Official Website of the Mescalero Apache Tribe

MAS Wind Energy students visit Mesaland Community College for a tower climb

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A few students from Mescalero Apache High School’s wind energy class, had the unique opportunity to climb a wind tower.

With supervision and loads of safety equipment, the students worked up the courage to climb.

Mr. Raynor, wind energy teacher, looked on proudly as the students climbed with excitement.

Planning the trip to Mesaland Community College didn’t come easily as planners had to postpone several times due to COVID-19 even though the trip was scheduled before the pandemic.

Nonetheless, wind energy students like Madisyn Yuzos, Lani Cojo, Kaylan Ahidley and Caydence Palmer all earned college credit as they participated in the trip.

This is the second year of the program at MAHS and the trip was a huge success with the students.

With hopes of more students being able to participate in trips just like this one, Mr. Raynor thanks Region IX and their partners for a successful visit.

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Sexual Assault Awareness Month

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The month of April is Sexual Assault Awareness month. Sexual assault by definition is any intentional sexual contact, characterized by use of force, physical threat or abuse of authority, or when the victim does not or cannot consent. Sexual assault includes rape, nonconsensual sodomy (oral or anal sex), indecent assault (unwanted, inappropriate sexual contact or fondling), or any attempts to commit these acts.

Consent is not given when a person uses force, threat of force, coercion, or when the victim is asleep, incapacitated, or unconscious.

  • Consent will not be deemed or construed to mean the failure by the victim to offer physical resistance.
  • Consent is NOT the absence of NO; it IS the presence of YES

Sexual assault is a crime, one of the most heinous crimes committed against another human being. One of the greatest myths regarding sexual assault is that it is a crime of passion, when in fact; it is a crime of aggression. A sexual assault perpetrator acquires his or her gratification through the power and control that they are able to exercise over their victim, and not by the sexual act itself.

The typical rapist:

  • Plans and premeditates his attacks
  • Uses multiple strategies to make his victim vulnerable, i.e. gains victim’s trust, acts like the “nice guy”
  • Uses alcohol deliberately…. as a weapon …. to his advantage

Predators are skilled at sensing fearfulness, especially in someone who has been victimized before. He will violate your personal space by standing too close and if he sees fear on one’s face (common in someone who has a history of trauma/abuse) he knows he can dominate you. But, if one exhibits anger or that of being turned off by his advances, he will sense that you are someone he cannot push around, and more often than not, he will back off.

Myths revolving around sexual assault:

  • Most sexual assaults are stranger attacks.
  • Sexual assaults are: “an honest mistake between two people who drank too much” or “miscommunication.”

Realities:

  • Most sexual assaults are non-stranger attacks, i.e. someone the victim knows, has been involved with, a friend, neighbor, or relative.
  • 90% of all sexual assaults are committed by repeat offenders.

Sexual Assault Warning Signs:

Be alert for any of these behaviors and prepare to intervene:

  • Sexually charged comments and gestures
  • Disrespectful behavior
  • Treating people like objects
  • Encouraging someone to drink too much
  • Inappropriate touching or unwelcomed intimacy
  • Targeting someone who is vulnerable
  • Attempting to isolate someone
  • Using alcohol or drugs to increase vulnerability

Safety Techniques:

  • There is safety in numbers: Travel in groups of trustworthy individuals and make a pact; if you go out together, leave together
  • When going out, always have plan B, especially if you are going to be drinking
  • Never leave your drink unattended or out of your sight
  • Solicit others help to remove a potential victim from a potentially dangerous situation
  • Create a distraction to separate a potential victim from a potential offender

 The bystander intervention approach is key to finding and expanding the possibilities to stop sexual violence before it is perpetrated.

The bystander approach offers several clear benefits:

Discourages victim blaming: instead of asking questions such as:

       “How could YOU have let this happen to you?” or “Why didn’t YOU say anything?”

With bystanders as active participants, the sense of responsibility shifts away from the victim and towards family, friends and the community as a whole. The questions than become:

       “How could WE let this happen in OUR community?” or “How can WE learn to say something when WE see something?”

