Bringing Our Ancestors Home: A Historic Reburial Ceremony in Presidio

On Saturday, November 1 at 9:00 a.m., the People of La Junta for Preservation will hold a public gathering for a sacred and historic moment — the Reburial Ceremony for several Ancestors of La Junta — at the Cementerio del Barrio de los Lipanes in Presidio, Texas. Following the ceremony, a community reception will be held at the American Legion, where families, friends, and supporters are invited to come together in reflection and solidarity.

Returning What Was Taken

For generations, the remains of our Ancestors — people who lived, loved, prayed, and cared for this land — were taken from their homeland by archaeologists and private collectors. Their bodies were removed from their final resting places and held in faraway institutions, disconnected from the land and community that gave them life.

In recent years, the Council of the People of La Junta, the traditional governing body of the descendants, alongside People of La Junta for Preservation — an Indigenous nonprofit led by the Aguilar and Ornelas families — have led the work to bring them home. Through years of advocacy, research, and community collaboration, these efforts are now culminating in the return of seven Ancestors to their rightful resting place along the Rio Grande.

Many local families have taken part in this process in deeply personal ways, participating in DNA studies that confirmed direct lineal connections to the Ancestors. These connections have made it possible to legally reclaim and repatriate their remains, a journey of return that is both profoundly emotional and spiritually significant.

A Ceremony of Love, Healing, and Responsibility

“This reburial is a profound act of love and responsibility,” said Melanie Hernandez, Executive Director of People of La Junta for Preservation. “For too long, the remains of our people were removed and studied without consent. By bringing them back to Presidio, we honor their lives, restore their dignity, and heal an open wound in our community.”

The ceremony is not simply about burial — it is about restoration. It is a public acknowledgment of past harms and a collective step toward healing. It is an act of honoring those who came before us and reaffirming that they will not be forgotten, erased, or displaced again.

Honoring a Living Legacy

The reburial is part of a larger movement of cultural and historical restoration in the La Junta region — one of the oldest continuously inhabited and cultivated places in North America. This sacred work reflects the resilience of Indigenous families who, despite displacement, colonization, and a lack of federal recognition, have continued to protect their histories, their stories, and their sacred sites.

The Cementerio del Barrio de los Lipanes stands today not only as a burial ground but as a living space of memory and presence. Each ancestor returned strengthens the bond between past and present and renews the connection between people and place — a connection that has never been broken, only interrupted.

A Collective Effort

This historic reburial has been made possible through the support and collaboration of many. Big Bend Conservation Alliance and The Mellon Foundation have played vital roles in supporting cultural preservation and in advancing the restoration of the cemetery. Their partnership, alongside the tireless work of families, descendants, and allies, ensures that the stories of the People of La Junta will continue to be told — not as artifacts of the past, but as the living heartbeat of a community.

Join Us

We invite all who wish to stand with us — descendants, neighbors, allies, and friends — to join this ceremony of remembrance and return. Together, we will honor the lives of our Ancestors, restore their place in the land they never left, and continue the work of healing, sovereignty, and cultural continuity.

Reburial Ceremony for Seven Ancestors of La Junta📅 Saturday, November 1 | 🕘 9:00 a.m.📍 Cementerio del Barrio de los Lipanes, Presidio, Texas☕ Reception to follow at the American Legion