by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
Ramona Fossum is a senior two sport all-state level athlete at Mescalero Apache School. She was an integral part of the recent 2020 NMAA State Class 2A state basketball championship title. The #2 seeded MAS Lady Chiefs beat the #1 seeded Peñasco Panthers 69-54 in mid-March. The volleyball team finished runner-up to state champion Texico in the 2019 Class 2A state tournament.
Ramona is Chiricahua Apache, Menominee, Navajo, Bad River Ojibwa, and Norwegian. She lives in Mescalero, New Mexico with her parents Ewell and Rebecca Fossum.
“My Indian name is Hadaa gu tu bichen huuya and means daughter of the lightning,” said Ramona. “My late grandfather was John G. Fossum, he was Menominee, Bad River Ojibwa, and Norwegian. He was from Neopit, Wisconsin, and lived here on the Mescalero Apache Reservation for 55 years. My dad took the family up there when my grandpa was still alive. He showed us where he grew up swimming on Legend Lake. I have an auntie in Keshena, WI and she is married to the Tribal Chairman Doug Cox. I also have two more aunts in Mescalero. My grandmother Ivora Fossum is a full-blooded Chiricahua Apache, and she is one of a few full blood Chiricahua Apache that still live here in Mescalero. Her grandmother was Lillian Mangas, and she was the granddaughter of Chiricahua Apache chiefs’ Victorio and Mangas Coloradas. Lillian Mangas married the son of a Chiricahua Apache scout named Charles Martine. His sons name was George Martine. Lillian and George had many children, the second born was named Evelyn, she was the last Chiricahua Apache POW born in U.S. captivity in 1912.”
“The Chiricahua were released in 1913 and many chose to live in Mescalero, NM. Evelyn was my dad’s grandmother, and she was betrothed to a Chiricahua Apache named Ashley Guydelkon. Ashley was the grandson of a Chiricahua Apache scout named Paul Guydelkon Sr. My other grandparents live on the Mescalero Reservation, my grandfather Raymond is an Apache tribal member and my grandmother Lula is a Navajo from the Shiprock area. They both support me like my late grandfather John and grandmother Ivora. We are very close to our family. My grandpa Raymond and Grandma Lula always travel with us whether my sister, brother, and I play fast-pitch softball, basketball tournaments, or it was high school volleyball, basketball, or softball, they always find a way to support us,” added Ramona.
“My siblings and I grew up on the baseball field, and gymnasiums,” said Ramona. “My parents played adult volleyball, slow-pitch softball, and my dad traveled with a native basketball team. They won a lot of trophies in whatever sports they played. My older sister Cyan was always the one who led them, and she won a state title in basketball with Tularosa High School in 2014, which was fifteen miles away from Mescalero. I was her catcher, third basemen, and usually a utility player when needed.”
“I compete for the Mescalero Apache Lady chiefs High School,” said Ramona. “My eighth grade and freshmen year, I played volleyball, basketball, and softball at Tularosa High School. I was an eighth-grade starter for the varsity softball team. I transferred after my freshmen year to Mescalero Apache High School because I wanted to make a name for myself. I participated in volleyball, basketball, track, and golf during my sophomore and junior year. My senior year I participated in cross-country, volleyball, basketball, but because of the corona virus, I was unable to throw the javelin, play golf, and compete in track this year. During junior year, our basketball team were state runner-ups in Class 2A. During my senior year, our volleyball team were the state runner-ups during the state volleyball championships. For basketball on the other hand, my team and I won our first 2A state championship this past season.”
“On our reservation, we learn to respect our elders, and to respect our traditions and ourselves,” said Ramona. “My parents taught my siblings and I that drugs and alcohol are detrimental to our health and wellbeing. These values help us to compete at a high level, and also helped us academically. Honestly, nobody influenced me and I created my own passion for the sports I play in.”
“My parents taught my siblings and I that drugs and alcohol are detrimental to our health and wellbeing,” said Ramona. “These values help us to compete at a high level, and also helps us academically. I created my own passion for the sports I play in, but my mom definitely played a part in helping me, she’s the voice I hear when I am at my weakest or lowest. She’s the one who tells me to always do my best in everything. She tells me to have fun first, if I am not having fun, then why are you playing. So now even when the pressure is on during a game, I manage to smile and have fun. My dad taught me to work hard and do my best because nothing will be given to me. I am the hardest on myself both on and off the court.”
“I am a member of the Mescalero branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,” said Ramona. “My parents and grandparents have raised me to face life the best way I can and always stay strong to my faith and heavenly father will always be with me. I have always worked hard at my practice with the team and on my own. I am very thankful for my grandpa, even though he is not a member of our church, he knows God very well and he knows that it is important to stay true, believe, and be grateful for everything he has given us.”
“Playing all these years, I have realized that the real practice comes from you heart and devotion to give to the love you have for a sport. I truly love softball and basketball, but I have also come to love all the sports I have played. I know it is a blessing to be able to play all these sports and I am grateful that I can,” added Ramona.
“I always challenge myself to be better than I was the day before,” said Ramona. “I challenge myself to get better every practice. I was never in competition with anyone but myself, and I recognize God has his own special blessing for me. My family has helped me tremendously in everything I do both on and off the court. They taught me that winning isn’t everything, just as long as I gave it my all. They also taught me to stay humble, to always have good sportsmanship, and especially honor and praise my Heavenly Father.”
“Some advice I want to give to young athletes is to always work hard in everything you do, whether on a court, field, or in school,” said Ramona. “Dream big, nobody can tell you what you can’t and can achieve. I want to stress how important it is to stay away from alcohol and drugs, that is a key factor to your health and wellbeing. Most importantly, school and family come first, and respect your elders, parents, teachers, coaches, and teammates.”
“Ramona is a great kid and works hard,” said Alice Velasquez, MAS head varsity girls’ volleyball coach. “She was an All State volleyball setter, an all star volleyball player, and an All District volleyball setter. One of the nicest most respectful kids I’ve ever worked with. She is at her best when the pressure was on in volleyball. She would look me right in the eye and focus to what I needed her to do. In volleyball she got the ball where we needed it and made a difference in our success.”
“We made history this year by being in the state volleyball championship game. It was the first-ever state trophy in volleyball for the school. Ramona was multi-faceted as a hitter and a digger. She worked hard for our team all year but even if she was exhausted at the state tournament she persevered to help us get to the championship. We played 13 games on the last day of the tournament. That perseverance will take her far in life long after the lights of her high school sports career is over,” added Coach Alice.
“Ramona is a great athlete,” said Elmer Chavez, head varsity girls’ basketball coach at Mescalero Apache School. “She is the best athlete in the school. Last year she placed second at the state track meet. Ramona and Tunte Baca were part of this years’ runner-up at the state volleyball meet. Ramona made 2nd team All State last year and made 1st team All State this year.”
“Ramona had a great career for Mescalero High School despite having many injuries,” said Coach Elmer. “Last year she missed four basketball games with back spasms and was able to come back for state and lead our girls to the state finals. This year Ramona pulled her calf muscle at the ‘District Championship’ game. Our trainer Godfrey Córdoba treated her four times a day using the Russian method of treatment of five minutes ice and five minutes hot water. Our superintendent was a certified trainer, and he worked her in the pool daily for the week. Ramona never practiced but came back to lead her team for the next four games to the state championship. Ramona is a gamer, and great under pressure.”
Photo Credit: John Vestal – Sports Fanatic Photography
