Who Are the Apache?
The Apache (N'dee or Ndé, "The People") comprise several related Athabaskan-speaking peoples of the American Southwest and Northern Mexico. Major groups include the Western Apache, Chiricahua, Mescalero, Jicarilla, Lipan, and Plains Apache. Today, approximately 100,000 Apache live across reservations in Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. The Apache were the last Native peoples to surrender to the United States, and leaders like Geronimo, Cochise, and Lozen became legendary symbols of indigenous resistance. Apache culture emphasizes individual autonomy, martial prowess, and deep spiritual connection to the land.
Masters of Guerrilla Warfare
The Apache developed warfare into an art form suited to their mountainous desert homeland. Small, mobile bands could evade thousands of soldiers, striking unexpectedly and vanishing into terrain they knew intimately. Geronimo's final band of 35 people, including women and children, tied up 5,000 US soldiers and 3,000 Mexican soldiers for years. Apache scouts became crucial to US military operations, though their service was often rewarded with imprisonment. The Apache Wars (1849-1886) demonstrated that small, determined groups could resist vastly superior forces through superior strategy.
The Crown Dancers
Ga'an, or Crown Dancers (Mountain Spirit Dancers), are central to Apache spirituality. During ceremonies, dancers don elaborate headdresses and body paint, embodying mountain spirits who bring healing and protect against illness and evil. The Crown Dance typically accompanies the Sunrise Dance (girls' puberty ceremony) and healing rituals. Dancers' identities are sacred—they are considered to become the spirits during performance. This powerful ceremony survived suppression and remains vital to Apache communities.
The Sunrise Dance
The Sunrise Dance (Isanaklesh Gotal) is a four-day ceremony marking a girl's transition to womanhood. The girl becomes Changing Woman, the Apache deity who brings renewal. She must demonstrate endurance through dancing, running toward the four directions, and various physical challenges. The ceremony includes all-night singing, blessing of the girl by community members, and the Crown Dancers' appearance. The Sunrise Dance requires months of preparation and significant resources, demonstrating the community's investment in raising strong women.
Modern Apache Nations
Apache reservations today range from the large White Mountain and San Carlos reservations in Arizona to the Mescalero reservation in New Mexico. Tribal enterprises include ranching, forestry, gaming, and tourism. The Fort Sill Apache of Oklahoma are descendants of Geronimo's band, imprisoned for 27 years as prisoners of war. Language revitalization is critical as fluent speakers age. Apache nations balance sovereignty and economic development while protecting sacred sites like Oak Flat in Arizona, currently threatened by mining.
References
- Basso, K. H. (1970). The Cibecue Apache
- Sweeney, E. R. (1998). Mangas Coloradas: Chief of the Chiricahua Apaches
- Opler, M. E. (1941). An Apache Life-Way