Tierra Amarilla is a small town in the
Carson National Forest[?] in northern
New Mexico, county seat of
Rio Arriba County. On June 5, 1967, a small band of
Hispanic men affiliated with
Alianza Federal de Mercedes led by
Reies Tijerina[?] attempted to arrest the district attorney of the county and put him on trial. There were shots fired and two men were wounded. The invaders held the
courthouse for two hours, ransacking it, but the district attorney was out of town. The National Guard, including armored tanks, was called in by
Governer Cargo[?]. While the gunmen were in hiding, the National Guard held many of their family members captive. This incident received national publicity and brought the Alianza's cause to public attention.
- Grito! Reies Tijerina and the New Mexico Land Grant War of 1967 Richard Gardner[?], Harper Colophon Books, New York, 1970, trade paperback, 292 pages, ISBN 06-090247-7
- The Great Taos Bank Robbery and other Indian Country Affairs, Tony Hillerman[?], University of New Mexico Press, Albquerque, 1973, trade paperback, 147 pages, ISBN 0-8263-0530-X
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