Named by the Spanish for the mescal or mezcal cactus the Apaches used for food, drink, and fiber. T he basic shelter of the Mezcaleros was the domeshaped wickiup made of brush. T he Mescalero reservation, established in 1873, is located on 460,000 acres east of Tularosa on U.S. Highway 70. Operating the Sierra Blanca Ski Resort, is one way of utilizing their natural resources. Camping, hunting, fishing, and other outdoor sports facilities are also available at the Apache Summit Lodge.
Timber provides the tribe's principal income.
A paches of today are farmers, loggers, ranchers, machine operators, ministers, nurses, artists, clerks, carpenters, accountants, firefighters, and policemen. They were the first trained and organized firefighting unit to work with the U.S. Forest Service to help put out fires in the southwest and beyond. T hey moved freely, wintering on the Rio Grande or farther south, ranging the buffalo plains in the summer, always following the sun and the food supply. They owned nothing and everything. They did as they pleased and bowed to no man.