Identity in many places
Apache peoples today live in many settings. Many reside on or near the lands of their nations, including reservations in Arizona and New Mexico and tribal lands in Oklahoma. Many others live in towns and cities, in the Southwest and across the United States, for work, school, military service or family reasons. This variety means there is no single way of being Apache in the twenty-first century, and the experiences of one family cannot stand in for those of another.
This article gives a general account. It does not describe current programs or statistics, which change and which the nations publish themselves.
Reservation communities
On reservations, identity is often anchored in shared land, long family histories and daily contact with relatives. Tribal governments operate offices, schools, health services and cultural programs, and many people work in tribal departments, forestry, ranching, tourism, health care or education. Ceremonies and community events continue to mark the calendar, though many details of ceremonial life are private and not shared with the public.
Living on tribal land does not mean life is unchanged. Communities deal with questions such as how to keep language use strong among young people, how to balance economic development and cultural values, and how to care for land and water. Views differ within each community, as they would in any other. For readers interested in the broader picture, contemporary Apache life and the Apache communities today covered elsewhere on this site give more context.
Off the reservation and in cities
A significant number of Apache people have always lived away from their home reservations, and since the middle of the twentieth century federal programs, school and employment have encouraged moves to cities. Urban Apache people often maintain strong connections to home communities through frequent visits, family obligations and participation in ceremonies and celebrations. Cities such as Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque and Oklahoma City have substantial Native populations and organizations, including Native community centers, though Apache people there are one group among many Native nations.
Life in a city can bring its own questions. A person may be the only Apache person in a school or a workplace and may be asked to speak for all Apache people, which no one can do. Some people grew up away from their nation and are learning language and customs as adults. Others were raised in a mix of settings. Being urban or being on a reservation is not a measure of how Apache a person is, and belonging is not tied to postal address.
The role of language
Language is often described as central to identity. Apache languages are spoken by fewer people than in the past, and the situation differs among the nations. Language classes, immersion efforts and community recordings are part of the work of Apache language revitalization, and some programs are now offered online or in schools. The importance of Apache languages is felt by speakers and learners alike, though many Apache people do not speak their ancestral language fluently, and that does not make them less Apache. For current programs, the nations’ own websites are the best guide.
Family, clan and gatherings
Kinship remains a core of identity. Family gatherings, funerals, weddings, rites of passage and seasonal events bring relatives back together, sometimes across long distances. For families with Western Apache clan ties, clan relationships can still shape who is introduced to whom and how people address one another. Elders are widely respected as teachers, and many communities encourage young people to learn from them. These practices help hold a dispersed population together.
Technology and public life
Social media, video calls and online groups allow relatives and community members to stay in contact. Language learners can use recordings and apps made with community permission, and artists, writers and musicians reach audiences far beyond their home communities. At the same time, the internet is full of inaccurate or invented material about Apache people, and Apache communities have raised concerns about misuse of names, images and traditions. Anyone seeking information is better served by sources from the nations themselves.
Identity and recognition
Official status is another part of present-day identity. Enrollment in a federally recognized nation carries rights and responsibilities, but some Apache descendants are not enrolled, or belong to communities that are not federally recognized. People in these situations still describe a strong Apache identity. The differing views on that subject are a matter for the communities themselves.
No single answer
Identity in the twenty-first century is shaped by choices, history and circumstance. Apache people draw on family stories, language, land, ceremony, work and the nations’ political institutions, in combinations that differ from person to person. Treating Apache people as a single group, either of the past or of the present, misses this variety. The most reliable approach is to listen to what individual Apache people and nations say about themselves.