She oversees organizations tasked with creating power and educating an Indigenous voting bloc in New Mexico by working with key organizations and governance within NM but has grown to organize regionally and nationally. Ahtza builds power for communities through systems change and critical infrastructure development, bridging gaps through fund or management sourcing, community engagement and organizing, and building partnership coalitions amongst community members, Tribal leaders, and local, state, or federal governance. She is passionate about ensuring Tribal sovereignty and self-determination in the fight to protect our land, air, and waterways through policy and law, while creating pathways for investments in Tribal broadband access, renewable infrastructure, and economic development.
She led the 2020 NM Native Census and 2021 Native Redistricting Coalitions, which brought all 23 NM Tribes, Nations, and Pueblos together to Get Out The Count and negotiated a full Tribal Consensus Redistricting Map that maintained all AIAN minority-majority districts while creating additional Native influence districts. In 2023, Naeva organized Tribal support for the passage of the New Mexico Voting Rights Act, which incorporates the most comprehensive Native American Voting Rights Act (NAVRA) provisions in the country. Naeva formalized these coalitions into the NM Native Civic Engagement & Policy Table.
She is a member of the NM Sustainable Economy Advisory Council, City of Albuquerque Justice40 Committee, All Pueblo Council of Governors Legislative Committee Co-chair and a board member of Groundworks, NM.
