Coahuila, Mexico Welcomes the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas | |
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Chairman Bernard Barcena, Vice Chairman Robert Soto and Treasurer Juan Soliz recently represented the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas in a cultural exchange with the State of Coahuila and the Federal government of Mexico. The conference was held January 9-10, 2009 in Melchor Muzquiz and was organized by Yolanda Elizondo, Director of the Casa de la Cultura, and the Lipan Tribal Anthropologist, José Medina González Davila. Accompanying the Council were Bill Larew, Tribal Administrator, David Gohre, Tribal Linguist and Nancy Minor, Tribal Historian. David Gohre provided excellent Spanish translation and David Minor, Nancy’s husband, guided us on the road. Our Tribal council members were welcomed by well-known local poet, Jorge Chaccourt Guedea. Honored guests included Sylvia Elguezabal Pérez (Regional Commissioner of Education and Culture), Gabriel Rios Martinez (Director of Tourism), Javier Villareal Lozano (Director of regional cultural institute), Lt. Col. Ricardo Palmerin Cordero, Dr. Edmundo Zamorano Garcia (Federal Natural Resources Commissioner), Nicolás Olivo (researcher for Mexico City Autonomous University), Camilo Sempio (anthropologist) and Ernesto Lehn (award-winning documentary filmmaker). Also attending were representatives from the office of the Governor of Coahuila, Ministry of Education and State and representatives of the State Legislature. The Lipan Apaches have always been a trans-national people, residing on both sides of the Rio Grande. The tribal homeland in Texas was called Many Houses or Ki-aah-hii. These Texas lands were mirrored by a second traditional territory in Coahuila known as Circular House (Naa-ci-ka), which stretched from Zaragosa to Melchor Muzquiz and west into the Santa Rosa mountains. The Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas was deeply honored to be invited to return to lands which have always held great spiritual significance, the lands of our grandmothers and grandfathers, and feel confident that this trip marks the beginning of the re-establishment of a strong and enduring relationship with the people of Mexico. | |