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The University of New Mexico

NEWS RELEASE



Media Contact: Karen Wentworth (505) 277-5627
kwent2@unm.edu

October 25, 2007

Zia Pueblo Members to Speak About Protecting a Tribal Treasure

The sun symbol displayed on the New Mexico state flag came originally from Zia Pueblo. That’s one of the most common uses of the Zia sun symbol, but there are thousands of others. The sun symbol is a part of the Zia Tribe’s heritage and is used by the tribe for religious purposes. But the state of NM and hundreds of businesses use it without permission or licensing. The Zia’s are now looking for a way to protect the sun symbol by trade-marking it, thus making it subject to intellectual property laws.

On Tuesday, October 30, Zia Pueblo Assistant Tribal Administrator Ken Lucero and other tribal members will speak about the significance of the sun symbol and the battle to protect it in two events.

From noon to 1 p.m. there will be a brown bag lunch in the Herzstein Reading Room on the second floor of Zimmerman Library, and from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. there will be a lecture titled “Zia Sun Symbol: Patenting the Sacred” and a showing of a short documentary film titled, “The Pueblo of Zia: Home of the Sun Symbol.”

Both events are free. They are sponsored by University Libraries Indigenous Nations Library Program.

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