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 The exact origin of the name 'Apache' has been clouded by time. They called themselves N'dee, or "the people". The earliest Spaniards exploring New Mexico translated the Zuni name for the nearby Navajo as 'Apachis de Nabaju'. They were known by the Ute as 'Awatchi'. The Yuma called the Apache "fighting men" and in Zuni they were known as "the enemy". It is thought that the Apache people may have originally migrated to the Southwest around 850 AD from northwestern Canada. Other tribes of the same language family, then residing along the eastern rim of the Rockies may have also come to the Southwest with the Apache. It's a possibility that the Navajo people came to the Southwest in this migration, as they share the same language family and are the Southwest tribe closest to the Apache. The Navajo may have later split apart and became a tribe in their own right, following the farming ways of the Pueblo and departing from the nomadic life of the Apache. The migration theory is supported by the fact that the Apache were not farmers like their Southwest neighbors, but rather moved from place to place following the hunt and seasons. Apache myths, their language and ceremonial rites are also very similar to those of the Northwest tribes and tribes in Western Siberia. The Apache were considered a fierce people by their farming neighbors as they were a nomadic, hunting people. They also fought fiercely to defend their people and their sacred lands from other tribes and invaders from Mexico, as well as from the westward moving settlers later. Spanish explorers first encountered the Apache in the 1540s AD and called them "Vaqueros" or "cattlemen" because of their hunting lifestyle. The Spanish push northward displaced Apache people and they defended their land with the use of guerilla tactics. These same tactics were used to turn back invasions of Mexicans, other tribes and even the Americans. Apache were greatly feared by these people until they were forced onto reservations in the mid-1800s. In all, this earned them the reputation of a war-like character, and the names they were known as by neighboring tribes and people who came in contact with Apache warriors.
 
Click on map above to view larger and more readable version... :) Homeland in the Southwest... The entire expanse of the Apache homeland covered Arizona, New Mexico, parts of Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Utah and even as far south as Mexico. Because of having such a large area known to be "Apache lands" or "Apacheria" as it has come to be known, the Apache are composed of 6 regional groups or bands. Some of the bands include even smaller bands of Apache, such as the White Mountain Apache. Language, customs and such differ slightly between some of the regions - for example, the Kiowa-Apache have adopted some of the Plains tribes' ways. The 6 regional bands of Apache are:
--> Western Apache, also known as Coyotero includes White Mountain, Cibueque, San Carlos, Northern and Southern Tonto bands - occupy most of eastern Arizona
A 1680 count records the number of Apache at about 5,000. Five thousand Apache people roamed the Southwest. By 1989, about 30,000 people are registered and known Apache tribe members, most on reservations in Arizona and New Mexico. Today, there are three Apache reservations in Arizona - Fort Apache Reservation, San Carlos Reservation and the Yavapai-Apache Reservation. There is a Jicarilla and a Mescalero reservation in New Mexico, as well as a Lipan Apache reservation in Oklahoma, the Fort Sill Reservation. The only reservation I will detail the history of here, of course, will be the Fort Apache Reservation, home of the White Mountain Apache Tribe.
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| The Forts... Invaders from Mexico had long been Apache enemies, so it was no surprise that when folks from the United States began entering the Southwest, the Apache considered them as allies against the Mexicans. After the Mexican War (1846-1848), the US Government believed that the Apache were going to troublesome. Apache warriors still continued raids against their enemy and the Mexican government was pressuring the US Government to put an end to the raids. By 1957, the US put a garrison post near modern-day Patagonia, AZ, named Fort Buchanan. This fort, however, was isolated and hard to maintain, so at the start of the Civil War, it was abandoned. in fact, at the start of the Civil War, most regular army troops left Arizona. In the spring of 1862, Major James H. Carleton and his California Volunteers entered Arizona and once again US troops were emloyed against the Apache. In 1864, Fort Goodwin was established near present-day Bylas, AZ. This fort was later renamed Fort Thomas in 1876 and was meant to control the Pinal Apaches. Fort Thomas shall be mentioned again in just a little bit as it is part of Fort Apache's history. In October 1860, Apache riders raided the ranch of John Ward. His son was taken, his cattle let loose and his belongings taken. He rode to Fort Buchanan and reported this to the commanding officer there. For some unknown reason to this day, action against this raid was not taken until January 29, 1861. On that day, a force was sent out to Apache Pass to retake the son Ward and the stolen livestock. They traveled to Apache Pass by February 3rd and camped. Not too far away, Chiricahua leader Cochise was camped with his people. Cochise saw the US troops coming and inquired about their presence in the pass. That same day, he and a small party entered the US camp to greet the troops. He and his band were to end up being held accountable for the raid on the Ward's ranch.
