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 September 2023)

Contact Information

Address: 201 E. Walnut St.

Whiteriver, AZ 85941

Phone: 928-338-4346

Director, Division of Health Programs:

Jessica Rudolfo jessicarudolfo@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 15,515 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. 

 

Fort Apache Reservation 

Arizona

United States

Total Population*  15,515 6,946,685 322,903,030
Number of Households 3,439 2,524,300 119,730,128
Average Household Size 4.47 2.69 2.63
Median Age 27.5 37.4 37.9
Population Under Age 18 35.1% 23.5% 22.8%
Population Over Age 65 7.5% 16.7% 15.2%
Speaks a Language Other Than English in Household 50.4% 27.2% 21.5%
Married-Couple Households 35.6% 57.0% 58.6%
Owner-Occupied Housing Units 61.4% 63.6% 63.8%
Age 25+ with High School Degree or Higher 70.4% 86.8% 87.7%
Median Household Income $16,313 $56,213 $60,293
Below Federal Poverty Threshold 43.2% 16.1% 14.1%
Households with at Least One Computing Device 59.6% 89.9% 88.8%
Households with a Desktop/Laptop 36.6% 79.7% 77.9%

*All statistics are from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.