| Volume
15 Number 2 • 2002
“Traditional” Self-Employment Process Created from
RESEED Project
By Rebecca Holland, Jemez Vocational Rehabilitation,
Jemez Pueblo, NM
“You are the wind beneath my wings.”
Just hearing that phrase paints a picture in the mind. Maybe a
person sees a large eagle soaring above the treetops, just gliding
on the air current. Maybe another person pictures someone who
is struggling to stand up being assisted by a friend. They are
words of strength and words of courage. They are words that speak
from the heart and create an image that brings a feeling of confidence.
They are the words that the Jemez Vocational Rehabilitation (JVR)
Project used to begin creating its self-employment process.
The vision that JVR has always tried to paint
for consumers is that the program is merely the “wind beneath
their wings.” As a rehabilitation program, we are unable
to assist customers unless they are willing to be served. We are
the ones who help consumers see their strengths and abilities
and then build a plan around those assets to help consumers become
self-sufficient and independent. The consumer has to build on
his/her strengths and allow those abilities to develop to their
fullest potential. Self-employment has always been a way for this
to happen.
Since JVR’s inception in 1996, self-employment
has been a viable outcome for the program’s consumers due
to the rural location of the reservation and the lack of conventional
employment opportunities in the area. The JVR staff has struggled
for several years to find a way to develop a self-employment process
that meets the consumers’ needs but also matches the program’s
standards. In addition, the challenge of making that process culturally
appropriate and traditionally-based has been difficult. When the
JVR received a Rural Entrepreneurship
and Self-Employment Expansion Design Project (RESEED) grant
from the Rural Institute, funding became available to develop
that traditionally-based self-employment process. The JVR contracted
services from a strategic planner, and the program was able to
take the time to brainstorm ideas for the process. Staff met on
a regular basis, discussed the community’s values, and designed
a culturally appropriate process.
It was through these planning sessions that the
Walatowa (Towa language for
“this is the place”) Self-Employment
Process Flow Chart was created. The word “created”
is used here because the process is culturally appropriate for
the Pueblo of Jemez consumers and allows each self-employed consumer
to visually see each element
of the self-employment path on the chart. Since the community
is so connected to the earth and the planting/growing process,
the chart depicts each phase of the planting/growing process and
then correlates it with the self-employment stages. In the background
of our idea is an eagle, symbolizing freedom and independence.
This is the cry of the self-employed consumers–to fly on
their own and become self-sufficient.
The first section in the self-employment process
is called the “planting/seeding” stage. This is when
the consumer is beginning his/her self-employment and is building
the foundation for running a business. Much like planting seeds
in the ground, the consumer is developing a work ethic and building
a business plan that will provide the necessary components for
a viable business. Tasks that are completed include: development
of a business plan, completion of a financial management workshop,
and the creation of marketing and promotional materials.
The second section in the self-employment process
is called the “nurturing/tending” stage. This is when
the consumers are busy working diligently to learn all of the
specifics of running a business and are learning how to maintain
physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health so they are
able to sustain themselves while running their businesses. Much
like tending crops that have been planted, self-employed consumers
must learn how to take care of themselves and learn how to work
with their disabilities. Tasks that are completed include: attending
mandatory appointments and meetings (dental, medical, optometric,
counseling, etc.) and evaluating their progress toward the goal
that has been established.
The third and final section in the self-employment
process is called the “growth/harvest” stage. This
is when consumers are learning how to run their businesses on
their own. Much like harvesting a crop, this is when the “fruit”
of the consumer’s labor is examined. Now the true essence
of the business development is seen. During this stage, the consumer
practices what has been taught in the areas of craft/business
development, marketing, and creating inventory.
It is difficult to put into words the satisfaction
that the JVR staff and consumers share from completing the consumer
self-employment process. Having a visual chart has made explaining
the self-employment process to consumers much easier. Although
the process has been a “work in the making,” no one
at the JVR would change a thing. A wise philosopher once said,
“many things are learned along the way to completing a task.”
The JVR would like to extend a big thank you to the staff at the
Rural Institute for providing the opportunity to work on the Walatowa
Self-Employment Process.
The JVR Staff includes:
• Rebecca Holland, Program Manager,
• Yolanda Toledo, Job Coach/Job Developer,
• Cathy Sabado, VR Counselor,
• Joyce Tsosie, VR Counselor and
• Leslie Baca, Administrative Assistant
Contact Information
Rebecca Holland
Jemez Vocational Rehabilitation
P. O. Box 687
Jemez Pueblo, NM 87024
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