And Introduction to the San Carlos Apache Tribe

by: Paul Wolterbeck

You might have trouble grasping the sheer scale of the San Carlos Apache Reservation:  1.8 million acres worth of desert, forest, lakes and mountains that sprawl across three Arizona counties (Gila, Graham and Pinal) just east of Globe. “The Rez” is full of superlatives… some of the world’s largest elk are found here, Apaches were the last tribe to cease armed conflict with the cavalry in the 1800s, and this remains one of few places on the planet where the rare green gemstone known as peridot is mined.
“The Rez” offers a breathtaking landscape and myriad reasons to visit and get to know this rich culture; non-Indian tourists are often surprised at how welcoming the Apache people can be at events as public as tribal rodeos, or as intimate and deeply traditional as Sunrise Dance ceremonies.

Most visitors know the lakes, forests and deserts of San Carlos as a place for trophy hunting and fishing. A world record was set by a massive Rocky Mountain Elk from San Carlos and these lands are prized for both species of deer (Coues whitetails and mulies) as well as record catfish, crappie and bass. Hunting and fishing are carefully managed as a sustainable economic sector by the Tribe’s Recreation & Wildlife Department. While high-end permits can cost tens of thousands of dollars, your visit can start with a $10 day-pass available at convenience stores as you approach the rez from the nearby communities of Globe and Safford.  Daily recreation permits allow you to hike, camp or explore most of this varied land – with the exception of specific closed areas which are clearly marked on tribal maps  (notably the Mineral Strip and the R-100 tribal ranch). The most popular destinations  (San Carlos Lake, Point of Pines Lake) are welcome places for visitors seeking a day’s recreation – maybe even the chance to see an osprey or bald eagle flying overhead.

Want to learn about Tribal heritage and history? Pay a visit to the Cultural Center on highway 70 and strike up a conversation with craftsman and archivist Herb Stevens -- or plan to attend public events of the annual Veterans Memorial Fair and Rodeo on a festive weekend in November coinciding with Veterans Day. Apaches are proud of their warrior heritage and seemingly unconflicted with their patriotic devotion to military service in the 20th Century. For a tangible, colorful example of this look no farther than the sea of flags waving somberly at cemetaries close to  downtown San Carlos during the November week of both celebration and remembrance that marks Veterans’ Day.
Sunrise dances are public events, too, in fact the schedule is published each year in the local San Carlos Apache Moccasin weekly newspaper.

Read more about the Sunrise Dance ceremony and etiquette for non tribal visitors -- Check out Linda Gross’ 2007 feature about the Sunrise Dance ceremony, originally published in the Globe Miami Times.
Other annual events include the Bylas community’s annual Mt. Turnbull Rodeo and fair each April, a huge intertribal pow-wow at the Apache Gold Casino Resort (February or March), and Apache Independence Day on June 18 each year.  

GAMING

Enjoy a little wagering or time at the card tables? Yes, our communities have a casino! The Tribe’s Apache Gold Casino opened in 1994 and has expanded in the past decade to include an adjacent Best Western hotel (146 rooms, rates starting around $60), two restaurants and an RV park, with an acclaimed 18-hole championship golf course designed sinuously into desert arroyos north of the casino property. Golfers report this is one of the most challenging “lay of the land” greens to test your skills in all of Arizona; ask about “stay ‘n play” overnight golf and lodging packages when you call the Best Western or the Casino.

Apache Gold Casino is a good place to get acquainted with “the Rez” and to meet Apache people. Conveniently located on highway 70 just five minutes’ drive east of Globe, the casino offers casual dining (don’t miss seafood night at the Wickiup Buffet) and a chance to drive out, meet our neighbors to the east -- and try your luck at the slot machines or card tables. Ask staff at the Players’ Club for maps or information about other tribal events which are open to visitors. Browse shelves in the casino gift shop for unique locally-made leathercraft, beadwork, peridot jewelry, basketry -- even music by Apache recording artists such as Bylas balladeer Boe Titla.
Apache Gold Casino & Resort.

