Bedonkohe
The Bedonkohe ( Bi-dan-ku , Bidánku “In Front of the End People”: people who settle on the front line) or Bidankande ( Bi-da-a-naka-enda “Standing in front of the enemy”: people that settled on the border to the enemy) were one of the four bands (English "tribal groups") of the Chiricahua , which together with the Mescalero , Jicarilla , Lipan , Kiowa-Apache and Western Apache each form a tribal group of the Apache (see list of Apache Tribes ).
The best-known representatives of the Bedonkohe Apache were the war chief and medicine man (in Chiricahua diyin ) Gokhlayeh ( Goyathlay or Goyaałé "the yawning"; better known as Geronimo ) and Mangas Coloradas (Spanish-Mexican: "(blood) red-colored sleeves", derived from his Apache nickname Kan-da-zis Tlishishen "red / pink shirt"), the chief ( nantan ) of the Copper Mines local group of the Chihenne ("Red Painted People": red-painted people), the eastern band of the Chiricahua .
Territory of the Bedonkohe and neighboring Chiricahua bands
The tribal area of the four bands of the Chiricahua, which in turn consisted of several local groups ( gotahs , English local bands ), was in southwest New Mexico and in southeast Arizona in what is now the southwest of the USA and in the Sierra Madre Occidental in the north of today's Mexican states from Sonora and Chihuahua . The Zuni who previously lived here were driven out; hence their name for the invading southern Athapasques as Apachu ("stranger, enemy"). This word was adopted as Apaches by the Spaniards, Mexicans, and later Americans . Although the four bands saw themselves as a group that was related to one another by marrying and which also differed from neighboring Apache in terms of language and culture, they often acted independently in war and peace without considering the interests of neighboring Chiricahua or even others - sometimes even enemy - Apache.
The Chokons ( Ch'ók'ánéń, Tsoka-ne-nde, Tcokanene, Chu-ku-nde, Chukunende, Ch'úk'ánéń, Ch'uuk'anén "Ridge of the Mountainside People": "People from the mountain slopes" , also Chiricaguis ) lived in the southeast of Arizona, in the southwest of New Mexico and in the northeast of Sonora and are often referred to as the real or central Chiricahua due to the central location of their tribal area and their prominence . The northeastern local group of the same name of the Chokonen also lived on the upper reaches of the Gila River northeast along the San Francisco River to the Mogollon Mountains in New Mexico and thus shared areas with the Bedonkohe, who were therefore often allied with them and related through marriage.
The Nednhi ( Ndé'ndai, Nde-nda-i, Nédnaa'í, Ndé'indaaí, Ndé'indaande, Ndaandénde "hostile people", "people who cause trouble", often referred to as the Bronco Apaches or Sierra Madre Apaches ) lived in the northwest of Chihuahua, northeast of Sonora and in the southeast of Arizona - since they were the band that penetrated farthest south into northern Mexico , they are often referred to as Southern Chiricahua .
The Chihenne ( Chi-he-nde, Chihende, Tci-he-nde, Chíhéne, Chííhénee ' "red painted people" or "people of the red color", the name could refer to the mineral red coloring of the copper-bearing tribal area, often as copper Mine, Warm Springs, Ojo Caliente Apaches, Mimbreños / Mimbres, Gila Apaches ) lived east of the Chokonen in southwest New Mexico eastwards to the Rio Grande and are therefore often referred to as Eastern Chiricahua .
The Copper Mines were the western local group of Chihenne , most likely consisting of Chihenne and Bedonkohe , who lived southwest of the Gila River , especially near the Santa Lucia Springs in the Burro Mountains , northwest of present-day Silver City , ruled the Pinos Altos Mountains , Pyramid Mountains and the surroundings of Santa Rita del Cobre along the Mimbres River to the east. After the discovery of high-yield copper deposits around Santa Rita del Cobre , they were usually referred to as the Copper Mine Apaches ("Copper Mining Apaches").
