The Compas
A Chiricahua Apache Family of the Late 18th and Early 19th Centuries
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4038732 |
|---|---|
| Authors | William B Griffen (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1983 |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 21 |
| Publication date | 1983-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The American Indian Quarterly (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0095-182X • E-ISSN: 1534-1828 |
| Publisher | JSTOR (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/1184685 |
| OpenAlex | W2315911811 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 4 |
OVER MANY YEARS and in many places across the borderlands of northern Mexico and southwestern United States, Spaniards, and later, Mexicans, experienced intense contact with Apache Indians. Much of the interaction which took place between the two peoples, Athapaskan and Hispanic, has been viewed mainly from a military standpoint. Nevertheless, many other kinds of associations of a less hostile nature also occurred between them, especially after the late 1780s. It was at this time that the colonial Spanish government of the northern Provincias Internas (the Internal Provinces) instituted reforms which included setting up peace establishments:' or special reserves, for hostile Apaches at most of the forts or presidios along the northern frontier. Some of the relationships evolved during these times of relative tranquility persisted into the Mexican national period after 1821 and had considerable influence on regional affairs.' The following is an account of several members of one Apache family-the Compas-who, from the evidence now available, played an important part in the peaceful contacts between Apaches and the Hispanic invaders in the area of what today is northwestern Chihuahua and southwestern New Mexico. There is no question that the Compas' position in this contact was fairly unique in comparison with that of most other Apaches. Their role in Apache-Hispanic affairs on the frontier stemmed in large part from the willingness, perhaps even eagerness, of the first Compa to work with the Spaniards. From this cooperation the latter came to hold him and apparently one or two of his sons in more or less consistently high opinion as loyal, trustworthy or good Apaches, although, as it turned out, his offspring did not always meet the expectations of the Spaniards and Mexicans. During the period of conquest and expansion, the invading Iberians moved in on Indian lands and, as they did so, found it necessary, or at least convenient, to enlist some Native Americans on their side. This, of course, would tend to place such Indians in a marginal position with regard to their own people, even judged as traitors. In the Compa family case, only in a few instances is it known how they were viewed by other Apaches because, whatever the latter felt, it seldom got into the European records. In any event, in evaluating
Aesthetics · Art · Late 19th century · Period (music · Archaeology and Natural History · Historical Studies in Latin America · History · Latin American history and culture
| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,12 |
| Citation span | 1985 - 2016 (32) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 5 |