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Plants of Apache Country: Food, Fiber and Everyday Use
An overview of the wild and cultivated plants widely documented in Apache food and material culture, from agave and acorns to sumac, yucca and willow.
Daily Life and Arts
Plants and Traditional Knowledge
The plants of Apache country and the public, general knowledge of how they were used.
Acorns, Pinon Nuts and Juniper Berries
How acorns, piñon nuts and juniper berries were gathered as seasonal foods in Apache country, and why harvests varied from one year and place to the next.
Agave and Mescal Roasting in Apache Life
How agave crowns were harvested and roasted in earth pits, and why mescal was important to the Mescalero, Chiricahua and several other Apache groups.
Climate, Drought and the Future of Apache Food Plants
A general look at how drought, changing land use and a shifting climate affect wild plant gathering in Apache country, without statistics or predictions.
Gardens and Seed Revival in Apache Communities
A general overview of community interest in traditional crops, gardens and seed saving in Apache communities, with advice to check each nation's own sources.
Mesquite and Desert Foods of the Southern Apache Range
How mesquite pods and other lowland desert plants fed southern Apache groups, including processing methods and how desert foods fit into the seasonal year.
Plants for Baskets and Cradleboards
Which plants, including sumac, willow and cottonwood, supplied Apache basket and cradleboard makers, and how materials were chosen and prepared.
Saguaro and Prickly Pear: Cactus Fruits in Apache Foodways
How saguaro and prickly pear fruits were gathered and prepared in the desert parts of Apache country, and how these foods fit with neighboring peoples' practices.
Traditional Plant Knowledge and Why Some of It Stays Private
Why healing and ceremonial plant knowledge is often not shared publicly in Apache communities, and how outsiders can respect those boundaries.
Yucca in Apache Life: Fruit, Fiber and Soap
Documented Apache uses of yucca for food, cordage, basketry and washing, with notes on which species were used and how knowledge of them is shared.
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More in daily life and arts
Values Law and Elders Customary law, conduct and the role of elders. Diplomacy and Peacemaking Disputes, alliances and trade between and within groups. Music Dance and Art Song, dance and visual art across Apache communities. Apache Art and Expression Visual art, music and creative work by Apache artists past and present. Craftsmanship Basketry, beadwork, pottery, weaving and the makers who keep these skills alive. Dress and Adornment Clothing, jewelry and regalia across Apache groups. Land and Livelihood Hunting, gathering, farming, tools and relationships with homelands. Childhood and Upbringing How Apache children were raised, taught and played. Community and Social Structure Bands, local groups and community values. Family and Kinship Clans, extended families and elders. Foodways Traditional foods, gathering and cooking. Heritage and Traditions Everyday traditions, land-based practice and ways of life across Apache groups. Apache Homelands and Landscapes The mountains, deserts and rivers of Apache country, and how to visit them respectfully.