Mescalero Apache exhibit to open at Branigan Cultural Center in Las Cruces
A new exhibit featuring the Mescalero Apache Tribe opens April 4 at the Branigan Cultural Center in Las Cruces, with performances and vendors planned.
“Land of the People: Ndende bì Ke’ya” runs April 4 through June 27 and features performances, vendors at opening event
Organ Mountain News report
LAS CRUCES - The Branigan Cultural Center will open a new exhibit highlighting the Mescalero Apache Tribe on Saturday, April 4.
The exhibit, Land of the People: Ndende bì Ke’ya, will run through June 27 and is part of a rotating gallery space dedicated to Indigenous communities.
The opening reception is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 4 at the museum, 501 N. Main St. Members of the Mescalero Apache Tribe will perform social dances and songs, and vendors will offer items for purchase.
The Mescalero Apache have long lived across southern New Mexico, moving seasonally through desert, grasslands, mountains and river valleys. Their movements center on four sacred mountains: Sierra Blanca, Guadalupe, Oscura/Salinas and the Three Sisters.
The Mescalero Apache Reservation, the southernmost federal reservation in New Mexico, was established by executive order in 1873 under President Ulysses S. Grant.
Today, the tribe includes Mescalero, Lipan Apache and Chiricahua Apache members, with more than 5,000 people living on the reservation. The community continues to observe traditional ceremonies, including a coming-of-age ceremony held each July.
The Branigan’s rotating Indigenous gallery changes every 12 weeks to highlight different communities. Upcoming exhibits will feature the Piro-Manso-Tiwa Indian Tribe from July 18 through Oct. 10, the Chiricahua Apache Nation from Nov. 7 through Jan. 30, 2027, and the Gila Apache from Feb. 20 through May 15, 2027.
The Branigan Cultural Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free. The museum is accessible via Roadrunner Transit Route 1, Stop 1.
For more information, visit LasCruces.gov/Museums or call 575-541-2154.
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