Key Points
- A tribal community in New Mexico is celebrating the first paved parking area ever at its community services complex, which was surrounded only by dirt for years.
- The Pueblo of Zia held a community gathering to mark completion of the project, which eliminated drainage issues and provides access to people in wheelchairs.
- The Pueblo’s administration collaborated on the project with Marathon Petroleum’s midstream affiliate, MPLX, which funded and coordinated the work.
October 17, 2025 /3BL/ – Keresan-speaking Indians have continuously occupied the Pueblo of Zia in north-central New Mexico for more than 600 years, and the pueblo’s familiar sun symbol is the official insignia on the New Mexico state flag. Recently, the Zia Pueblo celebrated another historical milestone of a much different kind: installation of an asphalt parking lot at its community services complex.
“The newly paved parking lot marks a monumental achievement for our community, as it is the first of its kind in the pueblo’s history,” said Pueblo of Zia Tribal Administrator Angela Young-Geffre. “Previously, this area was a rugged expanse of dirt and rocks that posed challenges, particularly during rainy weather when it turned into a muddy hazard.”
Marathon Petroleum’s midstream affiliate, MPLX, collaborated with the Pueblo of Zia’s administration to execute the project. Planning, funding and coordination came through MPLX’s Natural Gas and NGL Services (NG & NGL Services) component, which operates a pipeline that crosses Zia Pueblo land.
“The newly paved parking lot marks a monumental achievement for our community, as it is the first of its kind in the pueblo’s history.”
“The leadership explained to our project team how life-changing it would be to have a paved parking lot, which most of us might take for granted,” NG & NGL Services Senior Engineer Cheol Kim said. “The existing grade at the complex prevented wheelchair access and caused water to pool that led to mud being tracked into buildings, so we designed adjustments to redirect stormwater runoff away from buildings and add an ADA-compliant (Americans with Disabilities Act) ramp.”
The project took four weeks to complete. It culminated with a community celebration that attracted almost 400 people.
“We began conversations about this project with the Pueblo of Zia’s government three years ago, so seeing the quality of the finished project and the community come together for a celebration was very rewarding,” said MPLX Tribal Government Affairs Manager V.J. Smith, who attended the pueblo’s gathering.
Young-Geffre noted that she looks forward to the continued positive impacts of this project for years to come, pointing to a recent example.
“The response from local children has been particularly heartwarming,” she said. “They have embraced the new paved surface, eagerly gathering after school and on weekends to ride their bicycles and scooters, making joyful memories on this smooth new terrain.”