 Cochise and his party were interrogated. The leader offered that it may have been the Coyoteros or White Mountain Apache who conducted the raid, but the US leader heard none of it. The Apaches were to be held until the Ward son and cattle could be returned. Cochise managed to escape.. That night, he returned with force, asking about the welfare of one of those held and was answered with fireshots. The next day, he and the US leader met to negotiate. Cochise demanded his family while the US leader demanded the Ward son. Gunfire ended the talk and that night the drums of war beat throughout the canyon. The Apaches had captured one of the coach drivers and the next morning offered him in exchange for the Apache captives. The US leader said declined the offer. After serveral more attempts at peaceful ways of handling the issue, on February 8th, Cochise and the Apaches struck at Apache Pass, starting what became known as the Apache Wars. This lasts for 25 years, until the death of Geronimo in 1886. Fort Apache history lands right in the middle of it all. February 1863 - Arizona was separated from New Mexico and became a territory of the United States of America. "White" settlers began arriving in northern Arizona territory. 1869 - Brevet Colonel John Green marches from Fort Thomas with a small expeditionary force and authority to destroy crops, food stocks and "hostile" people. They burn more than 100 acres of corn. The White Mountain Apche remain friendly and no retaliation is taken against the expeditionary force. Taken by surprise at the unexpected pece from these "hostile indians", Green instead finds a peaceful Apache people living on ancestral lands. There is an abundance of timber, water, game and farm land here, so Green recommends a fort be built at the confluence of the North and East forks of the White River. He pushes for the deployment of a four-company army post to occupy the fort and protect peaceful Apaches from joining hostile bands and to protect them from the invasion of settlers looking for land, timber and minerals. 1870 - A fort and reservation are established for the White Mountain and Cibuecue Apache near Whiteriver, Arizona. The original reservation reached roughly from the Gila River to the Mogollon Rim and from Cherry Creek to the New Mexico border, about twice the present-day size. On May 16, the 1st Calvary is posted at the fort, called Camp Ord. On Aug 1, Camp Ord's name is changed to Camp Mogollon, then later to Camp Thomas. 1871 - On February 2, the name is once again changed from Camp Thomas ro Camp Apache. Lt Colonel George Crook and Capt. John G. Bourke arrive to command the Department of Arizona. In the summer, Crook enlists 44 Apache Scouts from the White Mountain and Cibuecue bands to serve in the Army for the Tonto Basin campaign of 1872-73. 1872/1873 - Quarters at Camp Apache are primitive, consisting of rows of log squad huts and tents. Crook occupies the log cabin at the end of Officer's Row. Crook and his 44 Apache Scouts comb through the Tonto Basin going after hostile bands of Apache and Yavapai. 1873 - Crook promoted to Brigadier General for his success with the Tonto Basin Campaign. February 1, 1877 - Fort Apache Military Reservation established by executive order. April 5, 1879 - Camp Apache changed to Fort Apache. Jan 1880 - Geronimo returns to San Carlos. 1881 - Also, under pressure from settlers, Indian Agent John Clum moves many Tonto, White Mountain, Cibuecue and Chiricahua Apache forcibly to San Carlos Agentry where they lived under concentration camp-like conditions. On August 30, the 1st Cav was ordered to arrest a medicine man accused by settlers of rebel rousing. A battle followed the arrest, Battle of Cibuecue - the medicine man, some followers and 8 US troops were killed. Seeking retaliation, Apache on horseback attacked Fort Apache but were driven back. This is the only time the fort was ever attacked. 1882 - On July 6, a band of roughly 50 Apache warriors escaped Fort Apache and began raiding throughout the Rim country. They were located by US troops on July 17 at Big Dry Wash and the resulting battle was the last major action of the northern Apache Wars. March 1884 - Geronimo surrenders and brought to Turkey Creek, near Fort Apache.
 May 17, 1885 - Geronimo, Naiches (Cochise's son), Chihuahua, Nana, Mangus and about 40 warriors and 90 women and children bolt from Fort Apache. 1886 - On March 25, General Crook confers with Geronimo at Canon de los Embudos. On April 1, Crook is reassigned - he is replaced by Brigadier General Nelson A. Miles. On September 4, Geronimo surrenders to Miles and on the 6th, he and his followers are shipped by rail to Florida. This is the end of the Apache War. White Mountain and Cibuecue Apaches who were forced to San Carlos are released and allowed to return to their homeland. 1890-1910 - Fort Apache is a unique mix of peoples that interacted socially. In addition to "white" soldiers of every ethnic background, there are African American troops, Chinese, Mexicans and Americans in civilian employ. 1995 - Restoration of Gen. Crook's log cabin is completed and now houses the Office of Tourism and Tribal Enterprise Division 
The Apache spoken language is a member of the Athapascan language family, the same family that the northwest US, western Canada and Alaskan tribes' languages belong to. The Navajo also speak an Athapascan-based language. It is a very tonal language, much like Chinese or Vietnamese. Like many Athapascan languages, Apache has animacy in its grammar, with certain nouns taking different verb forms from others according to their “rank”. Like Navajo, there are four vowels - A, E, I, O - and these may all be pronounced nasally, long, high in tone or all three. Different bands of the Apache speak different variations, or dialects of Apache. To learn some Apache words, you can go here... The Apache also used smoke signaling to communicate over long distances. Like many native peoples, they also told stories in the form of images known as pictographs. When trading, sign language was used to communicate with other tribes and later with settlers.
