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(More customer reviews)Jicarilla Apache historian, Veronica Velarde Tiller, presents a universe of information regarding the culture and customs of the five Apache Nations and tribes of the Southwest that gives the high school student a view of the philosophical foundations of Apache life that are embedded in the natural environment and natural resources. She explains that "[t]he Creation story or emergence story of how man and his universe were created is the foundation for the religion of the Apaches," and illustrates the ways in which the belief systems that emerge have contoured and fastioned the culture and customs that have assisted the people to endure centuries of assault on their life ways, and at the same time, reach the highest pinnacles of success in the development and use of their natural resources to bring the greatest benefit to their people.
The author sets the course for the student's journey through Apache history and contemporary life by pointing out that young Apache people share the same modern resources, information and othrwise, and confront similar challenges of other students. However, she also explains the role of age-old customs and traditions that are central to the development one's identity as an Apache person, such as the Puberty Feast for the adolescent girl in which she is initiated "into her new role as a person who gives life through birth, who is responsible for her children, and who has a myriad of duties and responsibilities as a valuable member of her family, her clan, her band, her tribe and her marriage" should she choose to marry. The reader is informed regarding the life-long influence of customs like these and the significant role they play not only in the individual's life but in the maintenance of social mores and norms that recognize "the female forces in the supreme and sacred equation to balance all life and energy forces for all time," and dictate "that neither the male nor female is better, stronger, smarter, or more important than the other." Her explanations place these experiences in the contemporary, "real world," of Apache life and remove the stereotypical view of them as merely superstitious practices of a vanishing society.
The text provides the student with a full view of the historical and contemporary context of the U.S. government's relationship with the Apache people and the consequent impact and challenges presented. Additionally, the content furnishes an excellent launch pad for the student and teacher to explore and research further the complex world of Apache life.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Culture and Customs of the Apache Indians (Culture and Customs of Native Peoples in America)
Written for high school students and general readers alike, Culture and Customs of the Apache Indians links the storied past of the Apaches with contemporary times. It covers modern-day Apache culture and customs for all eight tribes in Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma since the end of the Apache wars in the 1880s.
Highlighting tribal religion, government, social customs, lifestyle, and family structures, as well as arts, music, dance, and contemporary issues, the book helps readers understand Apaches today, countering stereotypes based on the 18th- and 19th-century views created by the popular media. It demonstrates that Apache communities are contributing members of society and that, while their culture and customs are based on traditional ways, they live and work in the modern world.
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