My name is Buster Beatty. My home is here on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in the White Mountains of Arizona. I want to share my story with you. I believe that every human being is born for a reason and that there is a purpose for each of our lives that is planned by our Creator.
When Faith Leads Through Fire
My home is the small community of Cibecue on the Fort Apache Reservation. Our White Mountain Apache people have lived here for many generations. We still speak our language.
No More Wandering
My name is Joyce Becenti. I was born in Crownpoint, New Mexico. I am Navajo belonging to the Sagebrush Hill Clan and am born for Standing House. I’m not young anymore, and I’ve experienced a lot in my life.
Look to the Hills
Daagot’ee! My name is Pastor Leroy Elgo. I was born and raised on the San Carlos Apache Reservation.
Standing Firm in Life’s Battles
My name is Rhonda Juarez. I am from Antlers, Oklahoma. I am a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. I have always loved the land of my Choctaw people, where the land is green.
Out of the Darkness
My name is Jasper K. Jones, and I am from the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona. I was born on May 6th, 1941, in a small community called “Farm Station” in Upper Peridot.
The Lord is My Helper
My name is Naomi Colelay. I’ve lived on the White Mountain Apache Reservation all my life. As a child, I had both parents in the home.
Anchor for the Soul
I come from a family with a long history of military service. My father was a WWI veteran with the U.S. Army (17th Cavalry) under Commander Lieutenant Patton. My brothers were in WWII and the Korean War respectively. My Uncle James Maloney was a WWII Navajo Code Talker with the U.S. Marines.
The Blessed Life
My name is Merritt Youngdeer. I’m a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in Cherokee, North Carolina. My grandparents, like many tribal members from all across our country, attended Carlisle Indian Boarding School.
My Call of Duty
I grew up greatly admiring all those who have served in the Armed Forces. I knew that many Native Americans (including my father and uncles) had served this country with distinct honor and fulfilled their call of duty.
No Turning Back
The year was 1934, and I was six months old. My father, mother, and I lived in a small settlement in the foothills of the mountains 100 miles northwest of San Carlos. Our home was a wickiup that my father had built for us.
A Navajo Code Talker’s Most Important Message
My name is Roy Hawthorne. I am a proud member of the Navajo Nation. I am honored to have served my country through my military service in both World War II and the Korean War. I volunteered to serve in an elite group known as the Navajo Code Talkers.
Pursued by Hope
I stood before the judge as a desperate 24-year-old, overwhelmed by the consequences of my life choices. I felt completely defeated by addiction, and the word “hope” had no meaning in my life. All of society’s efforts to reform me had failed.
Lessons for Life
A descendent of Cherokee grandparents, Carlos lived in Miami, Arizona, for a period of time as a young boy, not far from the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. Carlos faced some difficult challenges. With an often–absent alcoholic father and a mother working hard to pay the bills and put food on the table, Carlos learned that life can be tough.
The Way Of Worship
I grew up surrounded by the traditional ways of our people. In my youth, I heard the old stories handed down by our elders. They differed depending on a person’s recollection, but they focused mostly on the creation around us. I was told we came from the earth. As a young man I had so many questions.
Bright Hope For Tomorrow
It was the winter of 1979. My wife Kathy and I were rejoicing in the birth of our first-born son. We named him Nathaniel Ara Ross. I was working in a factory on night shift to make ends meet. At night when I came home, I would check on Nathaniel. Those precious days were filled with joy and wonder.
Can These Wounds Be Healed?
Every generation matters in our Native community. We honor the wisdom of our elders and protect our children as our greatest resource. Family ties are strong. Our land has been our home for generations, and our culture values each generation.
My Search For Acceptance
My name is Jack Cochise. My birthplace and home is the beautiful town of Mescalero, New Mexico—home of the Mescalero Apache Tribe.
Finding Harmony With Our Creator
When I smell the smoke from the wood fire in the winter, it reminds me of the times when I was a little boy living in our hogan. It was during the winter season that the stories of the elders were passed down to the younger generation. I would listen to my grandfather teach us the history and ways of our people. Now I am an elder, and it is my responsibility to pass along the important truths for this life and the life to come.
An Apache Prisoner Finds Freedom
I was born on the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona. My parents raised me in the traditional ways of our Apache people, and we worshiped at a place we called “holy ground.”
Direction For Life
The “Man in the Maze” design of the ancient indigenous people of the southwest reminds us of the many choices we make along the journey of life.
An Apache Warrior Chooses a New Name
Cochise, Geronimo, and Naiche were warriors. They will remain legends in Apache history. The Apache fought against the Spanish, Mexican, and United States governments for hundreds of years to keep their way of life in their homeland.