The Bedonkohe lived in western New Mexico north and west of the Chihenne in the Mogollon Mountains and Tularosa Mountains between the San Francisco River in the west and the Gila River in the southeast. Since their preferred retreat were often the Mogollon Mountains , they were also called the Mogollon Apaches . Since they also lived northeast of the Chokonen, they are often referred to as the northeastern Chiricahua .
In addition, all Apache along the Gila River - be it Bedonkohe , Chihenne , Chokonen or the San Carlos Apache and White Mountain Apache belonging to the Western Apache - were referred to as Gileños or Gila Apaches .
Relationship of the Chiricahua and Bedonkohe to neighboring tribes
In the northwest of the Chiricahua lived Western Apache and Yavapai , in the north the Diné (Navajo) , in the east the Mescalero , the south and southwest to the Pima Alto (Upper Pima) counting Tohono O'Odham (formerly mostly Papago ) Hia-Ced O'Odham (formerly also Sand Papago ), Akimel O'Odham (formerly mostly Pima ), Sobaipuri (also called Sobas , now part of the other groups) and the Maricopa and Opata allied with them .
There was a tense relationship with the Yavapai, the Western Apache and the Diné (Navajo), which, despite the linguistic and cultural affinity, often turned into enmity, whereas the Chihenne in particular counted their relatives east of the Rio Grande, the Mescalero-Apache, always a reliable ally in the fight against Spaniards (later Mexicans and Americans) as well as against enemy Comanche and Kiowa . Among the sedentary and arable tribes of the Upper Pima, Lower Pima, Opata, Maricopa, Tarahumara and other sedentary Mexican tribes and later the Spaniards (and Mexicans), the Chiricahua, like the other Apache, were known as robbers, thieves and warriors and feared. The Chiricahua expanded the Apacheria far south at the expense of the settled tribes and drove the Sobaipuri and Opata from Arizona and large areas of northern Sonora.
history
When the probably most important leader of the Bedonkohe, Mahko - grandfather Geronimos - died, they were leaderless and found the suitable leader in the native Bedonkohe Mangas Coloradas, so that he was chief of the Bedonkohe as well as the Copper Mines local group of the Chihenne since the 1820s . He also had considerable influence on the leaders of the neighboring Mimbres / Mimbreño local group of the Chihenne, who lived in southeastern western New Mexico, between the Mimbres River and the Rio Grande in the Mimbres Mountains and the Cook's Range . During wartime, Cuchillo Negro ("blackened knife", in Apache: Baishan ), Delgadito ("a bit thin", "lean", in Apache: Tudeevia , Dudeevia ), Victorio , Nana and other leaders of the Northern Warm Springs and joined Southern Warm Springs local groups, also part of the Chihenne, at Mangas Coloradas.
Since he was also the father-in-law of Cochise , the chief of the Chihuicahui , the southwestern local group of the Chokons, and at the same time the most influential leader among the Chokons - he was perhaps the most influential chief of the Apache in the 19th century and is due to his successes in the fight against Mexicans and Americans considered by many historians one of the most important Native American leaders of the 19th century.
In the last battles of the Chiricahua (1860-1890), in which the Bedonkohe took part, many local groups were so severely decimated that they were no longer able to fight alone and to maintain their security and freedom. The survivors of the smallest band (tribal group) - the Bedonkohe - therefore mostly joined the Chihenne under the leadership of the chiefs Victorio and Nana as well as the Nednhi under Juh from around 1850 - the Janero local group of the Nednhi thus became a reservoir for the smallest families and groups that did not want to give up the fight. After the severely decimated survivors of the Bedonkohe surrendered, they lost their own identity and merged with the other Chiricahua groups during the reservation period.
Demographics
In the 1860s, the Chiricahua Apache numbered around 3,000 tribal members and were able to raise around 750 warriors. As a result of the constant fighting with Mexicans and Americans as well as neighboring tribes, the number of Chiricahua slowly decreased, so that in the 1870s these were able to provide around 600 warriors, divided into the four independently acting bands: Chihenne (around 175 warriors), Chokonen (around 150 warriors), Southern Chiricahua (about 150 warriors) and the Bedonkohe as the smallest group (about 125 warriors).
