HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. —
November 1st marks the first day of National Native American Heritage month, a time for the nation to have fun the contributions of Native Americans and to acknowledge the injustices which were dedicated in opposition to indigenous individuals.
Holloman Air Force Base is positioned in Otero County, which sits within the Tularosa Basin in Southern New Mexico. The Tularosa Basin turned house to a tribe of nomadic hunters and gatherers, often called the Mescalero Apache, in the early 1500s.
According to the “History of Alamogordo Army Air Field” journal, the tribe had been the first-known everlasting occupants of the space, inhabiting a lot of the surrounding lands, together with the Sierra Blanca, Three Sisters, Oscura Mountain Peak and Guadalupe mountain ranges.
As European settlers encroached on these lands, warriors from the Apache tribe fought again in protection of their land and in opposition to forceful elimination from the colonial settlers. This resulted in the battle of Hembrillo Basin in 1880, wherein the Mescalero Apache tribe, led by warriors corresponding to Geronimo and Victorio, battled the United States Army’s ninth Cavalry.
According to the official web site of the Mescalero Apache tribe, they had been finally faraway from their ancestral homeland and compelled to maneuver to what’s now often called the Mescalero Apache Reservation, positioned in Mescalero, New Mexico, virtually 40 miles from the place Holloman Air Force Base now sits.
Over 140 years have handed since this battle and despite this violent history, the Mescalero Apache tribe have upheld their wealthy tradition, and proceed to cross on vital traditions, language and ceremonial practices to future generations of tribal members.
“In the Apache way of life, there is a belief that a dark side of life is present, as well as a light side,” states the official web site of the Mescalero Apache tribe. “In the dark side of life there is misery, and nothing progresses for the Apache. Here in the light of life there is happiness; a world God created of peace and harmony. In this world of peace and harmony, everything progresses for our people.”
Today, the Mescalero Apache tribe is a sovereign nation, ruled by a tribal council, which frequently works carefully with navy bases in the surrounding areas.
Members of Holloman have made a concerted effort to bolster the relationship between the base and the tribe. Through shared decision-making amongst base and tribal leaders, Holloman stays dedicated to forming a constructive and lasting partnership with the Mescalero Apache individuals.
As we have fun National Native American Heritage Month, we should additionally acknowledge the lengthy and unjust history of acts dedicated in opposition to the people who find themselves indigenous to the land we name house right here at Holloman Air Force Base. By doing this, we additionally honor the land and the continued contributions of the Mescalero Apache tribe to our house and lifestyle.
For extra details about the Mescalero Apache tribe and the history of the Tularosa Basin, go to https://mescaleroapachetribe.com/.
