Apache Views on Death

Apaches never recklessly threw away their lives or took unnecessary risk unless it was absolutely critical to stay alive to protect women, children and elderly from their enemies. Apaches had a deep aversion toward death and emphasized the importance of life, of survival, of longevity. When a person died like Cochise his name was never to be mentioned again as it would confuse the deceased spirit about the plane he/she was  on. In the “Spirit World” it was anticipated that relationships would be resumed there. This is the thought that Cochise left Tom Jeffords with, as he neared death in 1874, when Cochise insisted to the skeptical Jeffords that they would meet again, “up there”. In fact, Apaches believed that in the “Happy Place” their enjoyment would be magnified. Preparation for burial involved putting the body into a sitting position so that its ghost could not look back on the village accompanied by favorite possessions or weapons of deceased. Legend has it that Cochise was buried with his silver engraved shotgun and favorite horse in a hidden deep cave located in the Dragoon Mountains. His wives cut their hair, wailed, burned the wickiup with all his possessions, and covered their face with charcoal protecting themselves from dark spirits of night! As the burial concluded the Medicine Doctor would declare; “Goodbye, it’s finished. We shall speak his name no more.” The Apaches believed that to get to the “Happy Place” you had to go through a rite of passage protected by animal gatekeepers, two serpents, grizzlies and mountain lions, and upon successfully passing these challenges you found yourself in a beautiful green valley where there was plenty of game and the People. According to Jeffords, Cochise given his “Greatness” was mourned with deep lamentation for four days by his people. Paradoxically the Apache custom of burning all physical signs and never mentioning the Name of the decease again means that it becomes difficult to determine genealogy or relationship. For instance, Cochise’s mother’s name remains unknown. She was probably treacherously killed along with her husabnd Pisago Cabezon at Galeana in Sonora in 1845. There still remains uncertainty however about who Cochise's father was although circumstance suggests Pisago Cabezon.(Cf Aleshire, p.17 & 61-63.)

Apache Coyote Stories/ Moral Wisdoms

Story Telling/Wisdom: A primary way by which Apache values were passed on and sustained was through stories told to the “People” most often during winter months of “Ghost Face”. These stories including “Coyote Tales” provided deep spiritual/psychological insights into the strengths/ foibles of the “People”, about how to live in harmony with nature, practical tips in survival, fighting, living in community and in healing. Basic “Coyote Tale” themes revolved around death, sex, family, animals, truthfulness, self-reliance, and perils of arrogance/pride. For instance, one story has it that Coyote decide to test whether or not a “Rock People” could run by defecating on it and to Coyote’s surprise it pursued; no matter how fast Coyote ran or maneuvered it was unable to get away and finally realized it  better go back and apologized by cleaning up its mess. The moral here was that reverence/interdependence for all things in nature had to be maintained! (Cf, Opler, “Myths & Tales”, p.35.) Apaches too later became increasingly suspicious of the hidden costs of Pindah modernity with its emphasis on material physical comfort/drugs including whiskey/tequila, cotton/kettles, and guns/knives, realizing that these trade items undermined their native lifestyle making them increasingly dependent on Pindah for material survival leading ultimately to loss of their spiritual identity through Christian missionary efforts and to final humiliation of reservations/Indian schools. Later “Coyote Tales” warned them of the implicit dangers of cultural borrowing/imitations. In one such story involving a Snake (Pindah) and Eagle (Apaches), the former convinces the Eagle that it can no longer sustain itself in traditional way as hunters /gatherers but must adopt new ways of farming/ ranching or perish. Cochise intuitively fought against cultural interaction as it breed dependence and fear by limiting White contact and insisting that his Band remain self-dependent. Cochise knew that to imitate the Pindah would undermine Apache identity, a loss of freedom/soul, which led him, along with Mangas Coloradas, Victoria, Nana, Geronimo and others to fight a remarkable twenty-five year war against the Pindah. Cochise‘s attitude captured best by Mescalero leader Cadette who remarked to Cremony: “You are slaves from the time you begin to talk until you die; but we are free as air. We never work, but the Mexican and others work for us. Our wants are few and easily supplied. The river, the wood, the plain yield all that we require, and we will not be slaves: nor will we send our children to your schools, where they only learn to become like yourselves.”(Cf, Cremony, “Life Among Apaches”, p 215.)

