Dubois And The Apache Indians: A Comparative Analysis

In every culture as time progresses things change. These changes can be linked to globalization, acculturation, or just the need to adapt to a constant change in environment and it's sociological platform. An interesting point to be made is that according to Dubois, before the colonization and influence of Westerners and their ways of thinking, the Apache had no single leader. Dubois states that, “The Mescalero word for leader is glossed he who speaks” (Dubois). This shows that there wasn’t anyone who was appointed to a position, but instead it was whoever had the greatest contribution and input. It is said that groups of the Navajo would only choose a leader who never came out as wanting to be a leader, and a person who was actually apprehensive about it. They believed that if you “campaigned” for a leadership role, you were least deserving of it. It was the ones who never self proclaimed themselves to be a leader; they were the ones who were placed in the

Contrary to traditional Apache culture of matrilocal marriages and endogamy, the Apache now switched to patrilocal marriages and practiced exogamy. In layman’s term, they went from marrying into ones social group and residing at the wife’s parents home, to instead, marrying outside the social group and residing at the husband’s parents home. Although they didn’t necessarily change these marriage traditions based off of what was learned from others, this change could still be considered acculturation since it was learned from an unknown, outside force. They modified to this way of life to create stronger social ties with outside cultures in a way to strengthen themselves against western culture. They felt that marrying people from other Apache tribes would strengthen relationships between different tribes. In doing this, it built more connections for resources as well as a better security because it multiplied their