Where did the Apache tribe live in Texas

NPS

The Lipan ranged across the Southern Plains from southern Kansas to northwest Texas. Lipan were among the first of the Plains Indians to obtain horses. This permitted them to dominate the southern plains and the southern bison range. They were bison hunters and had become minimal agriculturist.

First European contact was with the Coronado Expedition in the area of the Canadian river. He called them Quecheros.

When the Comanches arrived on the Southern Plains in the early 1700s, the Lipan had been pushed into the area around present day San Antonio TX where they continued their raiding on Spanish ranches and settlements. In 1785 the Spanish concluded a treaty with Comanches who pledged that “they would be the declared enemies of all the Apaches and Lipanes and …to make war… in such a way that they may be totally exterminated”. This being a reflection of Spanish policy against the Apaches at the end of the 18th century. By 1800 the Lipan had been driven south of the Rio Grande.

The Lipan returned to Texas in the early 19th century after Mexican Independence taking advantage of the new republic’s inability to control them. Their new range was south Texas and west to the Pecos River, and the northern Coahuila and North Eastern Chihuahua.

After Texas Independence the Lipan allied themselves with the Texans in their campaigns against their hated enemies the Comanches. By the 1840s the residents of Texas were calling for the removal of the Lipan from the settlement areas of Texas. The Lipan had become a factor in United States Indian policy affecting Texas. During that period, the tribe was arbitrarily disrupted and occasionally falsely accused of depredations actually wrought by Comanches and other northern tribes.

By 1875 the Lipan were reduced to approximately 300 people, scattered bands still living in Texas, a large village at Zaragosa Coahuila Mex., and about 100 at the Mescalero Apache Reservation in New Mexico.

In 1905 after learning that a group of Lipans were being held prisoner in Chihuahua Mex., Father Luciano Migeon, a parish priest of Tularosa, New Mexico traveled to Chihuahua to obtain permission to move them to the Mescalero Apache Reservation. He found 37 Lipan's being held in a corral outside of town, with no shelter, little clothing and being fed ears of corn. He placed them on a train and transported them to the Mescalero Apache Reservation where they were welcomed.

In 1936 the Mescaleros Apaches approved a new constitution that made the Lipan full members of the Mescalero tribe. After residing in Texas for more than 200 years the Lipan no longer possessed a discernible presence in what was their homeland. In 1999 they began a process to obtain federal recognition as a tribe.

Native Americans

The Apache peoples are made up of a group of American Indian tribes that are similar in culture and speak the same language. There are six tribes that make up the Apache: the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Western Apache, and Kiowa.

The Apache traditionally lived in the Southern Great Plains including Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. They are closely related to the Navajo Indians.

Apache Home

The Apache lived in two types of traditional homes; wikiups and teepees. The wikiup, also called a wigwam, was a more permanent home. Its frame was made from tree saplings and formed a dome. It was covered with bark or grass. Teepees were a more temporary home that could be moved easily when the tribe was hunting buffalo. The teepee's frame was made of long poles and then covered with buffalo hide. It was shaped like an upside down cone. Both types of homes were small and cozy.

Apache Clothes

Most of the Apache clothing was made from leather or buckskin. The women wore buckskin dresses while the men wore shirts and breechcloths. Sometimes they would decorate their clothing with fringes, beads, feathers, and shells. They wore soft leather shoes called moccasins.

Apache Food

The Apache ate a wide variety of food, but their main staple was corn, also called maize, and meat from the buffalo. They also gathered food such as berries and acorns. Another traditional food was roasted agave, which was roasted for many days in a pit. Some Apaches hunted other animals like deer and rabbits.

Apache Tools

To hunt, the Apache used bows and arrows. Arrowheads were made from rocks that were chipped down to a sharp point. Bow strings were made from the tendons of animals.

To carry their teepees and other items when they moved, the Apache used something called a travois. The travois was a sled that could be filled with items and then dragged by a dog. When the Europeans brought horses to the Americas, the Apache started using horses to drag the travois. Because horses were so much bigger and stronger, the travois could be bigger and carry a a lot more stuff. This also allowed the Apache to make larger teepees.

The Apache women wove large baskets to store grain and other food. They also made pots from clay to hold liquids and other items.

Apache Social Life

The Apache social life was based around the family. Groups of extended family members would live together. The extended family was based on the women, meaning that when a man married a woman he would become part of her extended family and leave his own family. A number of extended families would live near each other in a local group which had a chief as the leader. The chief would be a man who had earned the position by being the strongest and most capable leader.

The women Apache were responsible for the home and cooking the food. They would also do crafts, make clothes, and weave baskets. The men were responsible for hunting and were the tribal leaders.

Europeans and the Apache Wars

In the late 1800s the Apache's fought a number of battles against the United States government. They were trying to fight back from the aggression and takeover of their land. Several great Apache leaders arose such as Cochise and Geronimo. They fought with ferocity for decades, but finally had to surrender and were forced into reservations.

Apaches Today

Today many of the Apache tribes live in reservations in New Mexico and Arizona. Some also live in Oklahoma and Texas.

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