San Carlos Indian Reservation

Sketches by Ross Santee Land of the

Archaeologists probing prehistoric In-dian rock-shelters, in ledges high above the rich Gila River Valley and along the Nantac Rim, on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona, dated some as far back as 1300.

Further dating placed the first Apache occupancy of this region somewhere between 1450 and 1500. These nomadic tribes roamed all over this vast wilderness area, living off the land and by raiding neighboring tribes. They moved from camp to camp, living in shelters made of perishable materials. And, though they occupied this area for over three hundred years before American pioneeers arrived, little evidence was left of their comings and goings.

The San Carlos Apaches, who now occupy their ancestral homeland, are building a monument of accomplishment that will stand for a long, long time. Around headquarters at San Carlos, and scattered about the reservation, sturdy tufa-stone structures have been skillfully built by Apache artisans. Yet more impressive is the progress they have made towards adopting the way of life surrounding them.

Just about seventy-five years ago, Apaches were beaten by superior forces, encircled, rounded up and placed on reservations as prisoners of war. Only three generations have passed since they started to change their way of life. By nature they were unaccusDoomed to any form of regimentation; were used to taking what they had the strength to get; had no need for any knowledge of business or science; knew nothing of other cultures throughout the world; were swayed by a multitude of superstitions; and ran up against a formidable language barrier.

The Tribe is now engaged in various business enterprises. Well-educated leaders are dedicated to their responsibilities. They are elected to office by balloting, open to to all members of the tribe. Efficient clerks are busy at typewriters, comptometers, copying and posting machines in the Tribal Office, while capable executives supervise and have unlimited patience with an endless procession of Apache men and women, old and young, seeking advice and help. Today's San Carlos Apaches, like their White Mountain, Jicarilla and Mescalero Reservation brothers, are descendants of the Athabascan linguistic group that migrated from the far north to the southwest centuries ago. From 1539, when the Spaniards first came in contact with the Apaches in New Mexico, these tribes were almost continually at war with the whites in Old Mexico, Arizona and New Mexico, as well as with other Indians.

When the Apache opposed settling of his homeland by American pioneers, a long, costly war followed, bringing death and destruction as well as setting back the frontier timetable of expansion. The Apache fought for his right to lead his own life on his own land and he fought with merciless fury and cunning.

In 1871, after numerous campaigns in which hostile bands were subdued, the Army set up a series of temporary reservations to confine them. For better control, some were abandoned and the Arizona Apaches moved into one restricted area, the White Mountain Reservation

By Lucile and Charles W. Herbert Photographs by Charles W. Herbert San Carlos Apaches

tion. This brought more discontent, especially from tribes transferred from good hunting grounds to barren desert areas, and started more rebellions and more campaigns to bring order. Another tactic of the Army was to move the more persistently hostile groups and their leaders to prison camps in the east.

Not until after the Civil War, when the full force of the U.S. Cavalry, along with some Mexican troops, was brought to bear on the widely scattered bands, did lasting peace come to this fire-swept land. One by one the fierce Apache chiefs were defeated until Geronimo surrendered to General Nelson A. Miles on September 4, 1886, in remote Skeleton Canyon, close to the Mexican border.

With Geronimo and his followers off to prison in Florida, the Apaches became more reconciled to their fate and accepted confinement to their reservation.

In 1897 the White Mountain Reservation was divided into the Ft. Apache and San Carlos Reservations, each with separate administrative agencies. Present-day Apaches living on the San Carlos Reservation are descendants of the Mimbres, Chiricahuas, Pinal, Apache Peaks, Arivaipa, San Carlos, Tonto, Cibecue, White Mountain, Mogollon, Chilecon and Coyotero bands.

Situated in east central Arizona, the San Carlos Apaches have around 2,600 square miles of reservation land. The Black and Salt Rivers bound it on the north, Greenlee County forms the east line, the Gila Range and Mt. Trumbull are to the south and U.S. 60 approximates the western extent. Of the 1,643,939 acres within the reservation, 1,627,804 acres are set apart as range land. Some of this is in the desert area and is marginal grazing land. Only a few thousand acres along river-bottoms to the south are suitable for agriculture and homesites.

In addition to many injustices suffered by the Indians during the wars and after they accepted reservation life, the San Carlos Apaches have had their original reservation area of 7,200 square miles squeezed down to its present 2,600 square miles.

Being prisoners of war they were without treaty rights. Under pressure from mining and farming groups, the government elected to take parcels of land from them by the simple process of Executive Order like this one: Executive Mansion July 21, 1874.

It is hereby ordered that all that portion of the White Mountain Indian Reservation in Arizona Territory lying east of 109° 30' west longitude be returned to the public domain.