A tribal council member described the return of ancestral land to Cochiti Pueblo recently as part of a very emotional day.
University of New Mexico Regents President Jamie Koch appeared Dec. 15 before the Cochiti Pueblo Tribal Council to formally commemorate UNM's return of a 220-acre part of Horn Mesa to the pueblo.
The mesa land includes the site of an historic Cochiti village sometimes known as "High Cochiti" and has major cultural significance for the tribe. Koch was asked to attend the council meeting so the tribe could express its appreciation for his efforts in securing the land for the Pueblo. The university regents approved the transfer last year as part of a deal that also involved the Bureau of Land Management.
Photo: Members of the Cochiti Pueblo Tribal Council present UNM Board of Regents President Jamie Koch a ceremonial drum during an historic land transfer in December. Photo by Greg Johnston.
Following an hour-long presentation to the council in native language by Regis Pecos, Koch presented a plaque to Governor Sam Arquero. About 30 tribal council members passed the plaque around the room. The governor gave Koch a Cochiti hand-made drum.
Pecos said that nothing is of greater significance than aboriginal lands. “There are no words to express the emotion we all feel. Today is an historic day that we don’t take lightly,” he said. “This is a spiritual connection and is reconnecting to a place and time that is perpetual.”
Contact: Greg Johnston, (505) 277-1816
Posted by at January 4, 2005 11:17 AM