Mescalero

Gorgonia, Mescalero Medicine Man

Mescalero (or Mescalero Apache) is a Native American tribe of Southern Athabaskan heritage currently living on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in southcentral New Mexico. The Mescaleros opened their doors to other Apache bands, the Chiricahua who were imprisoned at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the Lipan Apaches. The Reorganization Act of 1936 consolidated the tribes onto the reservation.

Reservation

Mescalero tipis. The countryside of the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation is little changed from time of the photograph.

Originally established on May 27, 1873,^[1] by Executive Order of President Ulysses S. Grant, the reservation was first located near Fort Stanton. The present reservation was established in 1883. It has a land area of 1,862.463 km² (719.101 sq mi), almost entirely in Otero County, but there is a tiny unpopulated section which spills over into Lincoln County just southwest of the neighboring city of Ruidoso. It had a 2000 census population of 3,156.

Ranching and tourism are major sources of income. U.S. Route 70 is the major highway through this reservation, which lies on the eastern flank of the Sacramento Mountains and borders the Lincoln National Forest. The mountains and foothills are forested with pines, and commercial development is restricted. However, the reservation has invested, for example, in a ski resort called Ski Apache, on a 12,000-foot (3,700 m) mountain, Sierra Blanca, and a hotel in its shadow, the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino.

Sierra Blanca is sacred ground for the Apache. A cultural center near the tribal headquarters on U.S. Route 70 in the reservation's largest community of Mescalero contains some historical information. Another museum on the western flank of the Sacramento Mountains, in Dog Canyon, south of Alamogordo, New Mexico contains more information.

Tribal organization

Mescalero painted boy, this image is often misclassified as Mescalero because it was taken during the time of "Long Walk" in which the Navajo were marched over 350-mile (560 km) in the winter of 1864 and incarcerated at Bosque Redondo, New Mexico with the Mescalero Apache. Most of the elderly, young children and pregnant women did not survive this march.

The Mescalero Apache Tribe was headed by Wendell Chino, President of The Mescalero Apache People for 43 years, until his death on November 4, 1998. Soon after his death late Sara Miquez took place as president. Not too long afterwards his son, Mark Chino also served as the president of the tribe. The tribe holds elections for office of president every two years. The eight Tribal Council members hold their positions for two years. Election for Council is held every year, when one half are up for reelection.

Carleton Naiche-Palmer was sworn in as the new president of the Mescalero Apache tribe on January 11, 2008.^[2][2]

Culture and language

The Mescalero language is a Southern Athabaskan language which is a subfamily of the Athabaskan and Na-Dené families. Mescalero lies on the southwestern branch of this subfamily and is very closely related to Chiricahua and more distantly related to Navajo and Western Apache.

See also

• Gouyen
• Lincoln National Forest
• Mescalero language
• List of Indian reservations in the United States
• Winnetou

References

St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Mescalero, New Mexico c.1975 Mountain Spirit Dancers painted on altar

External links

• website of the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation
• Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino E-Newsletter