Mary V. Riley
Mary V. Riley | |
---|---|
1962 groundbreaking ceremony for FATCO sawmill | |
Born | Mary Velasquez December 24, 1908 |
Died | October 5, 1987 | (aged 78)
Nationality | American |
Other names | Mary Velasquez Riley |
Occupation(s) | farmer, tribal council member |
Years active | 1958–1978 |
Known for | first woman elected to serve on the White Mountain Apache Tribal Council |
Mary V. Riley (December 24, 1908 – October 5, 1987) was an Apache tribal council member who was instrumental in the economic development of the White Mountain Apache Tribe. She was the first woman to be elected to serve on the tribal council and worked toward bringing timber and tourism industries to the reservation to ensure their economic stability. She was inducted into the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame posthumously in 1988.
Early life
[edit]Mary Velasquez was born on December 24, 1908[Notes 1] at Fort Apache, on the White Mountain Apache Reservation[3] to Nalatzalay (Belle née Ivins) and Jesus Velasquez.[2][3][4] Her father was born in Fort Davis, Texas to Mexican nationals from Coahuila, Martín and Juana (née Rivers) Velasquez,[5] and came to Fort Apache traveling with soldiers from Ft. Davis, as a child with his mother. He worked for a time as a translator and scout[6][7] and then managed a ranch where he provided supplies to the soldiers at the fort.[3] Her mother was a full-blood Apache and the daughter of Nadischaay.[2] Velasquez and her siblings grew up on their father's farm, helping with farm chores. She attended three years of school, but was forced to leave in the 1918 flu pandemic to help with sick relatives.[3]
Though she was unable to return to school, Velasquez became fluent in three languages: Apache, Spanish, and English. She read newspapers widely.[3][8] Velasquez first married Kurt Johnson[9] and then around 1936,[10] married Peter Kessay Riley,[11][12] with whom she raised her five children, all of whom were also trilingual, and to whom she stressed the importance of gaining an education.[3][8] She farmed as her father had, raising corn, potatoes, pumpkin and squash, as well as turkey, goat and sheep.[10]
Tribal career
[edit]In 1958, Riley became the first woman elected to serve on the White Mountain Apache Tribal Council.[3] She served on the health, education and welfare committee of the tribe and at various times, chaired the committee.[13][14] She made numerous trips to both the state capital, Phoenix and federal capital in Washington, D. C., lobbying on behalf of the tribe.[7][15] In an effort to improve situations for tribal members, she evaluated many programs for both economic and socio-cultural gains, looking at federal programs such as Job Corps[16] the Boy Scouts of America,[17] and Bureau of Indian Affairs loan programs for economic development. Riley represented three districts of the reservation[18] and was instrumental in projects, such as the Alchesay-Williams Creek National Fish Hatchery Complex, the Fort Apache Timber Company (FATCO), and the Sunrise Park Ski Resort and Hotel, among others, to expand the tribal enterprises and provide economic stability for the tribe.[10][19][18]
Ground was broken for FATCO in 1962 and by 1963 had replaced the hiring of outside operators to manage the timber reserves of the tribe. By managing their own lumber harvests and operating three saw mills, the tribe was able to provide both jobs for tribal members and goods to sell to a wider clientele.[20][21] Around the same time, the Alchesay-Williams Hatchery was developed to stock the local lakes which had been created on the reservation and protect species listed as threatened or endangered. Employment opportunities for tribal members were increased through jobs at the hatchery, related jobs in the tourism sector, and additional revenues were garnered through the sale of fishing licenses.[22] One of the largest projects was to convert 1.6 million acres of their lands into the Sunrise Park Resort. Constructing 20 recreational lakes, campsites, fishing and hunting venues, a ski resort, and hotels, the Tribal Council utilized their lands to generate a year-round tourist industry.[18][19]
Riley was interviewed as part of an Oral History Project sponsored by the Arizona State Department of Libraries and Archives in 1977.[23] After twenty years on the council, Riley retired in 1978.[15] She was honored by the state in 1984 during the Statehood Day Celebrations for her leadership and development.[24] Profits from FATCO were used to build the Mary V. Riley Building, which houses the tribal educational department.[20]
Death and legacy
[edit]Riley died on October 5, 1987, at White Mountain River Indian Hospital in Whiteriver, Arizona.[11] Posthumously, she was inducted into the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame, in 1988.[25]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ U.S. Indian Census 1916, p. 339.
- ^ a b c U.S. Indian Census 1909, p. 151.
- ^ a b c d e f g Arizona Women's Hall of Fame 1988.
- ^ Arizona Death Records & October 1, 1943.
- ^ Arizona Death Records & October 24, 1943.
- ^ Richens 1977.
- ^ a b Cavanaugh 1960, p. 1.
- ^ a b Adley-SantaMaria 1999, p. 16.
- ^ The White Mountain Independent 2012.
- ^ a b c White 1986, p. 10.
- ^ a b The Arizona Republic 1987, p. 53.
- ^ The Arizona Republic 1990, p. 11.
- ^ The Arizona Republic 1960, p. 15.
