Western Apache - Western Apache Bands and Tribes

Western Apache Bands and Tribes

• White Mountain Apache of the Fort Apache Indian Reservation (Dzil Łigai Si'án Ndee - ‘People of the White Mountains’, Spanish: Sierra Blanca Apache, ranged from the White Mountains in the north over the Gila Mountains south to the Pinaleno Mountains, lived and planted along the East Fork and North Fork of the White River, Turkey Creek, Black River and the Gila River, most isolated and eastern Western Apache group), a federally recognized tribe, including the Tca-tci-dn or "Dischiidn" (“red rock strata people”) clan of chief Pedro's Carrizo band of the Cibecue Apaches, who were not forced to move to San Carlos in 1875
  • Western White Mountain band (Łįįnábáha, Laan Baaha or Łįįnábáha dinéʼiʼ - ‘Many Go to War People’, oft called Coyoteros or Coyotero Apaches)
  • Eastern White Mountain band (Dził Ghą́ʼ or Dzil Ghaa a - ‘On Top of Mountains People’)
    • Dzil Nchaa Si An (′Big Seated Mountain People′, i.e. ′People of Mount Graham′)
• Cibecue Apache (Spanish derivation of the autonym Dishchíí Bikoh - ‘People of the Red Canyon’, ranged north of the Salt River to well above the Mogollon Rim in the west to the Mazatzal Mountains), today all part of the federally recognized tribe of the White Mountain Apache of the Fort Apache Reservation
  • Canyon Creek band (Gołkizhn - ‘Spotted on Top People’, likely refers to a mountain that is spotted with junipers, lived along Canyon Creek, a tributary of the Salt River in the Mogollon Rim area, western band of the Cibecue Apache)
  • Carrizo band (Tłʼohkʼadigain, Tłʼohkʼadigain Bikoh Indee - ‘Canyon of the Row of White Canes People’, lived along Carrizo Creek, a tributary of the Salt River, eastern band of the Cibecue Apache)
  • Cibecue band (Dziłghą́ʼé, Dził Tʼaadn or Dził Tʼaadnjiʼ - ‘Base of Mountain People/Side of Mountain People’, lived along Cibecue Creek, a tributary of the Salt River, middle or central band of the Cibecue Apache)
• San Carlos Apache of the San Carlos Reservation (Tsékʼáádn - “Metate People”, lived on both sides of the San Pedro River and in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson), a federally recognized tribe composed of the San Carlos Apache proper and several groups of the Cibecue Apache (excluding the Tca-tci-dn (“red rock strata people”) clan of the Carrizo band), some Tonto Apache, Lipan as well Chiricahua Apache peoples.
  • Apache Peaks band (Nadah Dogalniné - ‘Spoiled Mescal People’, ‘Tasteless Mescal People’, also called Bichi Lehe Nnee - ′Fled to the mountains People′, lived northeast of Globe between the Salt River and the Apache Peaks as far east as Ishįį (“Salt”) on the Salt River, between Cibicue Creek mouth and Canyon Creek mouths)
  • San Carlos band (Tsandee Dotʼán - ‘It is Placed Alone beside the Fire People’, oft simply called Tsékʼáádn - “Metate People”, or San Carlos proper, also called Tiis Zhaazhe Bikoh - ′Small cottonwood canyon People′, lived and farmed along the San Carlos River, a tributary of the Gila River)
  • Pinaleño/Pinal band (Spanish ‘Pinery People’, Tʼiisibaan, Tʼiis Tsebán or Tiis Ebah Nnee - ‘Cottonwoods Gray in the Rocks People’, named after the trees at the mouth of the San Pedro River and their farms along Pinal Creek called Tʼii Tsebá, lived north of the Arivaipa band)
  • Arivaipa/Aravaipa band (Pima: ‘cowards, ‘women’, called by the Apaches Tsé hiné, Tséjìné or Tsee Zhinnee - ‘Dark Rocks People’ or ‘Black Rocks People’, after the black rocks of their range in the Aravaipa Creek Valley, the Galiuro Mountains, the Santa Teresa Mountains and the southern edge of the Pinaleno Mountains)
    • Tséjìné (Tsé hiné or Tsee Zhinnee - ‘Dark Rocks People’ or ‘Black Rocks People’, Arivaipa proper, because they outnumbered the Tsé Binestʼiʼé their name was used for all Arivaipa)
    • Tsé Binestʼiʼé (‘Rock encircling People’)
