About Apache Reservations
The Apache tribe consists of several groups of Native American peoples who live mainly in the southwest, with reservations in Arizona, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Before relocation in the late 1800s, they lived in eastern Arizona, northwestern Mexico, New Mexico and parts of Texas and the Great Plains.
Other People Are Reading
-
Geography
-
Apache reservations in Arizona are Fort Apache-White Mountain, Fort McDowell Mohave-Apache, San Carlos, Tonto, and Yavapai. Apache reservations in New Mexico are Jicarilla and Mescalero. The two in Oklahoma are Anadarka and Fort Sill. The Fort Apache-White Mountain, San Carlos, Jicarilla and Mescalero are much larger than the others.
The Fort Apache-White Mountain and San Carlos reservations originally were one, but were divided in 1897. This area was reduced several times to allow white miners to search for copper and zinc, and to accommodate Mormons looking for water. The San Carlos is still the largest area-wise at about 1,900,000 acres.
Significance
-
Most of the tribe's income is derived from the timber industry, casino gambling and tourism. Tourism on the reservations includes hunting and fishing, skiing, whitewater rafting, golfing, wildlife viewing and other activities as well.
The development of casino gaming on the reservations, as it became legal on a state-by-state basis in the 1990s, made a significant difference to the Apache people. Gaming revenue is especially important since the Apache timber industry in Arizona was decimated by forest fires in 2002 and 2003. Some Apache casinos are highly successful, and tribes invest part of this revenue into further economic self-sufficiency, such as building hotels and resorts, acquiring stores and moving into other business such as construction. -
Considerations
-
Despite these advantages, unemployment on some Apache reservations remains very high, sometimes reaching over 30 percent. Poverty is a continuing problem, as are alcoholism and drug use.
Features
-
The Apache tribe embraces their culture as a vital part of the tribal lifestyle, but children raised in a traditional environment can feel isolated and anxious when attending a mainstream school. This, along with economic factors, leads to a perpetual cycle of high drop-out rates and lack of academically-successful role models for the children to view as mentors. Even by the 1960s, few Apache members were graduating from high school. The tribe opposed the lifestyle and beliefs of non-Natives, and formal schooling conflicted with their culture.
Poverty also meant children did not have appropriate clothing and could not afford school supplies. This has become less of a problem since financial aid became available starting in the late 1960s.
Identification
-
Because the Apache tribe continues to value their culture and traditional lifestyle, they participate in Powwow ceremonies and other ceremonial rituals, many of which were originally dedicated to food production in the harsh high-desert climate. Sometimes these ceremonies are open to non-tribal members. For instance, the general public is welcome to attend Mescal Roast, a four-day event put on by the Mescalero tribe in Carlsbad, New Mexico, each year in May. This ceremony includes gathering and roasting mescal in the traditional manner, along with presentation of the Apache War Dance and the Mountain Spirit Dances, among others.
-
