Michael Morris
Photos by Racquel Morris – Click any image to enlarge in new window

Friday I had the honor of attending the Inauguration of the new Tribal President, Vice President and Council of the Mescalero Apache Tribe. I left a little stunned. Not because of anything unusual, but rather by my awakening to the universality of my concept of usual. President Mark Chino spent a significant part of his address discussing the destructive effect of faceless rumor on both the morale of citizens and the dousing of the desire of the young to aspire to service. How is that any different than the dramas playing out in the newspapers and their forums concerning Capitan and the Alamogordo School Board? I walked in expecting some typically typical political this and that and left thinking that if Mark Chino put his entire life force into achieving the goals he set he could take his people beyond far. Good fortune be with you sir.

The other topic that transcended the cultures was the matter of schools and brain drain. Councilwoman Cordova expressed a commendable and reachable goal of self reliance. My regular readers remember that I have been preaching this forever, so you can understand how truly exciting it was to hear a newly elected official, though one for which I cannot vote, actually wanting to solve for Y.

Everything was so positive. Whether one agrees with them or not in their politics it was clear that each and every one of the people sworn Friday have a vision for the future of their people. President Chino asked his people to stop the senseless demoralization and get with the program. At least that is my interpretation. I wish I could ask mine the same, but what vision and leadership have I to suggest? Well, Ron Griggs did have something to say about negativity, but it sounded more like whining. Not very inspiring.


Good luck to you all.

More images will be available @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/8506937@N05/sets/72157623060111395/