• Tonto Apache (autonym: Dilzhé`e, the Chiricahua called them Ben-et-dine - ‘wild’, ‘crazy’; neighboring Western Apache called them Koun`nde - ‘Those who you don’t understand’, ‘wild rough People’, the Spanish adapted this as Tonto - 'loose', 'foolish', the Dine called the Tonto Apache and neighboring Yavapai Dilzhʼíʼ dinéʼiʼ - ‘People with high-pitched voices’, lived from the San Francisco Peaks, East Verde River and Oak Creek Canyon along the Verde River into the Mazatzal Mountains and to the Salt River in the SW and the Tonto Basin in the SE, extending eastwards towards the Little Colorado River, were the most westerly group of the Western Apache)
  • Northern Tonto (inhabited the upper reaches of the Verde River and ranged north toward the San Francisco Mountains north of Flagstaff)
    • Bald Mountain band (Dasziné Dasdaayé Indee - ‘Porcupine Sitting Above People’, lived mainly around Bald Mountain or Squaw Peak, on the west side of the Verde Valley, southwest of Camp Verde. They lived entirely by hunting and gathering plant foods. They formed a bilingual mixed-band with Wi:pukba (Wipukepa) or Northeastern Yavapai)
    • Fossil Creek band (Tú Dotłʼizh Indee - ‘Blue Water People’, lived along and had a few tiny farms on Fossil Creek, Clear Creek and-a site on the Verde River below the mouth of Deer Creek, they hunted and gathered west of the Verde River, northwest to the Oak Creek band territory and northeast to Apache Maid Mountain. They formed a bilingual mixed-band with the Matkitwawipa band of the Wi:pukba (Wipukepa) or Northeastern Yavapai)
    • Mormon Lake band (Dotłʼizhi HaʼitʼIndee - ‘Turquoise Road Coming Up People’, lived east of Mormon Lake near the head of Anderson's Canyon and ranged up to the southern foot of the San Francisco Mountains, at Elden Mountain near Flagstaff, around Mormon, Mary's, Stoneman's and Hay Lakes, and at Anderson and Padre Canyons. Because they were exposed to the hostile Navajo on the north and east, they depended entirely on hunting and gathering wild plant foods for sustenance. Only the Mormon Lake band was composed entirely of Tonto Apache.)
    • Oak Creek band (Tsé Hichii Indee - ‘Horizontal Red Rock People’, lived near today´s Sedona, along Oak Creek, Dry Beaver Creek, Wet Beaver Creek and southward to the west side of the Verde River between Altnan and West Clear Creek, eastward to Stoneman's and Mary's Lakes, and northward to Roger's Lake and Flagstaff. They formed a bilingual mixed-band with the Wiipukepaya band of the Wi:pukba (Wipukepa) or Northeastern Yavapai)
  • Southern Tonto (lived in the Tonto Basin from the Salt River in south northward along and over the East Verde River, including the Sierra Ancha, Bradshaw Mountains and Mazatzal Mountains)
    • Mazatzal band (Tsé Nołtłʼizhn - ‘Rocks in a Line of Greenness People’, lived mainly in the eastern slopes of Mazatzal Mountains, formed bilingual mixed-bands with Hakayopa and Hichapulvapa local groups of the Wiikchasapaya (Wikedjasapa) band of the Guwevkabaya (Kwevkepaya) or Southeastern Yavapai)
    • Dil Zhęʼé semi-band (‘People with high-pitched voices’, first and most important semi-band under which name the five remaining semi-bands were known, some Dil Zhęʼé in the Sierra Ancha formed with members of the Walkamepa band of the Guwevkabaya (Kwevkepaya) or Southeastern Yavapai the bilingual mixed-band known as Matkawatapa)
    • second semi-band
    • third semi-band
    • fourth semi-band
    • fifth semi-band
    • sixth semi-band

Often groups of the Yavapai, especially the Wipukepa and Kwevkepaya, lived together with the Tonto Apache (as well as bands of the San Carlos Apache) in bilingual rancherias, and could not be distinguished by outsiders (Americans, Mexicans or Spanish) except on the basis of their "Mother tongues." The Yavapai and Apache together were often referred to as Tonto or Tonto Apaches. Therefore, it is not always easy to find out whether it is now exclusively dealing with Yavapai or Apache, or those mixed bands. The Wipukepa and Kwevkepaya were therefore, because of their ancestral and cultural proximity to the Tonto Apaches, often incorrectly called Yavapai Apaches or Yuma Apaches. The Tolkepaya, the southwestern group of Yavapai, and the Hualapai (also belonging to the Upland Yuma Peoples) were also referred as Yuma Apaches or Mohave Apaches.