Dishchii’bikoh Community School and the Heroes of Cibecue History Club celebrated the opening of their “Heroes of Cibecue” museum and book exhibit Saturday at the Gila County Historical Museum.
The exhibit showcases student-authored books created through a community-based history project documenting the lives and military service of local Apache veterans. Students researched, wrote, illustrated and published the “Heroes of Cibecue” books to help preserve those stories for future generations.
“Since we as the future generation are the future adults, we have to preserve our history and our culture, and especially the stories of our elders, because they have knowledgeable stories and teachings,” said Katelyn Denise Thompson, president of the Heroes of Cibecue History Club and a junior at Dishchii’bikoh Community School. “I just feel that it is necessary to share their story before it's all gone.”
The celebration was highlighted by the formal presentation of a replacement Purple Heart Medal to Mr. Homer Beatty, a 96-year-old member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe and a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War. Beatty lost his original Purple Heart after three fires destroyed his home.
Also during the event, a collection of original drawings created in 1967 by students of Cibecue Day School was formally turned over to Dishchii’bikoh Community School. The artwork had been preserved for decades by benefactors in New Jersey and will now become part of the school’s shared historical record.
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