When whites took tribal lands and the government relocated entire Indian nations, they disrupted the very foundations of each tribe's society. The following examples briefly illustrate the cultural variation among western tribes described in the narrative, as well as their cultural ties to geographical location.
An Apache tribe of the Southwest: the Chiricahua. The term "Apache" designates a language group and refers to tribes that speak Athapascan-based languages, including the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Kiowa-Apache, Lipan, Mescalero, Navajo, and Western Apache. Unlike some of the southwestern tribes, the Chiricahua Apache did not live in permanent encampments. They avidly hunted deer and gathered wild plants such as yucca, agave, onions, potatoes, pinon nuts, and berries. Raiding was an important element in the Chiricahua economy, as the Chiricahuas plundered neighboring tribes for food, horses, and other goods. Because of this lifestyle, these Apaches lived in small, mobile groups and often dwelled in canyons and mountains, where they could protect themselves from counterattacks.
Because they lived in small groups, the Apaches often lacked a central authority figure. Among the Chiricahua, a band consisted of three to five local groups, with ten to thirty extended families in each group. Each local group had a leader who earned his position through bravery, generosity, and a demonstration of wisdom.
This is a free page. This page contains 199 words. This
article contains 3,473 words (approx. 12 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Article with our Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee Access Pass.
