The Apache believe that there was once a time when their ancestors lived alongside with supernatural beings. The common belief, even today, is that there are spirits that live within certain mountains and underground realms. Part of the Apache creation story incorporates the belief that they are the blood relatives of the mountains, trees, rocks, and the wind”, Apache Medicine Man. Pictured here: Apache Crown dancer in world making ceremony. Apache Crown Dancer – dances …thus making the world safe for the Apache people.
“Much of the old ways are gone now”, complained one Apache Medicine man I talked to recently online (who declined to be named in this report).
He was lamenting the loss of of many of the obscure traditional Apache beliefs and religious practices passed down over hundreds in not thousands of years.
He went on to explain that these beliefs and traditions are “dying out”, along with elders many of whom today are in their late 80s and 90’s.
This is particularly true of the White Mountain and Chihuahua Apache tribes of Arizona and New Mexico, considered by many the last holdouts of many traditional Apache cultural and religious beliefs.
“Old things have past away, never to be remembered or spoken of again”, he said.
Which was absolutely heartbreaking to hear!
“Unless there is a concerted effort on the part of the next generation to preserve these beliefs and practices (many of which are not even written down) the Apache culture and worldview will be lost forever”, he continued.
Among those beliefs most threatened in his opinion are those relating directly and indirectly to the Apache religious life.
All of which seems to center around the belief in all powerful Ussen, the life giver, or supreme creator of the worlds.
Ussen is said to be the sustainer of all Apache lands and the source of all supernatural power in the world today.
Within this unique religious worldview is the concept of Power!
“Power is everywhere. It lives in everything. It might be known through a word or come in the shape of an animal. We all have power but some tap into different rooms. Power speaks to those who listen. The greatest thing a person can have in Apache belief is power!” Apache Medicine Man 1889
“Power is a mysterious, intangible attribute difficult to explain (in words), even by those possessing it”, said Duklungie, the son of the great Chihuahua war chief Juh, around the turn of the twentieth century.
Power was meant for good; to heal the sick, to “see” enemies approaching to “know” and feel when it was time to leave a certain area to avoid danger. Some might call this extrasensory perception (esp), or precognition ( remote viewing). Others would simply classify it as witchcraft or magic. Whatever you call it its real!
Some gained their power through the practice of rituals, such as the four day fast, that was said to introduce hallucinations, dreams and visions! Others gained it through prayers and supernatural visitation by entities who inhabit other dimensions of reality, aka “the spirit world.”
For example Geronimo was said to have Power. Which enabled him to overcome the enemy on the battlefield and not be hurt by bullets and arrows on the battlefield.
According to Jason Betzinez, in his fascinating book “I fought with Geronimo”, page 113:
” We were all sitting there eating. Geronimo was sitting next to me with a knife in one hand and a chunk of beef, which I had cooked for him, in the other. All at once he dropped the knife, saying ‘Men, our people whom we left at our based camp are now in the hands of US Troops.”
Betzinez swore that Geronimo did not get this information from any messenger, or smoke signal. He just knew it – his Power had told him. Geronimo then ordered them to depart that evening back to the base camp, which was situated a few days journey away.
The day before they entered the area Geronimo announced the fact he had another vision.
“Tomorrow afternoon, as we march along the north side of the mountains, we will see a man on a hill to our left. He will howl to us and announce that the troops have captured our base camp.”
Just as he predicted a lone Apache warrior, besides himself with grief, appeared from the rocks and howled a warning that the main camp, some 15 miles away at the time was in the hands of General Crook and his treacherous Apache scouts!
“Geronimo was correct and we were all amazed”, he later said.
See related article: Geronimo had a mystical vision that gave him power on the battlefield https://groundreport.com/geronimo-had-a-mystical-vision-that-gave-him-power-on-the-battlefield/
See related video: Apache crown dancers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVJthXaujgY