Why the word “struggle”
The title speaks of a struggle, and the obstacles are real. They are also not a sign of any shortcoming in Apache communities. Most of the barriers described here are consequences of geography, law and history, and they affect many Native nations. They also differ widely among Apache governments, and some nations have more resources, better locations or larger land bases than others. This page looks at present-day obstacles; the historical background is covered in the account of Apache economic struggles.
Remoteness and small markets
Many Apache reservations lie far from large cities. A remote location raises the cost of everything: shipping goods in, getting products out, traveling to work, and attracting outside businesses. Local markets are small, so a shop or service may not have enough customers to survive, and money spent on goods and services often leaves the community because the nearest stores are in off-reservation towns. Economists sometimes call this leakage. Highways, seasonal weather and mountain roads can add further difficulty.
Infrastructure gaps
Reliable roads, water and wastewater systems, electricity, housing and broadband are the foundations of business, and they are costly to build across large, sparsely settled areas. Where infrastructure is thin, it is harder to open a factory, a clinic or an office, and harder for residents to work remotely or take online classes. Nations frequently depend on federal and state grants for these projects, and the timing and size of such funding is outside their control.
Trust land rules
Much reservation land is held in trust by the United States for the tribe, or for individual Indians. That status protects land from being sold away easily, which is important given the long record of Apache land loss, but it also brings practical complications.
- Trust land generally cannot be mortgaged the way ordinary private property can, which makes it harder for members to get home or business loans.
- Leases, rights-of-way and some other transactions have historically needed federal approval, and the process can take months or longer. Federal law has since given some tribes ways to approve certain leases themselves, such as under the HEARTH Act of 2012, but not every nation has used those.
- Where allotment divided land among individuals, as with the Dawes Act allotment policy elsewhere, ownership can become fractionated, with many heirs sharing small interests. This has been a larger problem in some regions than others, and each nation’s situation differs.
- Overlapping jurisdictions, with tribal, federal and state law all in play, can create uncertainty for outside partners who are unfamiliar with the rules.
Access to capital
Banks, in the past, have often been scarce on or near reservations, and the trust-land issue discourages lending. Individual entrepreneurs may have little collateral, little credit history and few nearby lenders. Some nations and nonprofit organizations have responded by creating Native-run community development financial institutions and revolving loan funds, which are lenders set up to serve communities that conventional banks often under-serve. Their capacity is limited, and they cannot meet all demand.
Dependence on federal funding
Many tribal governments rely heavily on federal grants and contracts for services such as health, education and law enforcement. That money is often restricted to specific uses, subject to annual appropriations and tied to reporting requirements. Planning is difficult when funding can change from year to year. Debates over whether funding is adequate are ongoing, and are discussed in the account of federal Indian policy Apache nations have lived under.
Skills, jobs and population
Unemployment is often higher on reservations than in the surrounding states, though figures vary by nation and over time, so check current official data. When good jobs are scarce, talented people may leave, a pattern sometimes called brain drain, while those who stay may be pulled between several part-time jobs. Training programs and Apache tribal colleges and schools aim to help, as do efforts to bring in jobs that suit local skills, but the labor market remains small.
Water, land and natural resource constraints
In the arid Southwest, water is limited. Whether a nation holds quantified water rights, and whether the infrastructure to deliver that water has been built, shapes what farming, industry and housing it can support. Drought affects ranching and forestry. Wildfire risk affects timber and recreation. These are conditions on which long-term plans depend.
Strategies communities use
Apache governments and members have responded in many ways, none of which is a guaranteed fix.
- Diversify. Combining resource management, visitor businesses, services and government jobs spreads risk.
- Charter and partner. Tribal corporations, joint ventures and management agreements can bring in expertise and capital while the nation retains ownership.
- Use tribal authority. Clear tribal commercial codes, courts and permitting give outside partners a predictable framework.
- Invest in people. Scholarships, training, and Apache youth programs aim at building local skills for local jobs.
- Improve connectivity. Broadband projects and community facilities make some remote work possible.
- Keep dollars local. Supporting member-owned businesses, local procurement, and tribal stores aims to reduce leakage.
These tactics are part of the wider picture of Apache reservation economies, which also differ from place to place.
A balanced view
Reading about barriers should not lead to the conclusion that Apache economies are static or hopeless. Many have changed greatly within a few decades, and members continue to build enterprises, institutions and careers. The remaining obstacles are largely structural, and addressing them involves tribal, federal and state decisions. For current figures and programs, rely on the nations’ own websites and official agencies.