Santana

Until now, Santana -- among the most brilliant chiefs of the Mescalero Apache -- has been virtually unmentioned in historical accounts of the Mescalero.

Santana was a remarkable man for any age or time. He recognized his limitations in dealing with Anglo invaders bent on overwhelming and destroying his culture and his people. He was able to step outside his cultural heritage of war and conquest, use his exceptional skills as tactician, negotiator and leader, and find a way to preserve -- with a minimum of bloodshed -- both his culture and his people.

In a time of increasingly violent cultural and religious conflicts in our own world, Santana's story deserves substantial recognition.