History of San Carlos Apache

If history and Apache heritage are your interest, make sure to visit the Cultural Center to learn the San Carlos Apaches’ own unique version of their people, their origins and more recent history. Permanent exhibits include the “Window on Apache Culture,” and visitors may watch videos which show Changing Woman ceremony, or Sunrise Dance. Cultural Center Director Herb Stevens is known worldwide for his intricate beadwork and leathercraft, as well his connections to both traditional Apaches and the Southwestern US arts community. Herb’s the sole fulltime staff member, though, and the museum isn’t open weekends – visitors are advised to call ahead to confirm hours of operation  928-475-2894

Anthropologists and linguists say that Apaches descended from the Athabascan peoples who migrated to the Southwest after crossing the Bering Strait more than 1,000 years ago. “N’deh,” the word that traditional Apaches use to refer to “our people” occupied a huge swath of geography which once included Arizona, New Mexico and Sonora, Mexico; the late 1800s saw the rise of the reservation system and forced internment of disparate bands of Apache onto reservations such as the contiguous San Carlos and White Mountain Apache Reservations, and Camp Verde. Unemployment remains chronic and industry scarce – tribal and federal government offices and agencies are the largest source of employment – but Apaches generate their own revenue by managing the forests for timber and the wildlife for trophy hunting and fishing.  Apaches are also colloquially known as the “cowboy Indians” due to cattle ranching operations which continue to generate income for brand-holding families and, possibly more importantly, locally-grown fresh beef for tribal ceremonies and public events.


 Tribal Foresters report that more than 30 percent of the community’s land is forested – or about 175,000 acres. Want a comparison figure? San Carlos Lake, famous with crappie and bass fishermen, contains 19,500 acre feet of water when filled to capacity -- making it the largest body of water in Arizona. The lake was formed by construction of Coolidge Dam which impounds the Gila and San Carlos Rivers. State routes surround the lake and you don’t need a recreation permit if you’re just circumnavigating the paved roads by car – but be sure to buy one if you might stop and see or photograph the massive Art Deco concrete eagles on the south side of Coolidge Dam as you look down 200 feet over the Gila River.  
Point-of¬-Pines Lake is also a popular destination for campers and anglers. The hour-long drive from highway 70 offers a scenic, and paved (!),  road trip ascent from low desert chaparal through grasslands and into stately, cooler Ponderosa Pine country. Point-of¬-Pines Lake covers about 34 acres and is stocked with trout. Bring your own water and plan for a weekend camping without electricity or facilities - primitive campsites are nearby the lake and shaded by ponderosa pines.
Seneca Lake (off highway 60 just above Salt River Canyon) is also well worth a visit, with sunfish during the summer months; rainbow and brown trout stocked as the weather cools off during fall and winter.

PERIDOT

These Apache lands are also legendary for August’s birthstone: Peridot – which is the “Gatorade-green” colored mineral mined by hand from an ancient volanic mesa easily visible from highway 70 as you drive through the rez. Local artisans fashion a wide variety of jewelry and crafts from peridot and you’ll find items for sale in the Cultural Center, at the Basha's grocery store, at Noline's Country Store (near the Recreation & Wildlife Department office) and the Casino Gift Shop. Learn more about peridot at Apache Gems

Want to see exactly where this precious mineral is extracted from the earth? Hire one of the local hunting guides for a visit to Peridot Mesa, where the gemstone is mined by pick, shovel and bucket. For a list of Tribal guides check out  Guides.  

RECREATION PERMITS, HUNTING, FISHING

Daily rates are as little as $10 per day to camp, picnic, hike, or make scenic drives on back roads around “The Rez.” Fishing and hunting require special permits or season passes, and there are separate charges and higher fees to fish or explore the Black and Salt Rivers along the northern boundary. Special passes include a combined fishing/boat permit, as well as water-skiing/personal watercraft permits. Got questions? Call the San Carlos Recreation & Wildlife Department toll-free at 888-475-2344 or else at 928-475-2343

or SCRW