Honoring the Legacy of Vietnam Veteran Ernest Villa, aka “Uncle Jim”
🌟 Honoring the Legacy of Vietnam Veteran Ernest Villa, "Uncle Jim" 🇺🇸
Today, we pay our deepest respects to the late Ernest Villa, known to us as "Uncle Jim." He was a remarkable soul who exemplified the strength and resilience of our Chihene Nde Nation and the enduring spirit of our people. 🙏
Uncle Jim's journey was a unique one, as he was initially a pacifist, but he chose to follow the path expected by his family tradition. He found himself in Da Nang during the Vietnam War, where he worked tirelessly on the ground with artillery, despite his pacifist beliefs.
Tragically, Uncle Jim witnessed a horrific event when all of his fellow GI's were killed right before his eyes, leaving him alone with the artillery and orders to continue firing. This traumatic experience haunted him for the rest of his life.
On December 20, 2020, it is believed that Uncle Jim succumbed to COVID in a Veteran's home, adding to the profound challenges he faced throughout his life.
In his honor, his sister, Elder on the Ojo Caliente Restoration Society and Tribal Historian Audrey Espinoza, made a heartfelt donation to support the CNNNM Tribe. This gift, on behalf of Uncle Jim and of all the veterans of our nation, past and present, serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by wounded warriors like him and their vital role in the journey to regain the sovereignty of our Nation. 🌄
Let us remember Uncle Jim's resilience and sacrifice as we continue our pursuit of sovereignty and justice for the Chihene Nde Nation.
#HonoringUncleJim #ChiheneNdeNation #Sovereignty #VeteransLegacy
Prophecy by Roman Orona with Kaya Orona on Nov 28th at NHCCNM
Tribal Members Roman and Kaya Orona at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque on Tuesday November 28th
Registration Link: https://my.nmculture.org/23197/27968
Event location link:
2023 Annual Gathering Announcement
RSVP By July 28th: https://forms.gle/fcLByicbh9XkQFB36
Dagoteéh Shi’keé Ndé! Please join us at this Gathering for Community, Story Telling, Social Songs, and Ceremony!
See DETAILED Gathering Program for Agenda, Area Information, Rules, Community Meals (Plan for meals on your own)
No Elections (held on even years)
Additional Activities and Information Subject to Change
For Questions about the Event and/Annual Gathering Program Contact:
Knifewing Segura knifewing@nativestars.com or membership@chihenendenationofnewmexico.org
Sincerely,
Chihene Nde Nation of New Mexico Tribal Council and Ojo Caliente Restoration Society (OCRS)
Congratulations from the Resist Foundation!
The Resource Redistribution Team and Resist’s Grant-making Panel approved Chihene Nde Nation of New Mexico's request for General Support Application and Accessibility February 2022 funding and awarded two grants: a general support grant and an accessibility grant.
We encourage the communities at large to explore the RESIST Foundation. Resist is a foundation that supports people’s movements for justice and liberation. We redistribute resources back to frontline communities at the forefront of change while amplifying their stories of building a better world.
We acknowledge RESIST for the grant, and encourage grassroots initiatives and communities to find more information here: https://resist.org/grants/ .
The Chihine Nde Nation of New Mexico is proud of Tribal Member Nicole Enriquez in leading the work to collaborate with RESIST to continue our brave work as it moves us towards justice and liberation.
New minor in Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) at UTEP
Welcome to the UTEP NAIS Minor!
It was announced by Dr. Jeffery Shepherd, Professor and Department Chair at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) the development of a new minor in Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) which was approved over the summer and now operational. This announcement was sent to the Indigenous Community Advisory Committee (Tribal Chairman Manny Sanchez is a member of).
https://www.utep.edu/liberalarts/native-american-and-indigenous-studies/index.html
The core faculty committee of Drs. Rebecca Reid, Denis O’Hearn, Yolanda Leyva, Robert Gunn, Howard Campbell, David Carmichael, and Eric Meringer, and Dr. Shepherd are very excited about this new chapter in the History of UTEP.
