Mimbreños (Spanish: ‘people of the willows’). A branch of the Apache who took their popular name from the Mimbres mountains, southwest New Mexico, but who roamed over the country from the east side of the Rio Grande in New Mexico to San Francisco River in Arizona, a favorite haunt being near Lake Guzman, west of El Paso, in Chihuahua. Between 1854 and 1869 their number was estimated at 400 to 750, under Mangas Coloradas. In habits they were similar to the other Apache, gaining a livelihood by raiding settlements in New Mexico, Arizona, and Mexico. They made peace with the Mexicans from time to time and before 1870 were supplied with rations by the military post at Janos, Chihuahua. They were sometimes called Coppermine Apache on account of their occupancy of the territory in which the Santa Rita mines in southwest New Mexico are situated. In 1875 a part of them joined the Mescaleros and a part were under the Hot Springs (Chiricahua) agency, New Mexico. They are now divided between the Mescalero Reservation, New Mexico, and Ft Apache agency, Arizona, but their number is not separately reported.
thank you for so much valuable information I can show my family.
my grandmother was born in santa rita new mexico in 1920 we are trying to find out if her mother or father were of native blood.we only know we are mexican americans is there a tribal dna test I can take for this region as I am the last of my grandmothers line.thank you Rene Garcia
All my Ancestors were Mimbrenos from the Chihene Nde Apache. We now have the Chihene Nde Apache Nation of New Mexico in existence in which I am a Tribal member. The Chihene are not FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED & the Chairman and Tribal Governing Members have been heavily involved with State Senators, the BIA, & have traveled to Washington, DC for over 10 year seeking Federal Recognition. Hopefully soon.
I was fascinated to have come across your post. My grandmother was born in 1906, in Santa Rita, New Mexico. I was born in 1953 in Los Angeles, the first of the family to be born here. My great-grandmother was born in Chihuahua, and I was very fortunate to have met her! They both said I had Apache blood, Mimbreño, and I recall something like “Red Paint Clan”? DNA test seems to verify that!!!
Look for Eddie Martinez of hillsboro NM.
He is a tribal elder for the Warm Spings Clan from Lake Valley NM…I am Mark Arrellin a grandson of his Tia and Tio. He has been involved in trying to get our tribe registered. We have been acknowleged by the Apache governement but not included even thought we are related to Geronimos clan.
Tchihende not Chihenne. You should at least know the correct Apache name. Mimbres is one people and Tchihende another.
In this article you left out the Fort Sill Apaches in Oklahoma, Geronimo was buried at Fort Sill.
I do believe there were mentions of his remains being brought back to His Tribe’s area a few years ago when they were building a Statue in his Honor. and yes Fort Sill Apaches (although are on their individual Tribal records) should never have been left out.