Apache (from the Zuni word, apachu - meaning enemy (still in question)) is the collective name for several cultural peoples in North America who speak the same language. The origins of the name Apache are still traced to its valid source.
However, there are several theories that naming the Apache tribe refers to the Yavapai language, epache - which means people. Some say it comes from the Quechan language, which means people who fight. Today the term also includes the Navajos.
See also: Other Native American Tribe in the United States
In their dialect, the Apaches call themselves Tinneh, Tinde, or Dini, which means "the people." The famous figures of the Apache tribe are Geronimo, Cochise, and Mangas Coloradas. The United States Army found they were strong tribes with a reliable strategy.
Brief Description
The Apaches were one of the Native American tribes who migrated south from North America around the 1400s. In the past, the Apache lived in southeastern Arizona and much of southwestern Mexico. They live a nomadic life, hunting and gathering food.
Their house is called a teepee, a temporary hut-like structure made of twigs covered with grass or a tarp of buffalo skin. The residential architecture is adapted to the environment in which they live, predominantly sandy and arid, and likes to move around.
The main groups within the Apache when they were at their peak were the Arivaipa, Chiricahua, Coyotero, Faraone Gileno, Llanero, Mescalero, Mimbreno, Mogollon, Naisha, Tchikun, and Tchishi.
They were strong groups leading many battles, continuing to be hostile to the whites. The first defeat for the Apaches was in 1886 when the Chiricahua Apaches were deported to Florida and Alabama in military custody.
Now the Apache population remains at 11,000 people, but some say their current number is only about 5,000 spread across Arizona (Western Apache), New Mexico (Apache Cijarilla and Mescarelo), and Oklahoma (Apache Plains).
Apache Tradition and Life
Apache beliefs are based on the forces of nature and the supernatural. They worship spirits or supernatural beings named Gan (mountain spirit) and Usen (spelled = yusn), believed to be the givers of life. The Mescalero group believes in the existence of a cosmic entity called the "Woman in White." who is worshiped as a protector and giver of their life policies.
The traditional ceremonies they perform, such as puberty rites, are sacred ceremonies that mark every teenage girl who will move into the adult stage. Ceremonial celebrations in the form of parties, dances, and rituals they prepared at least one year in advance, especially by the families of teenage girls by collecting sacred objects such as mescal hearts and water plant pollen. This ceremony is a genetic legacy given by the White Painted Woman.
In traditional Apache culture, each group consists of a large family with tribal chiefs chosen based on leadership abilities and combat skills. Most were familiar with the trade in the early 16th century, beginning with the Pueblo people. They traded corn and woven goods for bison meat, hides, and other materials.
Currently, their lives in the reserve area, which are side by side with the modern era, still maintain the customs and habits in their daily life. Outsiders entering the Apache reservation area must respect their elders and show good manners.
This tradition is practiced by their younger generations by setting examples such as not looking directly into the eyes of someone older. People from outside are also obliged to obey the adab in their environment. Some of the taboos include, when meeting a bear, it is forbidden to disturb their habitat, such as destroying their food source, following in their footsteps, or taking things they have touched.
Because for them, bears are respected animals. They call the bear "my uncle" or "my grandfather," They also prohibit bringing snakes or objects made of snake skin because it will be considered a bad omen.
Groups within the Apache Tribe
Jicarilla
The name Jicarilla (pronounced hek-a-reh-ya) means "little basket maker." The Spaniards gave it this name because of their expertise in making traditional baskets, beads, and clay pottery. The Jicarilla Apaches were one of six groups of southern Athapascans who migrated out of Canada around AD 1300 to 1500.
Their territory was 50 million acres, including northern New Mexico, southern Colorado, and western Oklahoma. Geographically this region forms two groups, namely Jicarilla-Llaneros (inhabitants of the plains) and Olleros (dwellers of mountains and valleys). Jicarilla lived a nomadic and peaceful life until the arrival of the Spaniards on Francisco Vásquez de Coronado's expedition to New Mexico.
