While we know our northern friends may not feel it, in the South, Spring is
here. So we thought we'd share a few of our gardening sites appropriate
for this time of the year. Along with gardening, there's grilling, and getting
ready to diet so that you can fit back into that bathing suit this summer!
Apache (probably from ápachu,
'enemy,' the Zuñi name for the Navaho,
who were designated "Apaches de Nabaju" by the early Spaniards in New
Mexico). A number of tribes forming the most southerly group of the
Athapascan family. The name has been applied also to some unrelated Yuman
tribes, as the Apache Mohave (Yavapai) and Apache Yuma. The Apache call
themselves N'de, Dĭnë,
Tĭnde, or Inde, `people.'
They were evidently not so
numerous about the beginning of the 17th century as in recent times, their
numbers apparently having been increased by captives from other tribes,
particularly the Pueblos, Pima, Papago, and other peaceful Indians, as
well as from the settlements of northern Mexico that were gradually
established within the territory raided by them, although recent
measurements by Hrdlicka seem to indicate unusual freedom from foreign
admixture. They were first mentioned as Apaches by Oñate
in 1598, although Coronado, in 1541, met the Querechos (the Vaqueros of
Benavides, and probably the Jicarillas and
Mescaleros of modern times) on
the plains of east New Mexico and west Texas: but there is no evidence
that the Apache reached so far west as Arizona until after the middle of
the 16th century. From the time of the Spanish colonization of New Mexico
until within twenty years they have been noted for their warlike
disposition, raiding white and Indian settlements alike, extending their
depredations as far southward as Jalisco, Mexico.
No group of tribes has
caused greater confusion to writers, from the fact that the
popular navies of the tribes are derived from some local or temporary
habitat, owing to their shifting propensities, or were given by the
Spaniards on ac count of some tribal characteristic; hence some of the
common names of apparently different Apache tribes or bands are
synonymous, or practically so; again, as employed by some writers, a name
may include much more or much less than when employed by others.
Although
most of the Apache have been hostile since they have been known to
history, the most serious modern outbreaks have been attributed to
mismanagement on the part of civil authorities. The most important recent
hostilities were those of the Chiricahua under
Cochise, and later
Victorio, who, together with 500 Mimbrenos. Mogollones, and Mescaleros,
were assigned, about 1870, to the Ojo Caliente reserve in west New Mexico.
Cochise, who had repeatedly refused to be confined within reservation
limits, fled with his band, but returned in 1871, at which time 1,200 to
1,900 Apache were on the reservation. Complaints from neighboring settlers
caused their removal to Tularosa, 60 miles to the northwest, but 1,000
fled to the Mescalero reserve on Pecos River, while Cochise went out on
another raid. Efforts of the military agent in 1873 to compel the
restoration of some stolen cattle caused the rest, numbering 700, again to
decamp, but they were soon captured. In compliance with the wishes. of the
Indians, they were returned to Ojo Caliente its 1874. Soon afterward
Cochise died, and the Indians began to show such interest in agriculture
that by 1875 there were 1,700 Apache at Ojo Caliente, and no depredations
were reported. In the following year the Chiricahua reservation in Arizona
was abolished, and 325 of the Indians were reproved to the San Carlos
agency; others joined their kindred at Ojo Caliente, while some either
remained on the mountains of their old reservation or fled across the
Mexican border.
This removal of Indians from their ancestral homes was in
pursuance of a policy of concentration, which was tested in the Chiricahua
removal in Arizona. In April 1877, Geronimo and other chiefs, with the
remnant of the band left on the old reservation, and evidently the Mexican
refugees, began depredations in south Arizona and north Chihuahua, but in
May 433 were captured and returned to San Carlos.
