Alianza Federal de Mercedes, which in English translates to Federal Land Grant Alliance, was a group led by Reies Tijerina based in New Mexico in the 1960s that fought for the land rights of Chicano New Mexicans.
| “ | Justice is Our Creed and the Land is Our Heritage. — Alianza Federal de Mercedes's slogan | ” |
The Alianza had affiliates in Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico and San Luis, Colorado.
Hispanic residents had settled in the areas of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado centuries before. Under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the United States Congress ostensibly guaranteed that current residents would retain their land rights after the New Mexico territory was transferred to U.S. ownership. However, by the 1960s, many traditional shepherds had lost their land to cattle ranchers and the U.S. Forestry Service.
Read more about Alianza Federal De Mercedes: The Tierra Amarilla Incident
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