Mescalero President Wendell Chino Dies
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I \\ .\1 I :\: I ( ( > I I( I j ) .\ y 1 199S 1'>'>1 l: "1.< J i9 • .?.0 1'.-\(,E\ ..-r Mescalero President Wendell Chino dies BY DIANNE STALLINGS would bP open for election m advocate for Indian sovereignty RUIDOSO NEWS STAFF WRJJER November 1999. prompted Tribal Council members to Chino, 74, checked into the meet at about 6 p.m. Wednesday, Flags flew at half mast in Pritikin Longevity Center in Santa without Ortega, who was on his way Mescalero Thursday as the Monica and was working out on a to Farmington when he heard the Mescalero Apache Tribe mourned treadmill when he suffered a heart news. the death of Wendell Chino, who led attack about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday. Agents from the Federal Bureau the tribe for more than 40 years. He He was revived in the emergency of Investigation arrived at the tribal died Wednesday in California of a room of UCLA Medical Center and offices after several tribal members heart attack. was moved to a critical care unit, called the agency to say they were Inside the administration com where he experien• ~d another heart worried that records were being plex, former tribal vice president attack and died at 28 p.m. removed from the office. Anthony Paul Ortega took his ol}th Tribal officials were notified of Dou"g Beldon of the FBI's of office as president and met with his death at 4:25 p.m. Albuquerque office, said agents, with eight members of the tribal council. Although he underwent angio BIA members, investigated the situ By late afternoon, the council had plasty for a heart problem last year ation and discovered that was not not released any information about and, according to friends, has been the case. the future of the tribe and its enter in and out of the hospital in the last "'There is no ongoing investiga prises, or if a special election will be few months, Chino looked and tion," Beldon said Thursday. conducted. sounded strong last month when he However, at least one FBI agent The tribal constitution calls for celebrated a new arrangement with was still at the administration com- Ortega to finish out the last year of the Bureau of Indian Affairs as part Chino's current two-year term, a of the restructuring of the agency. tribal member said. The office then The death of the strong-willed Sn· CHINO. pagl' ~A Friends, associates remember Chino Ruidoso store owner Ht>rb Brunell, Chino invigorated the tribe's econ • Though often contrut1ersial, Wendell Chino was always respected and always Chino is remembered as an uncom omy when he spurred the tribe's recognized as someone who put the promising man who brought his tribt.> acquisition of the ski resort, construc interests of his people first, say fnends out of poverty, who fought fiercely for tion of the Inn of the Mountain Gods and leaders. sovereignty rights and who had a and creation of the wood products sense of humor rarely seen by the industry on the reservation, Williams public. said. Chino also was a vigilant watch BY TONI K. LAXSON dog of the tribe's sovereignty rights, RUIDOID NEWS STAFF WJUTER "He was very Rtraight forward and he had a rather ket.>n sense of and, as such, was a benefit to all the humor if you were around him very tribes in the state, he said. Friends, associates and fellow "I •vould say that he pursued that leaders on Thursday described much. You just had to know him and know how he reacted," said Rep. Dub soven.:t~ ty issue to the point where Wendell Chino as a powerful leader of people didn't like what he did hut not only the Mescalero but of the Williams, R-Glencoe, who first met Chino in the mid-1960s. that's what he was all about," h(' said. Native American culture in general. Chino pcrceived tht· ongoing After more than 40 years of lead "I think he did a lot of good for his dPbatc of whether the trihP should ing the Mescalero Apache, Chino died people and was very progressive," Wednesday of heart failure at age 74 Williams said. "And I am sure that he - D.anne Stafl:ngs/Ruidoso Nnv3 while on a trip to California. has set them on a road for going into Flags flew at half-staff over Mesc:."llero on Thursday. mark:ng the passtng of Wendell Ch:no (:nset From Gov. Gary .Johnson to the 21st century." 