In 1887 the Apache Jicarilla agreed to settle on a reservation in New Mexico. There were about 10,000 of their members, but when 1897, their population had declined to more than 300 due to disease, war, and famine.
Today, more than 3,000 members of the Jicarilla group have been boosting its economy independently through sheep herding, oil and gas wells, and casinos. They are also known to be skilled in making traditional baskets and beads.
Chiricahua
Apache meaning "big mountain," resides in the mountains of Southeastern Arizona. They called themselves Aiaha and were dubbed the most warlike Arizona Indians by the Spaniards. During a time of strife with the whites, attacks spread to New Mexico, southern Arizona, and northern Sonora.
The war leaders of the Chiricahua group are Cochise, Victorio, Loco, Chato, Naiche, Bonito, Mangas Coloradas, and Geronimo. Apache Chiricahua lives a nomadic life. Apart from hunting, they also collect food ingredients such as berries, nuts, and fruits to survive. They also grow corn and melons with simple knowledge during the summer.
In 1872, the United States government and the Chiricahua tribal chief Cochise entered into a peace treaty with Chiricahua and other Apache groups. Then they settled on the newly established Chiricahua Reservation in southeastern Arizona.
However, the recurrence of hostile conflicts resulted in the cancellation of the reservation agreement. Apache resistance continued under the leader Victorio of the Mimbreno group from 1877 to 1880. The last group that opposed the United States government was led by Geronimo.
But they finally surrendered in 1886. He was exiled to Florida, Alabama, and Oklahoma. At the same time, their group was subsequently released to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the Mescarelo reserve area in New Mexico.
Mescalero
The Mescalero is one of the oldest groups of the Apache tribe. Basically, they are nomadic hunters who roam freely in the areas of Texas, Arizona, Chihuahua, New Mexico, and Sonora. Their territory is bounded by a mountain range that includes Sierra Blanca, Guadalupe Mountains, Three Sisters Mountain, and the Peak of Mount Oscura.
The four mountains are sacred mountains that symbolize the direction of daily life for the Apache tribe. The men are tasked with hunting animals in the meadows and mountains using simple equipment. Catches such as buffalo, antelope, and deer only took the necessary parts.
Meanwhile, the women were in charge of preparing the meat and skins the men hunted and gathering wild plants, food, nuts, and seeds. Their staple food is the heart of the mescal plant or mezcal, and this is the reason the immigrants from the Spanish nation gave them the nickname "Mescalero," which means people who eat mescal. They also have a strong instinct to find water sources.
Between 1700-1750, many of the Mescalero groups were transferred from northern and central Texas from the enemy Comanche Tribe at the time. They took shelter in several places, such as the New Mexico Mountains, west Texas, Coahuila, and Chihuahua. After several conflicts, Mescalero was finally abducted in 1868 and transferred to a reservation area through a formal agreement by President Ulysses S. Grant on May 27, 1878, located in Fort Stanton, New Mexico.
The modern Apache way of life is a mix of traditional beliefs and rituals, such as mountain spirit dancing and contemporary American culture. They consist of three sub-tribes: Mescalero, Centipede, and Chiricahua. Currently, they rely on the potential of agriculture, cattle grazing, and tourism as sources of economic income.
Beginning of war
Although known as a tribe that is often hostile to other Tribes, the Apache Tribe has commercial relations with the Pueblo people. However, their relationship was broken after the arrival of the Spaniards in 1541.
See also:
Other Native American Tribe in the United States
Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (Tigua Pueblo) - Native American Tribe in The United States
Jumanos - another Native American Tribe in The United States,
Karankawa Tribe - One of the Extinct Native Americans.
Disputes escalated between the Apache and the Spanish when they expanded their colony in Mexico in 1598. One of the reasons was the trade in enslaved people taken from Apache captives. The Apaches, in turn, invaded Spanish settlements to seize their own livestock, weapons, and captives.
Their numbers were increased by captives from other tribes, such as the Pueblo, Pima, Papago, and other Indians, as well as whites and Spaniards. They expanded the area of attack to the southern regions such as Jalisco and Mexico.
Reference:
wikipedia