Mike Belcher of Dispatch

Preserving His Indian Heritage

Biographical Information
Reprinted and condensed from Among Ourselves, January 1972

Los Angeles Times
Times Mirror Square
Los Angeles, California 90053

Mike Belcher of the Times Dispatch department was known as a soft-spoken activist dedicated to preserving and promoting Native American heritage and culture.

Belcher’s concern for Native American issues was deeply personal. Descended from the California Mission Indians, he was also connected through marriage to the Navajo Nation, as his wife was full-blooded Navajo. His grandfather, Artie Ortego, also known as “Little Horse,” was among the first Native American actors in the motion picture industry.

In May of 1971, Mike Belcher was elected to the board of directors of the Los Angeles Indian Center, an organization serving as a cultural refuge and meeting place for Native Americans living in the metropolitan Los Angeles area. His involvement in Native affairs, however, began much earlier during his youth.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Belcher developed a strong interest in the traditions and ways of his ancestors. He studied Native lore, learned archery, and practiced traditional Native crafts. As a teenager, he became involved with the YMCA Indian Guides program, where he taught younger children Native lore and crafts. He also worked in private camps as a counselor, crafts instructor, and archery instructor.

After graduating from high school in Los Angeles, Belcher joined the California National Guard. Following six months of active duty, he began working closely with the Los Angeles Indian Center, focusing primarily on youth outreach programs.

Belcher worked to create positive activities for Native youth, helping organize dances and social events in Elysian Park. During this time, he met his future wife, Rose Marie, at one of the dances hosted through the Indian Center.

Alongside his community involvement, Belcher became active in organizations such as the Catholic Indian Club and the Navajo Sand Painters Club. He also began developing what he called the “Library of Native American Literature and History.”

The library project began with Belcher collecting newspaper and magazine articles related to Native American history and culture. He carefully organized and archived these materials by tribe and subject matter. After joining the Los Angeles Times, he consulted with Microfilm Services to learn methods of preserving his growing collection through microfilming.

Belcher described the library as a lifelong project and hoped it would eventually serve as an educational resource for Native American children and future generations.

As a board member of the Indian Center, Belcher believed Native communities needed to lead efforts addressing the challenges faced by Native people adapting to city life. He advocated for larger gathering spaces, social programs, and summer camps designed to reconnect Native youth with cultural traditions that risked being lost through urban assimilation.

He stated:

“We need a permanent summer camp where youth can learn some of the things they have lost through being assimilated into city life.”