Todays situation
The descendants of the Bedonkohe today form, together with the other Chiricahua bands, two tribes recognized at the federal level in the USA (so-called federally recognized tribes ) and one tribe recognized by the state of Alabama (so-called state recognized tribe ):
Oklahoma :
- Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma
- The Fort Sill Apache Tribe (also Fort Sill Chiricahua Warm Springs Apache Tribe ) consists of descendants of the Chiricahua Apache (Chokonen, Chihenne, Bedonkohe and Nednhi) who were interned as prisoners of war (from 1886 to 1912 ), who were sent to the military prison in 1894 Fort Sill in Oklahoma. The Kiowa , Comanche and Kiowa Apache , who already settled here , made parts of their reserve land available to the Chiricahua Apache - their former enemies. In August 1912 the prisoner of war status was revoked and in 1913 187 Fort Sill Apache moved to the Mescalero Reservation in New Mexico to join their tribal relatives, the Mescalero Apache. 84 Fort Sill Apache remained in Oklahoma as a prisoner of war and was not released until 1914. In the 1970s, a land claim agreement allowed a tribal constitution to be passed and some land in Oklahoma as well as former tribal land in New Mexico and Arizona to be acquired. In 1977 they were officially recognized as a tribe as the Fort Sill Apache Tribe . Today there are around 670 tribal members, around half of whom are over 18 years old. About 300 live in Oklahoma, the rest in the United States, England, and Puerto Rico.
- The tribe now operates two casinos, the Fort Sill Apache Casino in Lawton, Oklahoma and the Apache Homelands Casino in Akela, New Mexico
- Mescalero Apache Tribe
- The Mescalero Apache Reservation is located in south-central New Mexico, is approximately 1,864 km² in size and is at an altitude of approximately 1,600 m to 3,650 m above sea level. The high mountains are part of the Sacramento Mountains , with the highest mountain - Sierra Blanca Peak (3,652 m) - which is sacred to the Mescalero Apache. The Mescalero Apache Tribe today officially consists of three separate groups, which represent the following formerly independent tribes: the Mescalero Apache , the Chiricahua Apache and the Lipan Apache .
- The Twid Ndé ( Tú'é'diné Ndé “No Water People”, “Tough People of the Desert”) of the Lipan-Apache had already allied themselves with the Mescalero before the reservation period and merged with the Mescalero around 1850 as Tuetinini . Chief Magoosh's local group of the Tu'tssn Ndé ( Tú sis Ndé , Kúne tsá "Big Water People" or "Great Water People") also sought refuge with the Mescalero around 1850, and in 1904 Chief Venego and his local group both fled from Zaragoza, Mexico Groups merged with the Mescalero to form the Tuintsund .
- In 1913 (August 1912 the POW status was revoked) 187 Fort-Sill-Apache-Chiricahua (Chokonen, Chihenne, Bedonkohe and Nednhi) moved to the Mescalero reservation in New Mexico to the Mescalero-Apache. While the Mescalero had previously entered into some mixed marriages with Chihenne and Lipan, they initially had a tense relationship with the Chokonen, Bedonkohe and Nednhi. In the course of time, however, as a result of living together in a small space, more and more friendly and familiar contacts between the various groups developed and strong and close relationships developed among each other. Finally, in 1964, all Apache in the reserve, regardless of their origin, were recognized as Mescalero.
- The tribe operates the Ski Apache ski resort as well as the neighboring hotel and casino for tourist traffic - the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino . They also established a cultural center, the Cultural Museum, near their administrative center in Mescalero, New Mexico . The tribe also has a larger museum in Dog Canyon south of Alamogordo, New Mexico. In 2000 there were 3,156 tribal members according to the census, today approx. 3,979.
