, and she soon moved to Albuquerque where she remarried a man by the name of Eric Schmieder whom she had her son Karlos with.[1]
Education
Gauna received her education from the University of New Mexico where she earned her bachelors of arts degree. During her education, she pursued studies in politics of traditional New Mexican communities, culture, history, and culture[1]
Gauna spent her life supporting many organizations such as:
The Albuquerque Boycott Committee
Citizens Against Nuclear Threats
Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán
NM Public Interest Research Group
U.S. National Board of Greenpeace U.S.A.
Board of the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economics
National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit
Committee to Stop Grand Jury Abuse
Committee Against Repression
National environmental-justice movement
Work
In the 1970's Gauna worked under Richard Moore, director of the regional office of the Children's Foundation as the office manager. After this organization was defunded, together they co-directed a new organization by the name of SouthWest Organizing Project (SWOP). Later in its time, SWOP gave rise to a new organization called the Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice (SNEEJ), with Richard Moore as the director. This allowed for Gauna to become the main director of SWOP.[1]
SWOP
The SouthWest Organizing Project (SWOP), co-directed by Jeanne Gauna and Richard Moore, was a major grassroots organization that targets racial and environmental injustices. This organization is formed mostly of activists who want to fight for the injustices that they face and see in America. SWOP fought against police brutality, gender inequality, racism, as well as the conservation of natural resources such as limiting water usage. SWOP also fought against policies and practices that contributed to environmental pollution and the poisoning of low income, lower class, and colored communities.[1][3]
Rio Grande river
An example of SWOP's impacts
In the 1900's, SWOP protested with the Navajo people in Albuquerque for the water rights of The Rio Grande. This site of water is extremely important not only for the livelihood of the Navajo people, but also for their sacred practices.[4][3]
