How Does the Apache Tribe Make a Living?
The Apache Tribe The Apache tribe consists of several groups of Native American peoples who live mainly in the southwest, with significant populations in Arizona and New Mexico. Most of the tribe’s income is derived from the timber industry, casino gambling, and tourism. Tourism possibilities on the Apache reservations include ski resorts, wildlife safaris, hunting and fishing, whitewater rafting, golfing, and other recreational pursuits. Gaming and logging The development of casino gaming on the reservations, as it became legal on a state-by-state basis in the 1990s, has made all the difference in economic advancement for the tribe, especially important since the Apache timber industry in Arizona was decimated by forest fires in 2002 and 2003, fires which devastated hundreds of thousands of acres. In 2002, the Rodeo-Chediski fire alone destroyed 276,000 acres of old-growth ponderosa pine on tribal land. This has been especially difficult for segments of the tribe that have mainly reli
