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.
Sources:
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