The Mescalero Apache

The Mescalero Apache Tribe is made up of three separate sub-tribes. The Mescalero, Lipan and Chiricahua. The Apache roamed the Southwest, conflicting most significantly with Spanish, Mexican and American settlers. Their expert horsemanship and command of guerilla warfare made them the most dominant and feared tribe in the area. As nomadic hunting warriors of the first order, they only dwelled temporarily in brush shelters called, "Wiki up" on the mountains, plains and deserts of Texas, Arizona, Chihuahua, Mexico and Sonora. They refer, on their website, to this period as, "long before white men". Their name comes from the mescal plant. It was the staple of their diets which they could reliably gather and eat in good times and bad.

The Mescalero Apache tribe now live on a 463,000 acre reservation placed in the old heartland of the aboriginals. The Mescalero Apache Reservation was create via executive order from President Ulysses. S. Grant on May 27th 1873 based upon long standing treaties with the Americans, Spanish and Mexicans. Four hundred Mescalero's moved to the reservation immediately and were joined by a further two hundred Lipan tribesman and women in 1913, whom suffered highly in the Texas Wars. Before being placed on the reservation, the Lipan peoples were held captive at Fort Sill, Oklahoma after the capture of Geronimo, the famous Apache warrior and medicine man in 1886.

The Mescalero Apache believe that there is a dark and a light side of life which are both equally present. The dark holds only misery and lack of progression for the Apache but the light, in which they reside, holds peace and harmony and the success of tribal enterprise. Other spiritual significances lie with animals and nature. The bear is highly respected by the Apache and referred to as "my Grandfather" or "my Uncle". It is forbidden to touch or interact with bears and hides, claws and furs are not allowed on Apache Tribal lands.

As far as success and enterprise go, the Apache have a fairly large empire. Their tribes website proudly states that, "The Mescalero Apache Tribe operates several Tribal Enterprises including Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort & Casino, Ski Apache, Casino Apache Travel Center, Mescalero Forest Products, Mescalero Cattle Growers, Mescalero Apache Tribal Store, Mescalero Gas Company, Mescalero Apache Telecom, and Mescalero Apache School". 

According to a report on businesswire.com, the Mountain Gods resort and Casino (pictured above) reported revenue of $28.9 million in the third financial quarter of 2008. This would suggest that the Mescalero Apache are a successful faction of the Apache when it comes to financial enterprise.