Experiencing U.S. Expansion: Southern Arizona

1. What were the two broad groupings of Native Americans in southern Arizona when the Spanish arrived?

Broad Group 1   Name for Self: O’odham                  Spanish Name(s): Pima and Papago

Broad Group 2   Name for self: Nnee                   Spanish Name(s): Apache

2. How did the O’odham show their unwillingness to fully embrace the Spanish missions?

While initially many of the O’odham accepted the missionaries because they brought them food and livestock, eventually their efforts to make the O’odham stop practicing their religion became overwhelming. At this point many O’odham moved to the desert and only interacted with the Spanish in times of dire need or during migration.

3. Why did Apache groups raid Spanish settlements?

The Apache lived in much smaller and more dispersed groups than the O’odham; therefore they had much less contact with the new Spanish goods, such as food and livestock, that came along the trade routes. As a result, when the Spanish settlers moved north, the Apache turned to raiding Spanish settlements to get supplies, particularly horses.

4. What was the cycle of violence?

When an Apache tribe raided a Spanish settlement, the Spanish might take advantage of the rivalry between the O’odham and Apache and supply the O’odham with the means to attack the Apache.  The O’odham would capture some Apache women and Children, whom the Indians would buy as slaves. The Apache would then attack the O’odham on Spanish missions, taking O’odham and Spanish captives hoping to trade for their own people. This would spark another attack by the Spanish and O’odham, and so the cycle went.

5. How did Spanish and Apache views of the peace created by the establicimientos de paz differ?

The Spanish view of the establicimientos de paz was that they were a grand and good force ushering in a wonderful age of peace to this hostile land. The Apache view was hardly related to peace. They saw it as an obligation between two groups, one side, the Apache, giving military aide, and the other side, the Spanish, giving supplies. This exchange was the reason of peace for the Apache, not the Spanish.