- ^ The Arizona Republic 1963, p. 8.
- ^ a b The Arizona Republic 1985, p. 256.
- ^ MacEarian 1965, p. 40.
- ^ The Arizona Daily Sun 1959, p. 8.
- ^ a b c Rolland 1972, p. 26.
- ^ a b McDowell 1967, p. 132.
- ^ a b Sheridan & Parezo 1996, p. 89.
- ^ Cavanaugh 1962, p. 12.
- ^ Behnke 2010, p. 129.
- ^ Richens 1977, pp. 1–2.
- ^ The Arizona Daily Star 1984, p. 14.
- ^ Conner 1988, p. 43.
Bibliography
[edit]- Adley-SantaMaria, Bernadette (Spring 1999). "Interrupting White Mountain Apache Language Shift: An Insider's View". Practicing Anthropology. 21 (2). Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Society for Applied Anthropology: 16–19. doi:10.17730/praa.21.2.xg837681g146453g. ISSN 0888-4552. JSTOR 24781621.
- Behnke, Robert (2010). Trout and Salmon of North America. New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4516-0355-2.
- Cavanaugh, Wade (31 December 1960). "Arizona Dancers Will Revive Past". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 1. Retrieved 12 August 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- Cavanaugh, Wade (1 April 1962). "White Mountain Apaches Break Ground for Sawmill". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 12. Retrieved 12 August 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- Conner, Pat (30 October 1988). "2 Tucson pioneer women inducted into Hall of Fame". The Arizona Daily Star. Tucson, Arizona. p. 43. Retrieved 12 August 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- MacEarian, W. Joynes (17 December 1965). "Arizona Apaches Keep Busy in Washington". The Arizona Daily Star. Tucson, Arizona. p. 40. Retrieved 12 August 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- McDowell, Edwin (September 17, 1967). "Exciting Transformation Underway on Fort Apache Indian Reservation". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 132. Retrieved 12 August 2017 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
- Richens, Barry (18 February 1977). "Velasquez Riley Family History, Part 1". Arizona Memory. Phoenix, Arizona: Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records. Retrieved 11 August 2017. and Richens, Barry (18 February 1977). "Velasquez Riley Family History, Part 2". Arizona Memory. Phoenix, Arizona: Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- Rolland, David (August 3, 1972). "Apache Tribe Brings Splendor to Reservation". Scottsdale, Arizona: Scottsdale Progress. p. 26. Retrieved 12 August 2017 – via Newspaperarchive.com.
- Sheridan, Thomas E.; Parezo, Nancy J. (1996). Paths of Life: American Indians of the Southwest and Northern Mexico. Tucson, Arizona: University of Arizona Press. p. 89. ISBN 978-0-8165-1466-3.
- White, Vennie (18 March 1986). "Day for renewal: Couple in Whiteriver put their special impression on family, friends, tribe". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. p. 10. Retrieved 12 August 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- "1909 Fort Apache Indian Census: Fort Apache, Arizona". archive.org. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Service. 30 June 1909. p. 151. NARA Microfilm Series #595, Roll 119. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- "1916 White Mt. Apache Indian Census: Fort Apache, Arizona". archive.org. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Service. 30 June 1916. p. 339. NARA Microfilm Series #595, Roll 120. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- "Arizona Deaths, 1870–1951: Belle Velasquez". FamilySearch. Phoenix, Arizona: Arizona State Department of Library and Archives. 1 October 1943. State File #314. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- "Arizona Deaths, 1870–1951: Jesus Velasquez". FamilySearch. Phoenix, Arizona: Arizona State Department of Library and Archives. 24 October 1943. State File #328. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- "Geraldine Adley". Show Low, Arizona: The White Mountain Independent. November 30, 2012. Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- "Mary V. Riley". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. October 8, 1987. p. 53. Retrieved 11 August 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Mary V. Riley (1908–1987)". AZWHF. Phoenix, Arizona: Arizona Women's Hall of Fame. 1988. Archived from the original on 23 June 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- "National, Local Officials Studying Methods of Extending Scouting to Apache Reservation". The Arizona Daily Sun. Flagstaff, Arizona. 10 December 1959. p. 8. Retrieved 12 August 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Peter Kessay Riley". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. 30 March 1990. p. 11. Retrieved 11 August 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Top Speakers Set for ASU Confab". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. 18 March 1963. p. 8. Retrieved 12 August 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Tribal Talks". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. December 2, 1960. p. 15. Retrieved 11 August 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Tucsonan honored at statehood party". The Arizona Daily Star. Tucson, Arizona. 14 February 1984. p. 14. Retrieved 12 August 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Women Who Govern". The Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. 24 February 1985. p. 256. Retrieved 12 August 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
[edit]- 1908 births
- 1987 deaths
- Women Native American leaders
- People from Navajo County, Arizona
- White Mountain Apache people
- American civil rights activists
- Native American women in politics
- American women farmers
- Native American people from Arizona
- 20th-century Native American women
- 20th-century Native Americans
- 20th-century American women farmers
- 20th-century American farmers