White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation, Arizona

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Leadership

Kasey Velasquez, Chairman ( - 2026)
Jerome Kasey III, Vice Chairman ( - 2026)
Arnold Beach Sr., District I Council Member (- 2024)
Travis J. Tessay Sr. , District I Council Member ( - 2026)
Renaldo Carl Dazen, District II Council Member ( - 2026)
Jerold Altaha, District II Council Member ( - 2024)
Aubrey Aday, District III Council Member ( - 2024)
Annette Tenijieth , District III Council Member ( - 2026)
Mariddie Craig, District IV Council Member ( - 2026)
Gary Alchesay, District IV Council Member ( - 2026)
Verna Lee Westover, District IV Council Member ( - 2024)

(updated February 2024)

Contact Information

Address: 201 E. Walnut St.

Whiteriver, AZ 85941

Phone: 928-338-4346

Director, Division of Health Programs:

Rose McCreery rosemccreery@wmat.us

Director, Education:

Kyle Goklish kylegoklish@wmat.us

Higher Education Coordinator:

Derrick Leslie derrickleslie@wmat.us

Tribal Historic Preservation Officer:

Mark Altaha markaltaha@wmat.us

Website

GOVERNANCE: The White Mountain Apache Tribe is governed by a Chairwoman, Vice Chairman, and nine council members representing four districts. Council members serve staggered four-year terms.  Elections are held for council members every two years; elections for the Chair and Vice Chair are held every four years. Council meetings are held on the first Wednesday of every month. The White Mountain Apache Tribe resides in Congressional District 1; Legislative District 7.


CONSTITUTION:


COMMUNITY PROFILE: The traditional lands of the Apache Ndeh (The People) extended from Texas through New Mexico and Arizona into Mexico and California. Bands of Apache hunted, fished, farmed, and traded throughout the region. Over time, the many bands of Apache were forcibly relocated to reservations. In 1891 the Fort Apache Indian Reservation was established, now known as the White Mountain Apache Reservation. Fort Apache originally included the San Carlos Apache Reservation, but was separated by an act of Congress in 1897. 

According to the Census, approximately 14,854 individuals live on White Mountain Apache Tribal land, located in east-central Arizona. The Reservation covers 1.67 million acres, with elevations ranging from 2,600 feet in the Salt River Canyon to 11,400 feet at the peak of Mount Baldy (a sacred peak to the White Mountain Apache Tribe). 

The Tribe operates Hon-Dah Casino, Sunrise Park Ski Resort, and Fort Apache Timber Company. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau 2017-2021 American Community Survey, the population on the White Mountain Apache Reservation is 14,854. The following document provides a Census snapshot of the White Mountain Apache community with comparisons to the state of Arizona and the United States as a whole.

 

Note: When interpreting data for small populations or rural areas, it is important to note the margin of error, which is provided where possible. The margin of error can be interpreted as providing a 90 percent probability that the true value lies within the estimate plus and minus the margin of error. 

First Things First is Arizona's early childhood agency, providing health screenings and a variety of services across the state. Included here are their most recent reports for the White Mountain Apache Region.