Why Do Cherokee People Know About Apache Culture

Jacob Paradine
Research Paper
AMIND 32 MWF The Apache People Most Apache were located in Arizona, New Mexico, and some areas of Texas. Although the majority of the Apaches lived in these areas, some lived in what is now called Oklahoma. The Apache people spoke the language of Zuni. Some people called the Apaches that are now located in Oklahoma the Plains Apaches. In today’s society, there are only around 30,000 Apache Indians. Although the Apache Indians are one of the more popular tribes know by most Americans today, there is still very much the majority of the people don’t know about these native people and their culture. I have chosen to write about the Apache people, because those who say they know about Native people always see
them as savages and dangerous people, and I am writing about the Apache to prove that was not the case. In almost all elementary classes and grade schools across the world, the talk about American Indians and the first people that lived in the Americas before they were even the Americas is very limited and almost none which is flat out unacceptable. To start, many of the people in modern times that say they know about Native Americans actually know very little.
Like in fact, the apache people hunted and ate buffalo, deer, elk, turkey, fox, and many more animals. The buffalo being the largest source of food for the Apache people. When the arrival of horses came to the Apache people, they even used the horses as part of their hunting routines. Bows, tomahawks and war clubs were the most common weapons and hunting utensils used by the Apache. Although many people think of Indians and killers and savages that had war and hunted other humans for a living, most of the Indian tribes were very peaceful and life was nothing like what we have made it out to be today. Apache used all parts of the animals they killed and even had ceremonies thanking The Creator for all the buffalo or other animals he gave them to eat and have many uses with. Apaches used a technique called buffalo jumps to catch the majority of the buffalo they captured. Buffalo jumps was a much easier way for the apache people to captured their pray, because as we all know, buffalos are not small animals and the Apache people did not have very dangerous weapon. These buffalo jumps were when a couple of Apache men would try to get the attention of a heard of buffalo and have them follow the warriors to a cliff were the buffalo would hopefully not recognize it was a cliff before it was too late. In order to think of a method like this, it would take much
intelligence and a good source of trust and communication which proves how intelligent the Native Americans were. One of the most famous of the apache people is Geronimo.
He lived from 1829-1909 and he was born in present day New Mexico. He is known to be one of the last warriors fighting for the Chiricahua Apache people against the U.S. Government. It’s said to be that Geronimo was given powers from The Creator and would never be killed by a bullet. To the Apache people he was recognized by the chiefs for his wisdom and power he had as an Apache warrior. One time when Geronimo went out of a trading voyage, the solders from the Mexican government raided his home and when he returned he found his mother, wife, and all three of his children lying dead. As anyone human would, Geronimo was devastated with the deaths of all his family and set out into the wilderness. Therefore, he gathered 200 men and went out seeking revenge on the Mexican people that killed his family. In doing such, he raided and conquered land that had been taken from his tribe and other apache tribes nearby. Geronimo was caught and put on a reservation when four years later he escaped and went out on his own again with a small group of some of his followers. For the next five years Geronimo and his group fought what is known as the last of the Indian wars against the United States. The Native people have very strong beliefs and customs and will fight for the land and fight for what they believe in. Geronimo is a prime example of how much Native Americans would do to protect the land and what he would do for
the people he loved. Although many people mistakenly think Native Americans were dangerous, the Apache had many beautiful ceremonies and beliefs. One being The Coming of Age Ceremony for women. This was performed when a girl had her first menstrual cycle and was considered a female transferring from a girl to a woman which came with much responsibility. This ceremony is also called the Sunrise Ceremony and it usually lasted four days. Also, the Apache people had people called Medicine Men. A medicine man would perform spiritual healing ceremonies to the ill and medicine men were chosen ones within their tribe. Spiritual ceremonies were performed in wiigiwaams which are spiritual lodges that were said to be very powerful. Apache woman were very skilled at gathering and also harvested many different plants. Along with gathering, woman was in charge of watching over the household and its goods, making clothes, making the homes, skinning and preparing food, and so many more important duties. Unlike modern day, the Apache expected as much and if not more from their woman. Woman made beautiful jewelry and often times even helped out during times of war. America was without a doubt a much more beautiful place to live before 1492. Life before Europeans came to America was much different than what we have made it out to be. We are teaching our children and the youth about how much of a hero Christopher Columbus was and we are not telling them the truth about our Native people. The Apache along with almost every other Native American tribe pre 1492 is a prime example of how beautiful and peaceful life could be. I believe it is time that our Native Tribes like the Apache along with every other tribe gets noticed and recognized in our world today. They were in fact the first people to live on the same land you are standing on.