Introduction
Culture as a phenomenon plays a critical role in all individuals’ lives, significantly contributing to the formation of their perceptions, views, and behavioral patterns. When different cultures encounter each other, it can result in both the fruitful exchange of cultural heritage and achievements and even severe bloody conflicts leading to terrible aftermath for both nations. The video “Apache Indian Resistance – Geronimo” gives an excellent example of such confrontation, where emerging American society eventually conquered Indians, thereby paying an enormous price. This essay aims at examining the impact of aggressive cultural conflicts and white privilege on a community of color, namely Apache people. For this goal, the paper interprets the video through the lens of chapter 3 named “Culture.”
The Meaning of Culture
Culture is the aggregate deposit of experience that embraces beliefs, religions, values, social roles, arts, hierarchies, concepts, and material possessions obtained and shared by a particular group. Culture formation is usually stipulated by the need to transmit the acquired knowledge to generations to promote their survival and the development of relationships within society and with nature. It has an immense impact on people’s behaviors, worldview, and lives overall and is manifested via languages, symbols, customs, and various forms of art, especially literature (Witt, 2020). These manifestations determine the differences between cultures and, in some cases, the supremacy of one group over another. However, it is worth noting that the surrounding environment, significant historical events, and individuals, primarily of considerable or epochal scope, place a noticeable imprint on a specific culture.
Most societies and nations that consist of many ethnic groups have a dominant ideology. It implies a kit of beliefs and practices formed by the largest group to legitimate their existing political, social, and economic power (Witt, 2020). Dominant norms usually suppress alternative opinions and understanding to maintain the status quo and the ruling class. Furthermore, the science about culture recognizes such term as ethnocentrism meaning that particular persons or groups can perceive their way of life as a standard, simultaneously having an arrogant attitude towards other cultures (Witt, 2020). Typically, the concept is associated with various political and social extremes, such as fascism, Nazism, ultra-nationalism, and other radical ideologies. In contrast, sociologists also offer the term cultural relativism referring to the view when individuals consider other people’s behavior and customs from the angle of their culture. This concept highlights that different cultural groups understand the world diversely and that there is no supremacy of one culture over another.
Apache Culture and Society
The Apaches relate to Southwestern American Indians, which consisted of different tribes, including Jicarilla, Chiricahua, Mescalero, Salinero, and others. In ancient times, their territories extended over present southeastern Colorado, southeastern Arizona, western Texas, and southwestern New Mexico (Laluk, 2017). The Apache homelands comprised watered valleys, vast deserts, deep canyons, and high mountains, which are together known as Apacheria. In later history, Apache adopted a nomadic manner of life, focusing mainly on raids and horse raising and transport.
Traditionally, most tribes functioned without a centralized organization, but they had bands, an independent political and military unit supervised by the most potent headman. The headmen usually deserved their titles rather than inherited them. The most famous leaders include Victorio, Mangas Coloradas, Cochise, and Geronimo who all belong to the Chiricahua (“Our culture,” n.d.). The video concerns the life of Geronimo, the latest leader struggling against Apache’s enslavement by the US Government. Geronimo was highly respected among both their people and enemies for his wisdom, bravery, and leadership skills.
Material Culture
Concerning the material culture, having moved to the Southwest, Apache developed a flexible subsistence economy that encompasses hunting, farming, gathering wild foods, and receiving food, tools, and other items through trade, raiding, and livestock hunts. Some tribes grew corn and other vegetables and hunted buffalo, an American bison. In contrast, the Chiricahua was the most aggressive among the Apache groups, raiding into New Mexico, Arizona, and northern Mexico.
Cognitive Culture
The Apache’s cognitive culture comprises their distinct tribal language and values. In particular, Apache shared the Athapaskan language inherited from Navajo, a Native American people, and including several dialects that have been preserved to this day (“Native American,” n.d.). Regarding values, the Apaches are well-known for their inexhaustible endurance in wars and faith in friendship and tribal ties. Moreover, according to the video, Apache people respected their land since they sincerely believed that it was connected with the spirits of their forefathers (Ahwahneechee, 05:15-05:31). This people also worshiped the power of nature and prescribed supernatural qualities to trees, rocks, wind, and other natural objects (“Our culture,” n.d.). On the contrary, Europeans were primarily inclined to build material wealth; they sought free territory and exploited its deposits, including gold, coal, iron, and other natural resources. Besides, European culture was distinguished by the focus on innovation since, unlike Indians, they possessed different advanced inventions, especially those related to military equipment.
Normative Culture
Finally, the Apaches had rich normative culture carefully passed down from generation to generation. As in most old civilizations and tribes, the men led wars, hunted, and traded, while the women were engaged in householding. In addition, the latter skillful providers, gathering foods, wild plants, seeds, berries, and nuts (“Our culture,” n.d.). The Apache people also were described as gentle and hospitable individuals, welcoming everybody who came with peace. The attitudes towards their children were kind and attentive, with a substantial emphasis on teaching them correct manners, such as fortitude, obedience, deference, and kindness.
