A Cornerstone of Buffalo Soldier
History in Arizona
2025 Groundbreaking
On January 30, 2025, the Naco Heritage Alliance (NHA) reached a critical milestone. Working with our partner Durazo Construction Corporation we took the plunge and broke ground, formally beginning Phase One of the rehabilitation of Camp Naco. We were honored to be joined by a color guard with members of our local VFW and American Legion, as well as numerous NHA board members, City officials and council members, and many dedicated supporters of the Camp Naco project. We could not have reached this point without the support of State of Arizona’s Governor’s Office and the Mellon Foundation.
Joining us at this historic moment were (First Photo - from left to right) Demetria Warren, Southwest Association of Buffalo Soldiers (SWABS) President, Jeremy Fricke, Naco Heritage Alliance Executive Director, Margaret Hagen, Naco Heritage Alliance Board Chair, Nathalia Untiveros, Deputy Director, Southern Arizona Office of the Governor, Bisbee Mayor Ken Budge, City of Bisbee City Manager Steve Pauken, Charles Hancock, SWABS member, JD Durazo, Durazo Construction, Mike Normand, Camp Naco Construction Project Manager, and Rosendo Arrieta, Naco Heritage Alliance Vice President.
NHA Executive Director Jeremy Fricke explains that "The Naco Heritage Alliance sits in a unique position—physically and historically—to tell the story of boundaries and borders. More than a century ago, Camp Naco was home to the Buffalo Soldiers. But they were not the only ones to pass through this land. Indigenous communities have walked these grounds. Latine communities have built their lives here. And today, just a few blocks away, the border wall stands as a reminder of the complex realities we face.
But imagine with me—imagine that Camp Naco becomes a place where the stories of all the peoples of the borderlands are honored. A place where history is preserved, where the arts and culture thrive, and where the local communities of Naco and Bisbee will find a resource they can be proud of. A place that uplifts the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers while also serving as a space for dialogue, education, and celebration of the vibrant cultures that have shaped this region."
For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Jeremy Fricke at jfricke@bisbeeaz.gov
Thursday, February 12, 5-6:00 PM MST Online and Free to Attend Register at this link. During the era of the Mexican Revolution, many African Americans traveled and lived in Mexico. Join Naco Heritage Alliance with special guest Dr. Laura Hooton as she provides a glimpse into the experiences of some of these men and women, including activists, businessmen, soldiers, writers, athletes, and travelers. About The Speaker Dr. Laura Hooton is an Assistant Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the History Department at New Mexico State University. She teaches and writes about African American history, borderlands history, migration and immigration, and social movements and civil rights. She is the co-author of Almost All Aliens: Immigration, Race, and Colonialism in American History and Identity , Second Edition. Her next book, Little Liberia: A Dream of Black Freedom in the US-Mexico Borderlands , will be published this year.
January 16, 23, & 30, 2-3:30 PM Copper Queen Library - 6 Main Street, Bisbee Free to attend In partnership with Copper Queen Library, Naco Heritage Alliance is excited to present this free, three-part educational series on the history of the Borderlands with Becky Orozco, Professor Emerita of Anthropology, Cochise College. Attend all three events, or one or two that suit your interests. January 16 - The Archaeology of Cochise County For more than 10,000 years people have called this region home. Learn about the prehistoric residents of our region from the earliest residents who hunted now extinct mammoths through the first indigenous peoples who encountered explorers from Spain and the United States. January 23 - La Frontera: A History of Our Border Region Cochise County has always been a borderlands. From prehistoric times the mountains and valleys of the sky islands have been corridors for explorations and conquest. The first Spanish explorers traveled these pathways in the 16th Century. Mexico's battles for independence and then in revolution often focused on this northern frontier. The westward push for gold and Manifest Destiny established the current line. Learn how these stories still resonate and shape today's borderline. January 30 - A History of Conflict: Camp Naco, the Bisbee Deportation and World War I Our small section of the US-Mexico border has been the focus of major military and civil conflicts in the early 20th Century. Learn how the stories of these people and events intertwined in this small region of Cochise County and how work continues int he present to preserve this history.
Friday, December 19th, 4:00 - 7:00PM Boys & Girls Club of Bisbee - 405 Arizona Street, Bisbee, AZ Free to attend with registration, $35 Custom Gingerbread Barracks Kit available while supplies last. Register to attend and/or reserve your gingerbread kit at https://givebutter.com/adobe-gingerbread. Join us for Adobe & Gingerbread, a family-friendly evening that blends tradition, creativity, and a little bit of borderlands flavor. Enjoy a special presentation on traditional adobe building by Zach Palma of Sky Island Alliance, tasty food from Goar Park Lunches, and plenty of hands-on holiday fun. Custom Camp Naco–inspired gingerbread barracks kits will be available for purchase, and the event is free with reservation. Come learn something new, build something sweet, and kick off the holidays with our community!
Friday, December 5th, 7:00 PM Central School Project Theater - 43 Howell Ave, Bisbee, AZ Free to attend, refreshments by donation. Central School Project and Naco Heritage Alliance have partnered up to deliver this special movie night in the Central School Project theater! Harrod Blank, Les Blank's son, also a filmmaker and truly a maker of magic and wonder in Douglas with his Art Car world, will be present and will lead a Q&A following the screening of this timeless beautiful movie that speaks to immigration, and celebrates food, music, resilience, and love of life. Doors open at 6:30 PM.
Veterans Day, Tuesday November 11, 2pm Rothery Education Center – 3305 E. Fry Blvd, Sierra Vista Food provided by Tee Pee Fry Bread of Huachuca City Free to attend, registration required and space is limited Register here: https://givebutter.com/WarriorTradition Join the Naco Heritage Alliance for a Veterans Day movie night. This one-hour, national documentary tells the astonishing, heartbreaking, inspiring, and largely-untold story of Native Americans in the United States military. Come learn more about Native Americans and their stories related to the military and the United States. Our sincere thanks to Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona ( www.lfsaz.org ) for making this event possible. Food will also be provided at the event by Tee Pee Fry Bread, offering plenty of options, from sweet to savory. "The Warrior Tradition describes the complex Native American situation in our society. Why would Indian men and women put their lives on the line for the very government that took their homelands? The film relates the stories of Native American warriors from their own points of view – stories of service and pain, of courage and fear." - PBS.org For additional information or to register by phone, contact Program Associate Cesilia Garcia at (520) 910–1169
Our fellow Beverely Elliot with the African American Museum of Southern Arizona (AAMSAZ) is hosting 'A Taste of African American History' with three food trucks in Tucson on October 25 and Bisbee on November 8 . The African American Museum of Southern Arizona with a $20,000 fellowship from the Naco Heritage Alliance, is proud to present this event designed to share with you, the community, the cultural context of food in African American celebrations. Let them take you on a delicious adventure as three separate food trucks will prepare grab and go soul food delicacies that are historical and traditional to the culture including authentic Buffalo Soldier fare and foods central to Juneteenth celebrations, Freedom Day fare of New Year’s Day delights! Click the links below to register for this free event. Space is limited, so sign up today! October 25 Tucson event Willie Blake Community Park, 3525 South Naco Vista, Tucson, AZ 85713 Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/.../a-taste-of-african... November 8 Bisbee event Historic Warren Ballpark, 99 Arizona St., Bisbee AZ 85603 Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/.../a-taste-of-african...
