Some Call Native Americans ‘Indians.’ I Believe I’ll Call These Guys Simply 'Heroes.'
There are some jobs that just look ... well, nearly impossible. For these guys? Piece of cake.
There are seven Hotshot crews in operation:
Fort Apache IHC
Their home base is Whiteriver, Arizona, on the White Mountain Apache Reservation. It was the first nationally funded all-Native American Hotshot crew in the country.
Geronimo IHC
Members of the Geronimo Hotshots pride themselves on being in prime physical and mental shape. The film clip above is all about these folks. Check it out.
Golden Eagles
The only Hotshot crew based in California, it's based on the Sycuan Reservation.
Navajo IHC
This crew is based out of Fort Defiance, Arizona, on the Navajo Reservation, near the four-corners region (where Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah come together).
Warm Springs IHC
Based on the Warm Springs Reservation in Oregon, it's the second-oldest Native American crew in existence.
Zuni IHC
This crew is based in west-central New Mexico on the Zuni Reservation. Its first assignment was to assist with the World Trade Center attack in 2001.
Chief Mountain IHC
These folks are based out of the Blackfeet Reservation in Browning, Montana, right next to Glacier National Park. On average, the crew fights 15 to 20 large fire incidents per year and travels 10,000 to 20,000 miles to do so.