# 2 -- REMEMBERANCE, THE BEGINNING

By Gary J. Gabehart

In 1993, I led an Indian group composed of Dr. Judy New Bell Eagle (Comanche), Xavier Delapass Sanchez (Comanche), Tomas Tobares (Lipan), Capt. Dan Gabehart (Chickasaw) and Erwin De Luna (Navajo). Our mission was simple, recognize the role that Indians played before, during and after the Battle of the Alamo. Our group? The Inter-Tribal Council of American Indians, Inc. (ITCAI).

Little did we know, that opposing groups, many of them simple fruitcakes, bed bugs, carpetbaggers and con artists would morph out of the ground in an attempt to usurp our groups mission. Of course, some groups, such as the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, were legitimate and there were a few others. But still other goofy groups, such as the group of pseudo Indians led by Raymond Hernandez, who could never make up his mind about what kind of Indian he was, and Richard Garay his partner played to the weak minded. Hernandez and Garay, the latter who was to become a convicted child molester, represented a group called the "American Indians of Texas at San Antonio Missions" or some such name, performed made up rituals in front of the Alamo bordering on lunacy. The only thing not present during their performances were popcorn vendors and Raspa stands.

Since those days, there have been many other people who have surfaced to claim the winning of the "second battle of the Alamo" in order to make a living from what they read in the newspapers -- making false presentations to civic groups as the person(s) who made it happen. One such individual, an attorney, who had no such involvement with ITCAI, drummed his presentations to whom ever would accept them as the brains behind the movement -- brains behind the movement?

So what did ITCAI attempt to do? First, to close one or two streets that crossed the Alamo fort where the battle took place and which carried mega tons of vehicle traffic each day; and second, recognize the Indian burials at the Alamo. Did we attain our goals? Yes, after months of political nonsense, posturing for the camera's, newspapers, radio and television, National Magazines, and -- the agenda's of all these other folks, we closed one street and recognized Indian involvement at the Alamo.

How long did it take? Looking back, it seems like years and years now. The media had a heyday, the politicians got their licks in, the legitimate opposing groups made their points and the fruitcakes found their warm puppies. Was it worth the energy? You bet it was, after the smoke of the second battle cleared, San Antonio, with the help of the media, had recovered what once was a dimly remembered past.

If you've never spent time in San Antonio, you would probably have never been exposed to the rich Spanish and French culture of the area or the historic events that occurred there. The Alamo is but one site of interest and unless you are a history buff, you probably would not see the humor in a tourist questioning "how did the hundreds of defenders all fit in the Alamo" or lamenting as to "why did they build the fort in the downtown area?"

One thing you have to understand is that Indians were just not talked about in San Antonio, if anything, they were all in Oklahoma. To deep rooted Texian's, there were no Indians in Texas, only Whites, Mexicans and a hand full of Negro's. Indians were those folks such as Iron Eyes Cody who were just passing through, and the local North American Indians, along with the Mexican Indians, kept their heads down. All that began to change after ITCAI came along in 1993.

As I have said, the media had a heyday, Indians were now new to San Antonian's, and it was a slow news day, week, month and year; there was a feeding frenzy to come if just one Indian popped his or her head up, and most of it was a result of the lack of Indian icons. Where had all the feathers, bows and arrows and bones in the noses of aborigines gone, certainly not in the Daughters of the Republic of Texas [DRT] gift shop with the rubber tomahawk's, plastic arrow's and gaudy Tom-Tom's. Indians were the forgotten people.

Although ITCAI used few icons beyond Texan dress and business suits, they did use some, such as, a large council drum, a flint tipped arrow as a scepter or pointer and when the DRT banned arrows from Alamo property as a lethal weapon (must have been the lack of a rubber stick'um tip), finally, a cedar tree staff taken from the Texas hill country.

NEXT: THE BATTLE BEGINS!

Gary J. Gabehart, Mishiho (Mish-eh-ho)
Mishiho@aol.com