A place to call home... They lived in homes called wikiups. A wikiup was a small dome-shaped hut that was usually built by the women. A level spot on the earth was dug and a circle roughly 8ft across was drawn on the spot. Beside the circle, a small trench was then built and thin poles of willow or oak were placed upright to make the dome shape. The tops of the poles were pulled together and tied with yucca plant strands. The outside of the frame was then covered with bundles of grass and branches. The top of the wikiup was only 5-6ft high in the center and an opening was left at the top to allow fire smoke to escape in cold weather. Only a few Apache lived in tipis or earth hogans. Women also built a type of upright shade, a roof supported by four poles, called a ramada. These armadas shaded the people from the hot Arizona sun when they were outdoors and often provided shelter as the women worked around the camp.
 Dinnertime... The women would gather plants. Yucca fruit was harvested in the spring. In late spring, they harvested mescal cactus, a large-leafed plant that grows in the shape of a cabbage head, but tastes like squash. Other foods that were gathered were nuts like pinons, acorns, prickly pears, sumac berries, cactus, mountain plants, lip fern, corn, wild potatoes, chokecherries, pitahaya cactus, salt, honey, mulberries, juniper and mesquite. Plants gathered were steamed in a deep pit. The pit would be lined with stones and a fire would be built in it. The fire would be allowed to burn out and plants were piled on top of the hot stones. They were then covered in wet grass and left for most of the day. Later on, some of the steamed plants would be dried for the cold season. Berries were pounded into small cakes and dried in the sun. Once winter came, the Apache buried their food for safekeeping. As has been mentioned before, the Apache were a nomadic people, moving throughout the Southwest, following the hunt and seasons. They never lived in any one place long. They practiced only limited farming and in times of a bad hunt or lack of food, they would raid neighboring tribes or settlers to feed their people. The men hunted for food when they could. They hunted by foot and later, when horses were reintroduced to North America, they hunted by horse. They ate and hunted prairie dogs, squirrels, rabbits, deer, elk, antelope, wild turkeys, small birds, wood rats, horses, mules, mountain sheep and turtles. Occasionally, they hunted buffalo. Anything furry that was deemed edible they hunted. The only animals Apache never really touched were fish, or any animal that lived in water.
 What they wore... Early on, Apache clothing was made from deer hide or other animal hides. Each hide was soaked in water and then stretched and rubbed to make it soft. Hair, both human and animal, was used to decorate clothing. Men wore breechcloths and moccasins in warm weather. In the cold weather, they wore shirts that came almost to the their knees and leggings. Their moccasins usually reached to the knee or slightly above in usual Apache style. The soles were covered with rough, untreated animal skin. Men wore a simple headband of deerskin and later, trade cloth. In the 1800s, men began wearing vests much like the settlers and Mexicans wore. Women wore skirts in warm weather, with the edges fringed. Sometimes, the dresses were decorated with porcupine quills. They wore high boot top moccasins. Women usually wore their hair long and straight rather than the common braids other Native Americans wore. By the late 1800s, the women were wearing Mexican clothing made of colorful cottons.
 Leisure time... The Apache women were well-known basket weavers. When they were on the move and traveling, women packed all that they possessed in baskets that could carry heavy loads. They were known as Apache burden baskets and they hung across their backs and shoulders. They were made from different plants, reeds and shrubs. Most were made from yucca leaves, willow reeds or juniper bark. Flowers made dyes that were used to paint designs on the baskets. The Apache were known to use the coiling and twining technique. Once the food from a hunt had been properly eaten and the extra stored, everything else was used - furs were used for warm clothing and decoration, skins were used for everyday clothing, teeth were used to adorn things, bones were used to make tools. Nothing was wasted. From deer and elk tendons, they made sinew to sew things with. Animal stomachs were sometimes used as boiling pots or water canteens. Deer brains were used in a process of leather tanning called braintan. Turtle shells were also used to make ceremonial rattles or for carrying things. The men fashioned tools and weapons in their free time from bones. Spears, bows, arrows and lances were made, using different parts. Knifes were often made from deer scapula or ribs from larger animals. Any leisure time adult Apache had was usually used to aid in the everyday life of the tribe, whether it was making tools to hunt with or clothes to keep warm with. Children played games like Moaning Stick and learned from the elders how to make things and get along in the life of the tribe.
...more credits can be found on credits page...
last updated 06/28/03 - 
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