Start With the Plural
“Apache” is a broad name for several related peoples in the Southwest and southern Plains, not one tribe with one culture. The Western Apache (including the White Mountain Apache and San Carlos Apache, among other groups), the Chiricahua, the Mescalero, the Jicarilla, the Lipan and the Plains Apache each have their own history, homelands and ways of doing things. They share a language family and many broad similarities, but practices differ from nation to nation and sometimes from family to family.
That is the most useful thing to keep in mind when reading about traditions. Any statement about “Apache tradition” is really a statement about particular groups at particular times, and it is worth asking which ones. This overview describes what is commonly documented and publicly discussed, and leaves aside anything that communities keep for themselves.
Family and Kinship
Many Western Apache communities have historically traced descent through the mother’s side, with clans and extended families forming the basis of daily life, mutual support and obligations. Other Apache groups organized kinship in their own ways. Across the nations, relatives, including those beyond the immediate household, have generally been central to how people understand who they are and what they owe one another. Hospitality and generosity toward relatives and guests are widely described as important values, and Apache gift giving and hospitality are still part of many gatherings today.
Coming-of-Age and the Sunrise Ceremony
The best-known public subject is the girls’ coming-of-age ceremony, often called the Sunrise Ceremony. It is associated especially with Western Apache and Mescalero communities, and its name and form differ between them. Chiricahua and Jicarilla families have their own related traditions and terms. In general terms it marks a girl’s passage into womanhood and involves family, community, prayer, song and dance over several days.
The details belong to the families and ceremonial specialists who carry them. Outsiders are not automatically invited, photography is often restricted, and respectful visitors follow the host community’s instructions. For that reason this site describes the ceremony only at a general level.
Song, Dance and Storytelling
Song and dance are central to many ceremonies and social events. Instruments such as the water drum are commonly mentioned in descriptions of Apache music, and some dance traditions, such as those involving masked or painted dancers often called Mountain Spirit or crown dancers, are publicly known in outline. What the dances mean, and when and how they are performed, are matters for the communities involved.
Apache storytelling is another long-running tradition. Stories commonly teach about behavior, place and the relationships between people and the world. Many are tied to specific landscapes, and some are told only in certain seasons or settings. Coyote stories, for example, are shared in several Apache communities, though who tells them and when varies.
Crafts and Material Arts
Apache artists have long been known for baskets, beadwork, hide work, cradleboards and clothing, and many of these arts continue today. Apache crafts differ by group: Jicarilla and Western Apache basketry use different materials and styles, and the style of beadwork and dress can vary widely. Some work is made for family and ceremonial use, and some is made for sale, and the line between the two is not always simple.
Apache beadwork, for example, appears on moccasins, bags and regalia, and the patterns, colors and techniques are chosen by individual artists and their communities. It is best to treat any single description of “Apache style” with caution.
Language
Apache languages are part of the Southern Athabaskan branch of a wider language family, and the varieties differ from one another to a degree that matters for speakers. Apache languages and dialects are taught in some community programs and schools, and many families and nations treat language as inseparable from the stories, songs and ceremonies it carries. Readers can look to each nation’s official sources for current language programs rather than relying on general descriptions.
Land and Place
Traditions are closely tied to land. Mountains, rivers, springs and named places figure in stories, in family histories and in ceremonial life, and Apache place names often describe what a place looks like or what happened there. Some places are regarded as sacred, which is a reason many nations ask visitors to respect restrictions on access, photography and recording.
Seasons, Food and Gatherings
Before reservations, many groups followed seasonal patterns of gathering wild plants, hunting, and, among some groups, farming. Foods such as agave (mescal), acorns, piñon nuts, and corn are mentioned often in the literature, though which foods mattered depended on the region. Today, shared meals remain an important part of family events, feast days and ceremonies, and traditional Apache foods are served alongside other dishes.
Traditions Today
The Apache nations are living communities, and their traditions change over time rather than being fixed in a past era. Some practices are kept strictly within families. Others, such as fairs, rodeos, feast days and intertribal powwows, are open to the public in whole or in part. Many people also practice Christianity or other faiths, sometimes alongside older ceremonies, and different families make different choices. Apache traditions in modern life include cultural programs, language classes, museums and cultural centers, though the specifics vary by nation.
Reading About Traditions Responsibly
Older books on the Apache were often written by outside observers whose accounts can be incomplete or biased, and some contain errors. When learning more, prefer works by Apache authors, tribal websites and cultural centers, and treat any claim about what “the Apache believe” with care. Because ceremonies are sacred to many people, be cautious of any source that claims to reveal their inner details. The nations’ own official websites are the best place to check what is currently public, including event dates and visitor guidelines.