Eloisa Garcia Tamez

Eloisa Garcia Tamez (b. March 2, 1935) was born in rancheria El Calaboz (San Pedro de Carricitos Land Grant, Spain 1763) and is a co-founder of the Lipan Apache Women Defense/Strength to protect sacred sites, burial grounds, archaeological resources, ecological bio-diversity, and way of life of the indigenous people of the Lower Rio Grande, North America.

Her legal battle against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Michael Chertoff to stop the construction of the Mexico-U.S. border wall is documented in the constitutional rights case, U.S. Department Homeland Security, U.S. Army Corps Engineers and U.S. Customs Border Patrol v. Eloisa Garcia Tamez. She is the direct descendent of Lipan Apache, Chiricahua Apache and Basque people of the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

At the age of 15, Eloisa Garcia Tamez led the rancheria of El Calaboz in de-segregation of public schools in Cameron County.

Her class action legal suit against the United States has been documented by scholars, news journalists, writers and activists interested in the ancient, colonial and present-day histories of Apache women leaders of the Mexico-U.S. border region.

Her challenges to racial discrimination and structural violence against the indigenous people of the region positions her as a Native American, female leader of the 21st century.

References

* [http://www.riograndeguardian.com/rggnews_story.asp?story_no=20 Eloisa Tamez Opens Her Gates To Border Fence Surveyors. Rio Grande Guardian, April 22, 2008]
* [http://www.texasobserver.org/article.php?aid=2688 Holes in the Wall. Melissa del Bosque, The Texas Observer,February 22, 2008]
* [http://www.democracynow.org/2008/2/27/holes_in_the_wall_texas_border Holes in the Wall Texas Border Wall Bypassing Wealthy Residents With Bush Admin Ties, Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!]
* [http://www.texasobserver.org/web_features/border_interviews/index.php Dispatches from the Border Wall, Melisssa del Bosque, The Texas Observer, February 22, 2008]
* [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/DN-borderfence_10tex.ART.State.Edition1.3738333.html Dallas News, 07:55 AM CST on Thursday, January 10, 2008. Border landowners face legal battle in fence plan. U.S. preparing cases; opponents say ancestral rights are at stake]
* [http://www.abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/wireStory?id=4111140 ABC News - Government May Sue over Border Fence]
* [http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20080120123103575 Sick, Collin. Infoshop News, Sunday, January 20 2008 @ 12:31 PM PST Indigenous Alliance in solidarity with Apaches at Texas border]
* http://www.latinalista.net/palabrafinal/2007/11/texas_indigenous_group_pleas_for_help_fr.html
* http://www.texasobserver.org/web_features/border_interviews/index.php?page=brownsville-1

* [http://www.care2.com/news/member/190759443/622497 Homeland Security Sues Lipan Apache Eloisa Tamez for Land for Border Wall]