At the same time the
policy was applied to the Ojo Caliente Apache of New Mexico, who were
making good progress in civilized pursuits; but when the plan was put is
action only 450 of 2,000 Indians were found, the remainder forming, into
predatory bands under Victorio. In September 300 Chiricahua, mainly of the
Ojo Caliente band from San Carlos, but surrendered many engagements. These
were returned to Ojo Caliente, but they soon ran off again. In February,
1878, Victorio rendered in the hope that he and his people night remain on
their former reservation, but another attempt was made to force the
Indians to go to was Carlos, with the same result. In June the fugitives
again appeared at the Mescalero agency, and arrangements were at last made
for them to settle there; but, as the local authorities found indictments
against Victorio and others, charged them with murder and robbery, this
chief, with his few immediate follower, and some Mescaleros, fled from the
reservation and resumed marauding. A call was trade for an increased force
of military, but in the skirmishes in which they were engaged the
Chiricahua met with remarkable success, while 70 settlers were murdered
daring a single raid. Victorio was joined before April, 1880, by 350
Mescaleros and Chiricahua refugees from Mexico, and the repeated raids
which followed struck terror to the inhabitants of New Mexico, Arizona,
and Chihuahua, On April 13 1,000 troops arrival, and their number was
later greatly augmented. Victorio's hand was frequently encountered by
superior forces, and although supported during most of the time by only
250 or 300 fighting men, this warrior usually inflicted severer punishment
than he suffered. In these raids 200 citizens of New Mexico, and as many
more of Mexico, were killed. At one time the band was virtually surrounded
by a force of more than 2,000 cavalry and several hundred Indian scouts,
but Victorio eluded capture and fled across the Mexican border, where he
continued his bloody campaign. Pressed on both sides of the international
boundary, and at times harassed by United States and Mexican troops
combined, Victorio finally suffered severe losses and his band became
divided.
In October, 1880, Mexican troops encountered Victorio's party,
comprising 100 warriors, with 400 women and children, at Tres Castillos;
the Indians were surrounded and attacked in the evening, the fight
continuing throughout the night; in the morning the ammunition of the
Indians became exhausted, but although rapidly losing strength, the
remnant refused to surrender until Victorio, who had been wounded several
times, finally fell dead. This disaster to the Indians did not quell their
hostility. Victorio was succeeded by Nana, who collected the divided
force, received reinforcements from the Mescaleros and the San Carlos Chiricahua, and between July, 1881, and April,
1882, continued the raids across the border until he was again driven back
in Chihuahua. While these hostilities were in progress in New Mexico and
Chihuahua the Chiricahua of San Carlos were striking terror to the
settlements of Arizona.
In 1880 Juh and Geronimo with 108 followers were
captured and returned to San Carlos. In 1881 trouble arose among the White
Mountain Coyoteros on Cibicu Creek, owing to a medicine-man named
Nakaidoklini (q.v.), who pretended power to revive the dead. After pacing
him liberally for his services, his adherents awaited the resurrection
until August, when Nakaidoklini avowed that his incantations failed
because of the presence of whites. Since affairs were assuming a serious
aspect, the arrest of the prophet was ordered; he surrendered quietly, but
as the troops were making camp the scouts and other Indians opened fire on
them. After a sharp fight Nakaidoklini was killed and his adherents were
repulsed. Skirmishes continued the next day, but the troops were
reinforced, and the Indians soon surrendered in small bands. Two chiefs,
known as George and Bonito, who had not been engaged in the White Mountain
troubles, surrendered to Gen. Wilcox on Sept. 25 at Camp Thomas, but were
paroled.
On Sept. 30 Col. Riddle was sent to bring these chiefs and their
bands back to Camp Thomas, but they became alarmed and fled to the
Chiricahua, 74 of whom left the reserve, and, crossing the Mexican border,
took refuge with the late Victorio's band in Chihuahua. In the same year
Nana made one of his bloody raids across the line, and in September Juh
and Nahche, with a party of Chiricahua, again
fled from the reservation, and were forced by the troops into Mexico,
where, in April, 1882, they were joined by Geronimo and the rest of the
hostile Chiricahua of San Carlos, with Loco and his Ojo Caliente band. The
depredations committed in river Chihuahua under Geronimo and other leaders were perhaps even more
serious than those within the limits of the United States. In March, 1883, Chato with 26 followers made a clash into New Mexico, murdering a dozen
persons. Meanwhile the white settlers on the upper Gila consumed so much
of the water of. that stream as to threaten the Indian crops; then coal
was discovered on the reservation, which brought an influx of miners, and
an investigation by the Federal grand jury of Arizona on Oct. 24. 1882,
charged the mismanagement of Indian affairs on San Carlos reservation to
local civil authorities.
