September 29, 2006 Bonus Bonus Blog
I just got this from an Apache who should know:

I just saw the work you did on your project on the facial studies. Your picture of 'Beauty' (lisa) was very good and I told her about it.

As for the classic Apache face, it has to be remembered that my people raided extensvely, especially in Mexico and captives were part of what they brought back to the tribe. I (and Lisa) are part White Mountain Apache and they are the Western Apache who raided, most often, south of the border. I once asked my father why I had slightly curley hair and he said that one of ancestors was a captive from mexico. We adopted many of them in the long years we fought them. My opinion is that the slave trade as portrayed in the movie "The Missing" was done more by the Comanches than the Apaches. My research also tells that the Apaches adopted most of the people they captured (mostly women and children); warrior people often do this since they have to replace their losses by this form of "recruiting".

So it can be seen that infusions of captive blood has given the Apache a number of different looks and that often some Apaches are mistaken for Navajos who are closely related to us being from the same Athabascan language family. Still, I'm glad that you're looking at Apache features in a manner that is fresh and ignores some ideas of the past.Your assestment of how we modren Apaches spend more times indoors than in the past is also pretty correct. Another thing is that Apaches are getting taller than they were in the past. My father was an inch under six feet and I'm nearly the same (though over the years I may have shrunk about half an inch,stange but true). Also Lisa is taller than the average Apache girl, her being about 5''6". For a long time most were between 5'1" and 5' 4", being rather petite. This may be changing due to diet and foreign blood.

Still, I think in Lisa or Levi you do have close to what can be called a classic Apache looks. I recall once I did a presentation near Mt. Graham at a place called Cottonwood Ranch and my son was dressed traditional Apache and one of the anglo people said to me,"Hey, he looks just like Peaches!" Of course I said,"He ought to be since he's related to him!" Needless to say the guy was impressed by that took a number of photos of him.

Regardless I enjoy your blog and visit it every day or so. I hope to continue to work with you in this your special project. Me and mine can give it an authenic Apache flavor and look. Let's keep up the good work.

P.S. Oh yeah, in his classic "Stagecoach", John Ford used a good closeup of Navajos on a mesa to get an Apache 'look' before they attacked the stage. I really don't mind cause they are tribal and cousins to us.
—Dale C. Miles