Apache Tribe - Research Paper Example

According to Waldman (2006), several Athapaskan-speaking tribes from present-day Western Canada migrated to the southwest region in the 1400s and became known as Apache while in other areas they are called Navajo. Due to their nomadic lifestyle, the Apache sub tribes were identified in different names, mostly according to the geographical regions where the tribes are found. As original inhabitants of North America, these Apachean tribes were known to be the resisting force which opposed Spanish and Mexican occupiers for many years.

In this paper, the journey of the various Apachean tribes will be retraced to showcase the struggles and challenges that these tribes went through in the course of history. It will feature the wars that these tribes fought in order to defend their original territory. Also, the Apache way of life will be examined through their religious beliefs, traditions, and social organization. It is important to examine their cultural ways in order to gain a better understanding and appreciation of the indigenous population in North America.

Lastly, the examination of today’s Apachean tribe will showcase their presence and coexistence in the modern day America. The word Apache carries a fierce meaning. From the Yuma word, it means “fighting men” while the Zuni word translates the term Apache to “enemy”. As such, it is not surprising that the Apacheans were historically powerful tribes which resisted Spanish, Mexican, and later, the Anglo-American colonizers in their homeland. Before the Europeans came, the Apachean tribes were known to be nomadic hunter gatherers who skillfully travelled vast distances and “literally lived off the land” (De Mayo, 2011).

However, the series of armed conflicts started when by the late 1500s when Spanish settlements started to occupy northern Mexico. Since the Spanish conversion of Apacheans did not succeed, these armed conflicts continued until Mexico and New Mexico gained its independence from