Learn more about our ancestors
Welcome to Our Homelands,
Carlanas Apache
In the book *Tipi Rings* by Nordhaus, testimony suggests that the **Carlanas Apache** (also known as Southeastern Athapaskans) have a historical presence in the region for **50,000 years or more**. Our deep-rooted connection to the land in what is now Southeastern Colorado and Northern New Mexico predates colonial histories and modern borders.
The descendants of the Carlanas Apache are now found among those who identify as communities such as those from **"Dogpatch"**, **"Chicanos"**, **"Hispanics"**, and other mixed ethnic groups, reflecting the cultural blending that occurred during and after the Spanish occupation beginning in the 1600s.
This cultural mixing was a result of colonization, intermarriage, and the forced assimilation of Native peoples, leading to a rich but complex ethnic identity in the region. These communities continue to carry elements of their Apache ancestry alongside their Spanish and other influences.
Welcome to our website
The Southeastern Athapaskan people, also known as the **Carlanas Apache**, are a Native American group historically located in **southeastern Colorado** and **northern New Mexico**. As part of the larger Athapaskan-speaking peoples, we share linguistic and cultural ties with other Apache groups, but our distinct geographical location set us apart from our Lipan and Jicarilla Apache kin to the south and west.
Modern Day Identity
Today, we, descendants of the Carlanas Apache continue to maintain our cultural heritage through language preservation, traditions, and ceremonies, though many of us now live in regions beyond our traditional homelands. Our tribal contributions to the history and culture of the region remain significant, especially in northern New Mexico and southeastern Colorado.
This brief history offers a glimpse into the rich and complex heritage of the Carlanas Apache, we are a people deeply connected to our water and land. We continue to be resilient in our adaptation to historical and current social pressures.