Weasel recognized among peers in Four Corners   

Lalena Weasel, a materials engineering technician with the Bureau of Reclamation, is one of the many local women recognized during Women in Construction Week. This national week of recognition acknowledges women working in the construction industry, held annually in March. The Bureau of Reclamation’s Four Corners Construction Office in Farmington, N.M. was among the federal entities to recognize their team members and bring everyone together for a luncheon, Thursday, March 7, honoring their women workforce on the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project (NGWSP). 

When asked about the greatest challenges she has had to overcome in her career, Weasel stated, “Proving myself time and time again as a Native woman working in a male industry.” Adding that her strong work ethic has played a large part in her success as a longtime employee for the U.S. Government. 

The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) held the first Women in Construction Week in 1998 and it has grown and expanded each year since. The week celebrates and promotes the role of women in the construction industry. This year’s theme, ‘Keys to the Future,’ celebrates the strength and knowledge of women and the vital role they play in shaping the future of the construction industry, according to their website.  

“Being a female in the construction industry gives me a great pride,” Bureau of Reclamation Resident Engineer, Hilda Castillo-Smith said. “NGWSP has been a great part of my career. Knowing that the work that I do will have a powerful impact in the lives of many Navajo community members motivates me to stay engaged and improve my skillsets. It’s an honor to be part of a project that will change people’s lives. “ 

“At the Department of the Interior, we strive to acknowledge women’s everyday contributions to our country all year long,” Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland said in a letter to her colleagues. “As a girl, my grandmother, mother and aunties were strong role models for me. I still draw strength from the courageous women I have followed my entire life – and from the women I get to work alongside in our shared mission to build a better future. I am so proud to serve with such innovative and inspiring women as we advance the Biden-Harris administration’s vision for a more just, inclusive future.” 

Weasel got her start in the field when construction of the Animas La Plata Project (ALP) became a reality in the spring of 2003. Weasel was then able to use that opportunity to transition into a full-time position on the large-scale Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. The project opened four positions in 2011 under the Bureau of Reclamation, which were available to tribal members from the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian Tribes; Weasel has ties to each tribe.  

The Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, once complete, will deliver water to the communities in the eastern section of the Navajo Nation, southwestern portion of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, and the city of Gallup, N.M., by way of roughly 300 miles of pipeline — transporting water from the San Juan River to those communities. The project also includes the construction of numerous pumping plants and water treatment facilities along the pipeline. 

“This is the first year that the Four Corners Construction Office celebrated Women in Construction Week,” Bureau of Reclamation Construction Engineer, Bart Deming said. “We learned about it through our contracting partner, Archer Western Construction. Archer Western hosted a celebration barbecue luncheon for their staff to recognize all of the women helping to build Pumping Plants Two, Three, Four, and Seven, and invited Reclamation to participate in the event.” 

The Four Corners Construction Office has 14 women (25% of the FCCO workforce) carrying out Reclamation’s mission and building and supporting the design and construction of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, Navajo Nation Municipal Pipeline, and the operation and maintenance of the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project.  The Four Corners Construction Office’s Field Engineering Division responsible for supporting and carrying out the day-to-day construction activities on the NGWSP and NNMP is led by Emma Manzanares, Manager of the Field Engineering Division, and along with one of her top resident engineer’s Hilda-Castillo-Smith, together are leading those efforts. 

“This is a great week to recognize the hard work and contributions from all of the women helping build the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project in the Four Corners Construction Office and our region,” Deming said. “Though all levels of our agency, from our top leadership with our Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton to one of our Assistant Regional Director’s, Katrina Grantz, to our Fielding Engineering Division Manager, Emma Manzanares, to construction control representatives, like Victoria Cassidy, who is overseeing the heavy civil construction works in the field, (just to name a few) women are essential in carrying out our mission helping us deliver water to the Navajo and Jicarilla Apache people and improving lives. Reclamation cannot meet our mission and goals without their great leadership and hard work. We honor and thank our Women in Construction, and this will be recognized daily and especially during Women in Construction week in March.”