'wl' FRIENDS. t '.:g1· n :n the picture above) Judge sends tnedically ill defendants hotne On to state! HY SANDY St•<.<.rn pnd up tlwn• .'-'<Xmf'r or latPr," M itehdl • Th('y are to appear a..s required by Rl 1/J( J\f J '.1 It I I /o\1/ \t R/1111. said. the maf,ri~trau· court and to appear in HY LAliRA CLYME-R T1wir honds, sd at $2f"l0.000 for tht' district court of Judge Karen McCartv, ancl $100.000 t•ach f,r Parsons if requirnd; Rl /[)11\(J \,1\l I 1/'<lii.TI//H/tJR Maf-,ristrate .Judge \Villiam R. HutLs sent thrE'(.• Ruidoso residt>nt,'-' charged \Vakling and Padilla, WtTP n"<1Uct-d to a ·They are not to leave New MeXIco. with trafficking heroin honw on housE' property bond on the hou;-;c, whKh is As"istant district atto!'Tlev Bn.ice The Ruidoso girls volleyball arrest WPCinesdav hP<.'ause of the finan owned bv thP fathPr of \1cCartv :tnd Hurv;p]l oppoSE.>d the change-of bond team earned a berth in next weE-k cial burden that ·the county might facP Walding: Butt." !-'~uciiiP said hP thought and t ht- defendant-< release to their end's Class AAA State Vollevball becnuse of the medical conditions of thP thP house wnc; appra;c;('d nt aht:ltt hom<• undf'r housP arrest. Tournament with a 15-7, 15-9, 13- defendantA. $fi9.000 "\\"~,-rP JUst concPmPd that they11 go 15 and 15-12 run over Hot Springs "The only reason you're getting out MitehPil c;a:d tlw law n•qu:n''"' hack to ,;p]ling dope agam one€' they get in thE' semifinals of the District is wP can't afford vour mPdtcal treat .JUdf,'"E'S first to considE•r n•!Pa.-.:mg ddi•n• out.'" hP said. :3AAA Tournament Thursdav in ment," HutL.;; told- thP defPnrlanb at danLs on th<•ir own rPn•}-,'Tltl'<liH'P. I[, Ruidoso. - Butts s~ud bP didn't have anv choice th<>ir hond hearing. sp<:'CUlat<:"Cl that :t wac;n"t dorw in thi:-; than to rE'h·ase them f"rom -Lincoln caS{' bccau:-;l' "tt ·s a t"IJil,..;t·n:<~ti\.-l'. lav.. The Warriors improved R-12 lie explainPCi his dPcisinn lat.f.'r hv ( 'ou n tv DPknt 1011 ( '.ent~·r. He said he referring to "very serious and Pnforccmpnt-on!•ntl'([ e<:JJJ!llllnitv and overall. They travel to Silver City conU~ spokf• I<J thP Jail ndmmistrator, Mike thP judgt•s an· !:High. hut abo Saturday for a 7::30 p.m. match gious disPases which requirf' probahly tlH'y·~~ BorrPgo. whQ ..,.,.·as "desp<>raLe to gpt compassionat1·. Prison's not suppoSPd to with the Colts to determine the dic; daily nwdication nnd fn·quent doctor's t hf'm out nf th PrP .. the mam reason tht' hP a plan• .vou go to diP ... trict champion. Both teams visits." although neit twr the judf..,TP nor pos..c;ibil:ty of mmat<'s and h'1.Wrds bPing advance to the state tournamPnt. defen~· attorney Gnrv Mit.chl•ll, who HtttL" and I\1Jtdwll ah'TE'<'<l to thf• mfPC"tPd. and thf'n the Pxpcn~'. thp conditions of t h<• d<"fPnd: 111 t s' housp 'They've done a really good job reprPsPnU•'<l MichPilP ·Md 'arty, D1anP nrn •c;t, and t lw t if anv of t h< · t hrP(' ; t:-4 I"<JT IUI~liCal ('X})' '!1!-'(' .... " of staying together," second-year Walding or HPnrv l'adilla, would ,..;pe<·i hrPaches t h<>sP hond c<m.dit ion,.;. a forft>i ButL'-' said thf• jail has no policy Ruidoso coach Fran Webb said of fy lttl' nwdical condition on thf' n'l.'Drd. tlin' will lw rn;rck of" thP lwltSI' to dll' <tgainsl accPpt ing pri!-'(mPrs with com hPr WRrriors. "I think tht:>ir wholP Butts said hy t hP timP t.hey go to statP. ThP cond1t lOTh of h<HL'-'1' atTf'"l for municahlt· dist·a~<'S. salvation has hecn working as a court. thl• cost of caring for thPm could be closP to $500,000, '"plus tlw nsk of thP dPft>ndants ar·1· '"rlwy ha,-p to takP what.F\'Pr a team." .I hPm to having a riot hy thP otlwr prisonPrs in ·They ~"'TN' I< I warrant l1·ss :-;1·arch udgl.' onh·rs t do.