Gen. G. H. Crook having been reassigned to the command, in
1882 induced about 1,500 of the hostiles to return to the reservation and
subsist by their own exertions. The others, about three-fourths of the
tribe, refused to settle down to reservation life and repeatedly went on
the warpath; when promptly followed by Crook they would surrender and
agree to peace, but would soon break their promises.
To this officer had
been assigned the task of bringing the raiding Apache to terms in
cooperating with the Mexican troops of Sonora and Chihuahua. In May, 1883,
Crook crossed the boundary to the headwaters of the Rio Yaqui with 50
troops and 163 Apache scouts; on the 13th the camp of Chato and Bonito was
discovered and attacked with some loss to the Indians. Through two
captives employed as emissaries, communication was soon had with the
others, and by May 29 354 Chiricahua had surrendered. On July 7 the War
Department assumed police control of the San Carlos reservation, and on
Sept. 1 the Apache were placed under the sole charge of Crook, who began
to train them in the ways of civilization, with such success that in 1884
over 4,000 tons of grain, vegetables, and fruits were harvested.
In Feb.
1885, Crook's powers were curtailed, an act that led to conflict of
authority between the civil and military officers, and before matters
could be adjusted half the Chiricahua left the reservation in May and fled
to their favorite haunts. Troops and Apache scouts ware again sent
forward, and many skirmishes took place, but the Indians were wary, and
again Arizona and New Mexico were thrown into a state of excitement and
dread by raids across the American border, resulting in the murder of 73
white people and many friendly Apache.
In Jan. 1886, the American camp
under Capt. Crawford was attacked through misunderstanding by Mexican
irregular Indian troops, resulting in Crawford's death. By the following
March the Apache became tired of the war and asked for a parley, which
Crook granted as formerly, but before the time for the actual surrender of
the entire force arrived the wily Geronimo changed his mind and with his
immediate band again fled beyond reach. His escape led to censure of
Crook's policy; he was consequently relieved at his own request in April,
and to Gen. Nelson A. Miles was assigned the completion of the task.
Geronimo and his band finally surrendered Sept. 4, 1886, and with numerous
friendly Apache were sent to Florida as prisoners. They were later taken
to Mt. Vernon, Ala., thence to Ft Sill, Okla., where they have made
progress toward civilization. Some of the hostiles were never captured,
but remained in the mountains, and as late as Nov. 1900, manifested their
hostile character by an attack on Mormon settlers in Chihuahua.. Apache
hostility in Arizona and New Mexico, however,has entirely
ceased. (See Hodge in Encyc. Brit., "Indians," 1902.)
Being a nomadic people, the Apache practiced agriculture
only to a limited extent before their permanent establishment on
reservations. They subsisted chiefly on the products of the chase and on
roots (especially that of the maguey) and berries. Although fish and bear
were found in abundance in their country they were not eaten, being tabued
as food. They had few arts, but the women attained high skill in making
baskets. Their dwellings were shelters of brush, which were easily erected
by the women and were well adapted to their arid environment and constant
shifting. In physical appearance the Apache vary greatly, but are rather
above the medium height. They are good talkers, are not readily deceived,
and are honest in protecting property placed in their care, although they
formerly obtained their chief support from plunder seized in their forays.
The Apache are divided into a number of tribal groups
which have been so differently named and defined that it is sometimes
difficult to determine to which branch writers refer. The most commonly
accepted divisions are the Querechos or Vaqueros, consisting of the
Mescaleros, Jicarillas,
Faraones, Llaneros, and probably the
Lipan; the Chiricahua; the
Pinaleños; the
Coyoteros, comprising the
White Mountain
and Pinal divisions; the Arivaipa; the
Gila Apache, including the Gilenos,
Mimbrenos, and Mogollones; and the
Tontos.
