Wednesday 12 February 2014

White Mountain Apache Tribe

The Native American tribe that I have chosen to look at is the White Mountain Apache tribe located in eastern Arizona. Their website is welcoming to visitors and invites readers to visit their settlement which they state they have lived in for thousands of years. Just from reading the opening home page of the website, this site feels like a tourist organization with links to the ‘Culture Centre Museum,’ ‘Hon-Dah Casino’ and ‘Sunrise Park Resort.’ Apart from sparse bits of native language and a brief overview of their history, my first impression of this tribe supports the stereotype rather than eradicates it.
The White Mountain Apache tribe is located in an area full of dense pine forest; an invaluable source to the tribe throughout their history is the Apache trout, a fish that is only found in the lakes around the mountains of Arizona. This area has also played host to other tribes such as the Navajos and Gilas, however the Apache tribe has prospered more in this area, after opening it up for tourism in 1969. Having said that, census sources suggest that over half the population here live below the poverty line. This is apparent in the amount of focus there is on the website towards money. When looking online, you can find how much it costs to go to the museum and exhibits, whilst there is also a charity helpline you can call to donate money to keep the park open.
The Apache people have a history of being fierce warriors after opposing Spanish and Mexican raids on Sonora during the late 17th Century, followed by resistance to the US army in the 19th Century. It’s thought that the final defeat of the Apache tribe took place on September 4, 1886 at Skeleton Canyon, Arizona, when 5,000 US troops forced around 50 of Geronimo’s men to surrender. The word ‘Apache’ has come to mean a very broad spectrum, encompassing many different types of Native Americans; therefore many feel it is misleading to label these people as Apachians.

My overall impression when looking at this website, is slightly poignant. The people of the White Mountain Apache tribe seem to have sold out on their beliefs and have given in to the tourism industry as a way of staying economically sound. How they can go from speaking about living off the land that God gave them, to advertising their casino is one that I find to be extremely Westernized and false.

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