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The Geography of Apache Homelands: Mountains, Deserts and Rivers
An overview of the landscapes Apache peoples have lived in, from high pine forest and sky island ranges to desert basins, river valleys and the southern Plains.
Daily Life and Arts
Apache Homelands and Landscapes
The mountains, deserts and rivers of Apache country, and how to visit them respectfully.
Apache Pass and Fort Bowie: A Landscape of Conflict
Why a spring at Apache Pass in southeastern Arizona drew travelers, stage lines and soldiers, and what visitors can see at Fort Bowie National Historic Site today.
Historic Sites to Learn Apache History in Arizona and New Mexico
A general guide to public historic sites, museums and cultural centers in Arizona and New Mexico where visitors can learn about Apache history, and how to plan a visit.
Land Loss Mapped: How Apache Territory Shrank
A plain narrative of how Apache homelands were reduced to reservations, from Spanish and Mexican frontiers to US policy, removals, allotment and later land claims.
Photography, Recording and Sacred Places: What Visitors Should Know
Why many Native nations restrict photography, filming and audio recording on their lands, and why visitors to Apache country should ask permission and follow posted rules.
Seasons and Weather in the Apache Southwest
How summer monsoon rains, winter cold, dry spring weather and drought shaped food, farming and seasonal movement in the Apache Southwest, with practical notes for visitors.
Sky Islands: The Mountain Ranges of the Apache Southwest
How isolated mountain ranges rising from desert basins in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico offered water, game, plant foods and refuge to Apache peoples.
The Black Range and Warm Springs Country of New Mexico
The Chihenne Apache homeland around Ojo Caliente and the Black Range in southwestern New Mexico, its history in the 1870s, and its connection to descendants today.
The Chiricahua Mountains and Dragoon Mountains
The mountain ranges of southeastern Arizona tied to Chiricahua Apache history, including Cochise Stronghold, Apache Pass and the Chiricahua reservation of the 1870s.
The Gila and Salt Rivers in Apache History
How the Gila and Salt river systems shaped Apache farming, travel and later reservation boundaries in Arizona, from stream-side fields to San Carlos and Fort Apache.
The Mogollon Rim and White Mountains in Apache Country
The landforms of the Mogollon Rim and the White Mountains in central and eastern Arizona, and their place in Western Apache life, history and present-day lands.
Visiting Apache Lands Respectfully: A Practical Guide
General courtesy for visitors to Apache reservation lands: check each nation's rules and permits, respect closed areas and ceremonies, and support local communities.
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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. Plants and Traditional Knowledge The plants of Apache country and the public, general knowledge of how they were used.