Sacredness of the Land

For the Chiricahuas the land was “Sacred” and “Dark”, it embodied subtle energies/wisdom, good/bad, for the People to learn from. The Dragoons/Chiricahuas protected the “People” from their enemies allowing them to see days in advance settlers or soldiers crossing Apacheria, protected them from bullets, offered acorns in winter, mescal in spring, saguaro fruit in the summer. Every rock, crevice, tree, stream held a story that was invaluable to survival and was a living testimony or school to learn from.  The Apaches believed in Mountain People or Spirits called “Gaan”. “Gaans” were sent to earth by “Life Giver” to teach the Apaches how to live peacefully and were healing spirits. Men in ceremonies wore masks like Hopi Kachinas to take on their power. Rituals involved song, prayer and dance. The dancers invoked Gaan power for healing; prophecy and ceremony. Any disturbance of the land could anger the Gaan leading to earthquakes and terrible lighting storms. Cochise gained inspiration and strength from the landscape. Nature/places always called him, providing insights and direction. Yet the land held bitter memories and energy. Apache Pass was one of the worse places for him as it was there that his brother Coyuntura under a white flag was hanged. The Chiricahuas believed that one could capture the deep wisdom of the “Rock People”   by sitting in silence contemplating the pre-historical figurines that dotted the Chiricahua Mountain landscape. These Rock formations existed before time and eerily held a deep truth about mysteries of life. They precipitated deep altered states of consciousness and they spoke to the listener. Cochise being contemplated by nature often sought their knowledge and direction. “Rock People”, too, played a significant role in Sweat Lodge Ceremony, which was another favorite of Cochise, as its purification/healing rites brought clarity and insight. “The Rock People” “hot” were brought in and placed in a pit and then sprinkle with sage and water which allowed their healing properties to penetrate the circle of two legged who participated accompanied by song and smoke. The ceremony ended with bathing in a mountain creek or stream and drinking clear water.  Cochise often refreshed/renewed himself in spiritual ceremony of "Sweats” as they restored his energy and allowed him to make better decisions for the safety of his people.

Apache Time Sense

 Time for the Apaches was cyclical, with peaks and valleys, and followed the seasonal movement of spring, summer, fall and winter, as embodied in Medicine Wheel. The Medicine Wheel along with number 7 captured the totality of existence including 4 directions, Ussen and the “People.”The number 4 was especially sacred as it implied basic life pattern of birth/death/rebirth as well as capturing the 4 cardinal directions, east, south, west /north; 4 colors, black, yellow, red, white; 4 seasons, spring, summer, fall, winter; 4 elements, earth, air, fire, water); 4 ages, infancy, adolescence, adulthood, elderly; 4 conditions of man , physical, emotional, mental , spiritual. The Medicine Wheel was called upon in hunting, healing, locating things, invoking rain, planting/harvesting and was helpful in resolving clan/band relationships. Above all else the Medicine Wheel captured the underlying natural unity/interconnectedness within the web of the Universe as it provided clues to re-connecting with Ussen by discovering/following the moral principles of the “Red/Spiritual Path” by which Apaches learn to master darker impulses of each direction or season by living in the “heart” freeing them from fear of bringing dishonor to their family. Cochise always emphasized the importance of truth, of speaking from the heart and prided himself in never lying. (Cf, Cochise speech, “I am Alone”).Drinking tiswin excessively, an Apache beer made from corn ,and especially much stronger Pindah whiskey, was very destructive to the Apache lifestyle leading many away from the “Red Road” and to family quarrels, destructive fights, death and loss of face.