New U.S. citizens are sworn in during a naturalization ceremony Saturday at Bandelier National Monument. Photo Courtesy NPS
The color guard from Boy Scout Troop 71. Photo Courtesy NPS
USCIS Field Office Director Michael C. Smith leads the Pledge of Allegiance. Photo Courtesy NPS
Pueblo of Cochiti dancers at Bandelier Saturday. Photo Courtesy NPS
LAHS Bel Canto sings Saturday morning at Bandelier. Photo Courtesy NPS
BANDELIER NEWS RELEASE
At 10 a..m Saturday morning, 14 people from eight different countries were sworn in as citizens of the United States at the Naturalization Ceremony held in Bandelier National Monument. Bandelier partnered with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to welcome the nation’s newest citizens on Constitution and Citizenship Day. The new citizens are from: Sri Lanka, Italy, the People’s Republic of China, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, Venezuela, the Netherlands, and Mexico.
USCIS Immigration Services Officer, Albert Harb, conducted the ceremony, and The Oath of Allegiance was administered by Field Office Director, Michael C. Smith. Bandelier Superintendent Patrick Suddath served as the keynote speaker.
Representing the communities of Los Alamos and White Rock were Boy Scout Troop 71 who served as the color guard, the Los Alamos High School Bel Canto Choir, and the Los Alamos County Clerks Office personnel provided voter registration services. The Herrera Family from Cochiti Pueblo provided songs, drummers, and dancers to celebrate the occasion and honor the earth. The dancers concluded the event with a friendship dance and most of the 126 people in attendance joined in to welcome the newest citizens.
Constitution Day, also known as Constitution and Citizenship Day, honors the document that guarantees American Citizens, born or by naturalization, their essential rights, that was signed on September 17, 1787.
Ceremonies at American landmarks celebrate the conclusion of an immigrant’s journey to citizenship and honor the commitment they’ve shown along the way. National Park Service sites not only make these events meaningful for those who have voluntarily chosen to participate in American democracy and dedicated themselves to the country’s future, but they also reflect the strength and spirit of the United States.
Bandelier National Monument is open every day from sunrise to sunset. In Frijoles Canyon, the park visitor center and the park store (operated by Western National Parks Association) is open daily from 9 a.m to 5 p.m. and the café, Sirphey at Bandelier, is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. .
Park entrance fees are $25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, or $15 per bicycle/individual. All entrance passes are valid for 7 days. Camping fees are not included in entrance fees. America the Beautiful– the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes are accepted for entrance fees. The full suite of America the Beautiful – the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes as well as Bandelier Annual passes are available for purchase at the visitor center. For more information about types of passes and prices, visit: https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm.
For information about Bandelier visit www.nps.gov/band, call the visitor center, (505) 672-3861, ext. 0. Like us on Facebook BandelierNPS, follow us on Instagram and Twitter@BandelierNPS.
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov/and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.