Despite a relatively strict hierarchical structure and sex roles, the Apaches adhered to social mobility allowing for flexible marriage rules. For example, they even could accept foreigners in their bands or married girls to Europeans if the latter present sufficient material gratification. The puberty rite ceremony named “Rite of Passage” was one of the most sacred traditions practiced by the Mescalero Apache (“Our culture,” n.d.). This ceremony, marking the transition from girlhood to womanhood, was accompanied by familial feasts, blessings, dancing, and rituals deeply rooted in ancient centuries. It exhibited a young girl’s good manners, discipline, knowledge of the tribal language, and overall upbringing inculcated from infancy. Rituals and customs conducted in such and similar rites sometimes provoked cultural shock in white people. Overall, as the video shows, many traditions were preserved even in the reservation period.
Conflicts and their Aftermath
In the region now referred to as the US West, many Indian tribes began to confront the colonialists who initially peacefully coexisted with the Indians due to the low population density of the territory. Nevertheless, the situation radically altered with the discovery of the vast gold deposits in the Great Plains, which resulted in the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush of 1859 (Drew, 2014). To expand gold mining activities, there was a need to expel the Indian tribes occupying the lands. Moreover, during the American Civil War, the volunteer infantry and cavalry formed by the California and Oregon governments actively fought against the Indians. One of the most prominent figures of that period was General James Carleton, who began to clear the territory from Indians cruelly.
In turn, Cochise launched a military campaign against reservation conditions and intrusion into Apache lands that became extensively subjected to coal, gold, silver, copper mining. Running 25 years of confrontation with US military forces, Cochise’s group was eventually defeated by superior American troops (Mort, 2013). Other Apache tribes followed their example between 1871 and 1873, but considerable numbers continued resistance. In particular, Geronimo and Victorio waged an active guerrilla war against the US Army. The surrender of Geronimo and his accomplices ceased the bloody Apache Wars in 1886 (Mort, 2013). The Chiricahua tribes had to move to reservation areas, and any attempts to disobey were suppressed by severe punitive actions.
The consequences of these severe, prolonged clashes were adverse for both sides. The American government embarked on a course on the assimilation of the indigenous American population and the forced resettlement of many Indian tribes from their primordial lands to the reservation areas. Tribes were forbidden to raid each other, and any attempts to disobey were suppressed by severe punitive actions. According to Haozous, wars Apache lost around 80 percent of their population due to wars, diseases, malnutrition, and most importantly, direct genocide policy (Ahwahneechee, 04:25-04:55). The federal government also paid an enormous price for this war, spending $40 million for every 100 Indians (Ahwahneechee, 03:43-03:56). In their turns, Apaches slaughtered thousands of soldiers and settlers.
White Privilege
It is also worth noting that against the background of conflicts, clear ethnocentrism from emerging American nations can be distinguished, which persists in the modern era. Specifically, in a book, Blakemore (2017) indicates that the idea of white supremacy was the prime force of complicated relationships between whites and other races, especially Indians. This belief implies the natural superiority of the white race over other ethnical minorities, thereby justifying white privilege and power. White supremacist groups believe that their race should reside in a distinct, whites-only society to prevent white extinction and maintain their peculiar culture. In the video, McNeley states that American troops and settlers considered that it was their destiny bestowed by God to conquest Apache lands and take their rights (Ahwahneechee, 01:25-01:50). Such actions can be interpreted as apparent signs of nationalism or even fascism.
Conclusion
In summary, the paper has examined the issue of culture, Apache culture, conflicts between the Apaches and the American nation, and the problem of white supremacy. Culture is cumulative knowledge that embraces beliefs, religions, values, social roles, arts, hierarchies, concepts, and material possessions obtained and shared by a particular group. The Apaches represent diverse, affluent, unique culture with its specific beliefs, customs, rituals, ceremonies, attitudes, and norms of behavior. In particular, their religion was primarily based on the worship of a supernatural power that could be mirrored in natural objects and animals. The clashes mainly stemmed from settlers’ strive to occupy Indians’ lands and exploited natural resources such as gold, silver, coal, and copper. As a result, because of numerous devastating wars causing diseases and famine, reservation, and purposeful genocide policy, indigenous people lost most of their population. The conflict was significantly exacerbated by the dominant ideology of white privilege over people of color.
References
Ahwahneechee. (n.d.). Apache Indian resistance – Geronimo. YouTube. Web.
Blakemore, M. T. (2017). White privilege. Abdo Publishing.
Drew, M. J. (2014). A brief history of the Bozeman Trail. WyoHistory. Web.
Laluk, N. C. (2017). The indivisibility of land and mind: Indigenous knowledge and collaborative archaeology within Apache contexts. Journal of Social Archaeology, 17(1), 92–112. Web.
Mort, T. (2013). The wrath of Cochise: The Bascom Affair and the origins of the Apache Wars. Open Road Media.
Native American tribes overview: Their culture and history. (n.d.). American Indian Originals. Web.
Our culture. (n.d.). The Mescalero Apache Tribe. Web.
Witt, J. (2020). SOC 2020 (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.