This approach offers the chance to change social norms:

        Friends don’t let friends hurt others!

Sexual assault prevention is EVERYONES responsibility!

We all need to work together as a community to put an end to sexual violence.

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Baca Prescribed Burn Scheduled for the Week of April 12, 2021

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RUIDOSO, NM – Apr. 9, 2021 — The Smokey Bear Ranger District on the Lincoln National Forest plans to conduct a prescribed burn near Baca Campground starting Monday, April 12, 2021, as conditions allow.

The prescribed fire located south of Forest Service Road 57 and southwest of Baca Campground will remove an accumulation of woody debris on the forest floor which can contribute to high-intensity wildfire. Fire crews will be on scene from the beginning of ignitions until there is no longer a threat of escape from the project boundaries.

Prescribed burning provides many benefits and is essential to maintaining healthy forest ecosystems. It provides habitat diversity, recycles plant nutrients into the soil, and encourages new growth for various plants which improves forage for animals. Prescribed burning also reduces the threat of large-scale wildfire impacts by removing excess wood on the forest floor and removes ladder fuels which can cause wildfires to climb to the tops of trees and spread.

Smoke may be visible along Rd 57, Rd C0002 and possibly from Lincoln, NM, along Hwy 380. Although smoke from prescribed fire can be a nuisance, it is usually for a shorter time and considerably less smoke than wildfires produce.

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State will offer consolidated weekend COVID-19 case count reports

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New report will be issued on Mondays and include weekend data

Santa Fe–The New Mexico Department of Health on Friday announced that it will no longer release a daily COVID-19 case count report on Saturdays and Sundays. Instead, the state will provide a consolidated weekend report on Mondays. Day-by-day breakdowns of case counts for Saturday and Sunday will no longer be available.

Note: DOH has also shifted the time frame covered by its daily Epidemiology and Response Division reports – which include the daily case count press release. Instead of reporting from noon to noon the following day, these reports will now cover the period of midnight to midnight the following day. This change took effect today, April 9, and covers the case count press release issued early this afternoon.

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Mescalero Law Enforcement Officers nominated for prestigious awards

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Left to right: Acting Chief of Police Joe Keel, Chief Conservation Officer Tyner Cervantes, Conservation Officer James Oree Peralto, Conservation Officer Ryan Martinez, BIA Police Officer James Satterfield, President Gabe Aguilar, Lt. Justin Apachito and Councilman Danny Breuninger.

BIA Mescalero Agency Acting Chief of Police, Joe Keel recently recognized Lt. Justin Apachito, SA Collin Pilcher, Conservation Officer Ryan Martinez and Conservation Officer James Oree Peralto for their professionalism and dedication to fellow Law Enforcement Officers and the citizens they serve.

They displayed a tremendous amount of proficiency in their duties as they apprehended a violent armed suspect under the influence of amphetamines.

All officers are being nominated for the Meritorious Service Award for their heroic and unselfish actions.

  • Conservation Officers Peralto and Martinez
  • Acting Chief of Police Keel and Lt. Apachito

Also being recognized is BIA Police Officer James Satterfield for exhibiting such professionalism and dedication to fellow Law Enforcement Officers and the citizens he serves throughout several occasions.

His remarkable knowledge and conduct lead him to save the lives of several individuals who were suffering from potentially fatal conditions such as overdoses, blood loss and strangulation.

For this heroic and unselfish acts, Police Officer James Satterfield is being nominated for the BIA OJS Life Saving Award.

Chief of Police Keel and BIA Police Officer Satterfield

Each officer’s display of commitment and loyalty speaks volumes of their expertise and their commitment to the membership of the Mescalero Apache Reservation.

They have all brought integrity to their career by expressing their readiness to face challenges ahead of them.

The Mescalero Apache Tribe applauds each officer for their exceptional efforts in protecting and serving our people, thank you.

Congratulations to all officers!

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