Apache Education

The frame of a wickiup was
crafted by the men out of bent saplings.

In Apache culture, it was believed that children should be taught from experience and observation, so they received no formal education. Children were taught by their parents and grandparents. The things girls learned and boys learned differed and had to match the kids’ roles as future adults. The child’s responsibilities in the family started at about eight years old. Girls were taught by their mothers how to cook, sew, make baskets, gather food, firewood, carry water, tan deer hides and build wickiups (members.tripod.com/archaeology_man/education.html).

One example of a basic wickiup or wigwam.

Wickiups, or wigwams, were built by many different Native American cultures. They were domed rooms designed to withstand harsh weather. When wickiups were built, the male in the family was responsible for cutting down sapling trees and stretching or bending them to construct the frame of the houses, while the women gathered twigs, leaves and grass to insulate the walls of the wickiups (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/wigwam).

In Apache families, boys were taught how to hunt and raid towns, catch horses, and were well trained for battle. The fathers would craft bows and arrows for their sons and show them how to use them. Boys would listen to stories from their fathers or grandfathers about their hunting and battle experiences. Once a boy turned sixteen, he was expected to be a skillful hunter. The boy’s manhood test was to go with the rest of the men in the tribe and raid four towns. If all four raids were successful, the boy was considered a man. While the men were gone, the women would guard the camp. Both genders of children were trained for battle, although female warriors were rare (members.tripod.com/archaeology_man/family.html).
The mothers of a family would teach both boys and girls about ancient legends like the creations story, religious practices, and how to pray. If a child was rude or disobeyed their elders, they would have cold water splashed on their face or they would be ignored for a short period of time.

In the early 1900’s, Apache children were taken away from their families and forced to attend special boarding schools for Native Americans only where they would be taught English and Roman Catholicism. By the 1960’s, very few Apacheans graduated from high school still, and there are lots of Apache children who still stay home to be taught informally today, though the government vigorously encourages parents to send their kids to real schools (ehow.com/about_4569539_apache-tribe-education.html).