Navajo vs. Apache — What's the Difference?

Renowned for weaving.

Known for mobility.

Largest Native American reservation.

Basketry and beadwork.

Sheep herding culture.

Strong kinship ties.

Matrilineal society.

Diverse tribal groups.

Sandpainting rituals.

Guerrilla warfare tactics.

The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; Navajo: Diné or Naabeehó) are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States. At more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members as of 2021, the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the U.S. (the Cherokee Nation being the second largest); the Navajo Nation has the largest reservation in the country.

The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño and Janero), Salinero, Plains (Kataka or Semat or "Kiowa-Apache") and Western Apache (Aravaipa, Pinaleño, Coyotero, Tonto). Distant cousins of the Apache are the Navajo, with whom they share the Southern Athabaskan languages.

A member of a Native American people inhabiting extensive reservation lands in Arizona, New Mexico, and southeast Utah. The most populous of contemporary Native American groups in the United States, the Navajo are noted as stockbreeders and skilled weavers, potters, and silversmiths.

A member of a Native American people inhabiting the southwest United States and northern Mexico. Various Apache tribes offered strong resistance to encroachment on their territory in the latter half of the 19th century. Present-day Apache populations are located in Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.

The Apachean language of the Navajo.

Any of the Apachean languages of the Apache.

A member of an Athapaskan people that migrated to Arizona and New Mexico and Utah

A member of the Parisian underworld.

The Athapaskan language spoken by the Navaho people

Alternative case form of Apache, a Parisian gangster.

Any member of Athapaskan tribes that migrated to the southwestern desert (from Arizona to Texas and south into Mexico); fought a losing battle from 1861 to 1886 with the United States and were resettled in Oklahoma

A Parisian gangster

The language of the Apache people

The Navajo conduct elaborate healing ceremonies like the Nightway, while Apache ceremonies often include rites of passage and healing rituals.

Both have integrated traditional ways with contemporary governance and economies, focusing on cultural preservation and self-sufficiency.

They engage through their sovereign tribal governments, advocacy, and participation in state and federal politics to protect their rights and lands.

Both speak languages from the Athabaskan family, with distinct dialects for each group.

Land is central to their cultural identity, spirituality, and livelihoods, with sacred sites and resources crucial to their traditions and survival.

While there are linguistic similarities, the languages are distinct enough to require learning to communicate fluently across groups.

Navajo art and crafts are deeply influenced by desert landscapes, while Apache lifestyles were adapted to diverse terrains, from deserts to mountains.

In both societies, women hold significant roles, with the Navajo emphasizing matrilineal descent and Apache valuing kinship and familial responsibilities.

Navajo traditional foods include corn, squash, and mutton, while Apache diets historically consisted of game, wild plants, and cultivated crops.

Through education, ceremonies, language revitalization programs, and museums, they actively preserve and pass down their traditions.