Las Vegas Review-Journal (Las Vegas, NV) September 19, 1998 Saturday, FINAL EDITION SECTION: B; Pg. 6B
HEADLINE: Groups try to repair rift after death
BYLINE: Ed Vogel
BODY: By Ed Vogel Donrey Capital Bureau
CARSON CITY _ In a gathering reminiscent of Vietnam anti-war prayer vigils, American Indians and Hispanics clasped hands in front of the state Capitol and prayed for peace Friday between warring factions in Carson City.
The city's Hispanics and Indians have been in a turmoil since Aug. 23 when 25-year-old Sammy Resendez was beaten to death in a local motel room.
Twelve Indian youths have been charged with murder in connection with the death.
Police suspect Resendez was killed by Indians to avenge the beating of an Indian woman earlier that evening by Hispanic gang members.
Resendez initially was identified by police as a member of a Hispanic gang, while the Indians were called members of another gang.
A preliminary hearing to bring formal charges against the Indians, ages 15 to 24, was conducted Friday before Justice of the Peace John Tatro. The hearing continues today.
Two young women, Lourdes Angel and Korinna Archuleta, organized the Friday vigil, including a march by about 70 Hispanics along Carson City's main street, to show their sorrow over Resendez's death.
Angel said she was upset because few Indians showed any sympathy for the young man's memory during their Sept. 4 march.
'We were upset. It was kind of like they were sticking up for a bad thing,' she said. 'We have a lot of pain.'
But Russell Redner, Nevada field director for the American Indian Movement, said the Indians only want to make sure their children receive a fair trial.
'We can't bring back Sammy, but we can extend our heartfelt sympathy to his family,' Redner said. 'There are bad feelings. We don't want anybody to be disrespected. We feel we all are one people from the same hemisphere.'
Carnations were passed out to about 80 people who gathered on the Capitol grounds, while dozens of police watched their every move.
Redner said Western Nevada Community College officials have offered space for a continuing dialogue between the two groups.
In a prayer in Spanish, resident Juan Martinez called Carson City a 'pueblo' for all kinds of people.
'This proves we can work together,' added Raquel Knecht, coordinator of Nevada Legal Services in Carson City.
Police also took extra precautions across the street from the Capitol at the city courthouse.
Hispanic demonstrators were confined behind a fence on one side of the courthouse steps, while Indians were allowed only on the other side.
'I was more afraid of the police presence than I was of the other group,' Archuleta said.
About 1,500 Indians live in Carson City, mainly in a colony in the southwestern part of the city and near the now-closed Stewart Indian School. The city Planning Department estimates that 9 percent of the community of 50,000 is Hispanic.
Angel said she and Archuleta want peace between Indians and Hispanics because both have young sons who could be future victims.
'These people are part of my community,' she said. 'I don't want this to go on because of my son. My son will be going to school with them.' -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <../attachments/20020701/dac7214d/attachment.htm>