Search
Close this search box.

San Carlos Apache Tribe

AIGA Member Since 1994

San Carlos Seal

About the San Carlos Apache Tribe

Location

Spans Gila, Graham and Pinal counties in southeastern Arizona

Reservation

1,826,541 acres
Created in 1871

Peoples

Apache

Enterprises

Government, cattle ranching, gaming

Population

11,328

Attractions

San Carlos Lake, Talkahai Lake, Seneca Lake, Point of Pines Lake, World Record Elk Harvest, hunting and fishing. The Cultural Center in Peridot is home to the Peridot Semi-precious stone mine, the only one of two places in the word where peridot is mined.

Gaming

Apache Gold Casino

San Carlos Apache Tribe Casino

Apache Gold Casino and Resort
Apache Sky Casino

San Carlos Apache Tribe History

The San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in southeastern Arizona, United States, was established in 1872 as a reservation for the Chiricahua Apache tribe as well as surrounding Yavapai and Apache bands removed from their original homelands under a strategy devised by General George Crook of setting the various Apache tribes against one another.

Once nicknamed “Hell’s Forty Acres” during the late 19th century due to poor health and environmental conditions, today’s San Carlos Apaches successfully operate a Chamber of Commerce, the Apache Gold and Apache Sky Casinos, a Language Preservation program, a Culture Center, and a Tribal College.

On December 14, 1872, President U.S. Grant established the San Carlos Apache Reservation. The government gave various religious groups responsibility for managing the new reservations, and the Dutch Reformed Church was in charge of the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. The church chose John Clum, who turned down the position twice before accepting the commission as Indian Agent for the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in the Arizona Territory on February 16, 1874.

The U.S. Army showed both animosities toward the Indians and disdain for the civilian Indian Agents. Soldiers and their commanding officers sometimes brutally tortured or killed the Indians for sport while politicians in Washington, D.C., knew little about differences in tribal cultures, customs, and language.

The 8th Cavalry was stationed in Arizona during this time until 1875. Politicians also ignored political differences and military alliances and tried to apply a “one-size-fits-all” strategy to deal with the “Indian problem”. As a result, tribal friends and foes were forced to live in close proximity to one another. Meanwhile, the Apaches were supposed to be fed and housed by their caretakers, but they rarely saw the federal money and suffered as a result.

San Carlos Apache Tribe Updates

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
AIGA Video