Chiricahua

/ˌtʃɪrɪˈkɑːwə/ noun

Definition

A range of mountains in southeastern Arizona, also referring to a distinct group of Apache people native to that region.

Etymology

From Apache language origins, specifically related to Chiricahua Apache. The word entered English through colonial American contact with Native American peoples. The name later applied to the mountain range where the Chiricahua Apache traditionally lived.

Kelly Says

The Chiricahua Apache, led by legends like Geronimo, lived in those Arizona mountains and gave them their name—but when we casually say 'the Chiricahua Mountains,' we're usually forgetting we're using a native people's name to label their ancestral homeland!

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