Many seasons, many strategies
The phrase “hunting and gathering” suggests a single way of life. In practice, traditional Apache communities followed a yearly pattern, usually called a seasonal round, that combined hunting, gathering wild plants and, for several groups, farming. The mix differed by homeland. The Western Apache, with river valleys and mountains, grew crops in some places. The Jicarilla and some Mescalero and Chiricahua communities are described as practicing a mix of farming, gathering and hunting at different times and places. Lipan and Plains Apache groups relied more on bison hunting and trade, alongside gathering and some farming. This article describes the general shape, and the details belong to each nation’s own accounts.
The shorthand “hunter-gatherer” also hides how much knowledge and planning the round required. Families needed to know where and when different foods would be ready, how to prepare and store them and how to move safely between places.
How the year was organized
Descriptions of the Western Apache round, among the best documented, show a typical sequence. The exact timing varied with elevation, rainfall and the local group’s territory, so what follows is a simplified outline.
- Spring. Families planted crops where farming was practiced and gathered early plants. In some regions this was also the season for harvesting agave, a major food and the subject of mescal roasting.
- Summer. Groups tended fields, hunted and gathered wild fruits and seeds as they ripened. Cactus fruits and mesquite were important in lower country, a topic touched on in mesquite beans. Summer rains shaped what was available, an idea related to Southwest monsoon seasons.
- Fall. Harvest time brought together crops, nuts and berries. Acorns, piñon nuts and juniper berries were gathered in suitable areas, as discussed under acorn and pinon gathering. Hunting for deer and other game also mattered.
- Winter. Families often camped in sheltered places, relied on stored food, hunted and spent more time together. In many communities, this was also the time for stories, a theme in winter storytelling season.
Hunting
Hunters pursued deer, and in some regions elk, pronghorn, small game and, for Plains-oriented groups, bison. Hunting was skilled work involving knowledge of animal behavior and the land, and it was usually governed by customs of respect and sharing. Meat was shared with relatives, and surplus was dried for later. The role of hunting is also covered in Apache hunting.
Gathering
Gathering was a major source of food, and women are widely described as having done much of it, though gender roles were not absolute. Gatherers collected a wide range of plants: agave, cactus fruit, seeds, nuts, berries, greens and roots. Plants also supplied fibers, medicines, basketry materials and tools. The wide uses of plants are the subject of Apache plant uses, and the foods themselves of Apache gathering foods. Some plant knowledge is kept private within communities and is not shared publicly.
Farming where possible
Several Apache groups farmed. Some Western Apache families planted corn, beans and squash in river bottoms and other suitable spots and moved to harvest them, a subject examined under Apache farming and Western Apache irrigation. Others did little farming, or grew crops only in some periods. It is therefore inaccurate to describe all Apache peoples as only hunters or only farmers. Scholars discuss how much farming was borrowed from neighbors such as Pueblo communities and how much developed locally, and the answer varies by group.
Movement and shelter
The round meant moving between locations. People used lightweight, locally made shelters, such as the dome-shaped wickiup in many regions, and in Plains-oriented groups tipis. Shelters are covered in Apache wickiup and tipi homes. Because movement was seasonal and purposeful, it should not be mistaken for aimless wandering. Families and local groups generally returned to places that were known and used over generations, each with its own names and associated stories.
How the round shaped community life
The round affected social structure. Larger gatherings could form in seasons of plenty, while smaller groups dispersed when resources were thin. Harvests of foods like agave required many hands, linking local groups. Work was shared by families, as described in Apache community mutual support, and knowledge of the land was passed down by elders.
Change and continuity
The reservation system limited movement and access to lands, and rations, wage work and store-bought food changed daily life. Still, many Apache families continue to gather and prepare traditional foods, hunt and visit meaningful places, within the rules and resources of the present. Climate and land access are ongoing concerns for plant gathering, as discussed in drought and wild foods. Nations’ official websites and cultural departments are the right places to learn about current practices and any rules for visitors.