Alabama :
- MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI)
- In 1979 the MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians was the first tribe to be recognized by the state of Alabama as a state recognized tribe, the name MOWA refers to the names of the counties Mobile County and Washington County , in which the current reservation areas are located.
- The approximately 1.2 km² MOWA Choctaw Reservation is located along the Mobile River and Tombigbee Rivers between the small communities of McIntosh , Mount Vernon and Citronelle in southwest Alabama, north of Mobile . They are descendants of Choctaw (also Chahta) , Muskogee (also Creek) , Chickasaw , Cherokee and Chiricahua-Apache (who were interned in Mt. Vernon Barracks from 1887 to 1894 as prisoners of war). The majority have Choctaw ancestors from Mississippi and Alabama, who escaped forced relocation to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) at the time of the Dancing Rabbit Creek Treaty in 1830 . In addition to the tribe members who live on the reservation, about 3,600 live in 10 small settlements near the reservation. According to the United States Census 2000 , the MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians has around 6,000 tribal members.
Today (as of 2007) 175 Chiricahua-Apache still speak their native language, Chiricahua , a dialect variant within the Mescalero-Chiricahua-Apache , 149 of them in the Mescalero Apache Reservation in New Mexico, the rest in Fort Sill in Oklahoma.
See also
literature
- Morris E. Opler: An analysis of Mescalero and Chiricahua Apache Social Organization in the Light of Their Systems of Relationship. Dissertation at the University of Chicago, 1933.
- Morris E. Opler: An outline of Chiricahua Apache Social Organization. In: F. Egan (Ed.): Social anthropology of North American tribes. University of Chicago Press, Chicago 1937, pp. 171-239.
- Morris E. Opler: To Apache Life-way. The Economic, Social, and Religious Institutions of the Chiricahua Indians. University of Chicago Press, Chicago 1941 (Reprint: University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln 1994, ISBN 0-8032-8610-4 ).
- Morris E. Opler: Chiricahua Apache. In: A. Ortiz (Ed.): Southwest (= Handbook of North American Indians . Volume 10). Smithsonian Institution, Washington 1983, pp. 401-418.
Individual evidence
- ^ Gregor Lutz: 27 years as a prisoner of war: Geronimo and the Apache Resistance, Publisher: Books on Demand; Edition: 1 (November 13, 2012), ISBN 978-3848228966 , pages 8-13.
- ^ Edwin R. Sweeney: Cochise: Chiricahua Apache Chief , University of Oklahoma Press 1995, ISBN 978-0-8061-2606-7
- ↑ for the Apache only the Chokonen and Chihuicahui local groups of the Chokonen were the actual Chiricahua, the Chihenne, Bedonkohe, Nednhi were related to them - but not Chiricahua
- ↑ the Chokonen local group was led by Chihuahua and his segundo and brother, Ulzana , in the middle of the 19th century
- ^ William B. Griffen: Apaches at War and Peace: The Janos Presidio 1750-1858 , University of Oklahoma Press 1998, ISBN 978-0-8061-3084-2
- ↑ Fort Sill Apache Tribal Leaders
- ↑ Kathleen P. Chamberlain: Victorio: Apache Warrior and Chief. University of Oklahoma Press, 2007, ISBN 978-0-8061-3843-5 .
- ↑ Homepage of the Fort Sill Apache Tribes
- ↑ 2011 Oklahoma Indian Nations - Fort Sill Apache Tribe ( Memento from May 12, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Homepage of the Fort Sill Apache Casino
- ↑ Homepage of the Apache Homelands Casino ( Memento from October 26, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Homepage of the Ski Apache Resort
- ↑ Homepage of the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino
- ↑ Home: Mescalero Apache Cultural Center & Museum. In: mescaleroapachetribe.com. Retrieved August 7, 2019 .
- ^ US Department of the Interior - Indian Affairs - Mescalero Agency
- ↑ Homepage of the MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians