After the initial introduction to the San Carlos Apache Community, the San Carlos Apache Culture Center ends their culture classes and begins their work with the Apache Clan Project. The 15-month grant project was created to research and better understand the Apache clans and the traditional Apache foods and plants found in their clan homelands. As tribal members share and learn about their clans and where they come from, pilgrimage travels will allow them to identify the foods and plants found in their homeland areas.
The project originators hope their findings will help tribal members identify themselves as being from a certain clan with positive characteristics and traits that will strengthen their awareness of who they are and also learn of the healthy foods their clans ate in their homelands along with more historical information about the clans. Project activities include travel to clan homelands, clan member interviews and collection of historical data that will be available at the San Carlos Apache Culture Center for future reference. Small workshops and a finale conference are also planned for the community to participate in and gather the research findings.
The first pilgrimage will be to the Chiricahua/Discheene clan homelands, where we will travel to the Chiricahua National Monument and Cochise Stronghold. A draft itinerary is listed for the first pilgrimage, which will include various participants from our community and other communities. We invite everyone who is interested in these pilgrimages to please contact us. If you have any questions regarding this new Apache Clan Project or our activities, please feel free to contact Marlowe Cassadore or Tia Early at (928) 475-2894 or send an email to marlowe.cassadore@scat-nsn.gov. or tiamtearly@gmail.com.