The minor in Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) provides students with a unique opportunity to learn about the Indigenous nations, peoples, cultures, and communities of the U.S. – Mexico borderlands and beyond. Drawing upon Indigenous perspectives, courses from multiple disciplines focus on important issues such as cultural diversity, nation-building, resistance to settler colonialism, Indigenous activism, gender relations, literature, art, and popular culture. Students enrolled in the minor will take NAIS 2300 Introduction to Native American and Indigenous Studies, and NAIS 4301: Capstone in NAIS, in addition to a range of courses taught by dynamic faculty in the College. Students are encouraged to think about community engagement, the intersection of critical theory and real-world practice, as well as career opportunities with Native nations and organizations. The minor is open to all students, regardless of major, who want to learn about the rich and vibrant histories and contemporary challenges facing Indigenous peoples today.
The minor is housed under the College of Liberal Arts.
Dr. Shepherd greatly appreciates the Indigenous Community Advisory Committee’s (ICAC) assistance with the Indigenous Land Acknowledgement Statement. As noted in that Statement, UTEP aims for substantive changes that improve the educational opportunities for students at UTEP and that speak to the needs and perspectives of Indigenous communities, tribes, and nations. This is the beginning of a long road of rewarding work, so they hope to reinvigorate their relationship with the Indigenous Community Advisory Committee and will seek counsel on some next steps in expanding the minor and meeting the ICAC needs.
“The UTEP Land Acknowledgement Statement
As members of the University of Texas at El Paso community, we acknowledge that we are meeting on unceded Indigenous land. We would like to recognize and pay our respects to the Indigenous people with long ties to the immediate region: the Lipan, Mescalero, and Chiricahua Apache; Piro; Manso; Suma; Jumano; Ysleta del Sur Pueblo; Piro/Manso/Tiwa Indian Tribe of the Pueblo of San Juan de Guadalupe; and Tortugas Pueblo. We also acknowledge the nations whose territories include present day Texas: the Carrizo & Comecrudo, Miakan-Garza Band, Caddo, Tonkawa, Comanche, Alabama-Coushatta, Kickapoo, and the peoples of Chihuahua and northern Mexico from whom many of our students descend, such as the Rarámuri, Tepehuan, Wixarrika and Nahuatlaca peoples. Finally, we recognize all of the Indigenous Peoples and communities who have been or have become a part of these lands and territories here in the Paso del Norte region. The University of Texas at El Paso honors your history and cultures and we seek greater awareness of the many ways in which your legacy can guide us in fruitful partnerships and mutually fulfilling relationships.”
Regalia Completed for the Mimbres Cultural Heritage Center
In August 2022, retired Marine Corps Sergeant Major Juan Rogelio delivered the accurately depicted Chiende Apache regalia to the Mimbres Cultural Heritage Museum as sponsored by the OCRS and the Resist Foundation Grant (https://resist.org/).
The Ojo Caliente Restoration Society (OCRS) is the council of elders supporting the Chihene Nde Nation of New Mexico tasked with cultural preservation for the band and is the sponsor / contributors of this artwork.
The Mimbres Cultural Heritage Site and Museum is open to the public, details below:
The Mimbres Culture Heritage Site is located in southwest New Mexico, one block off Highway 35, 12 Sage Drive, east of Silver City, and south the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument.
Address: 12 Sage Dr, Mimbres, NM 88049
Hours of Operation: Open Saturday and Sunday, 11 am - 3 pm.
Historical Gathering
Chihene Nde Nation of New Mexico 2022 Tribal Gathering
August 2022 the Chihene Nde Nation of New Mexico and Ojo Caliente Restoration Society (OCRS) gathered in Silver City, NM at the LULAC Hall.
The Gathering had been the first in person gathering since the pandemic which had the feel of a long awaited family reunion. Over several days the tribe hosted social discussions, cultural preservation with songs, foods (including Elder at Large Velma’s Fry bread and Chile), and Tribal Elections.
Representatives from San Carlos, Jicarilla, and Mescalero were in attendance as the Band planned for the future.