Mescalero Apache Religious Beliefs

White Painted Woman Physical

In the traditional belief, the Creator is neither male or female. Creator is beyond human comprehension but is manifested in natural phenomena.The Creator is said to have made the world in four days. Portions of the Creator may be seen in the natural universe (thunder, wind, and so on), and the physical representation is said to be the sun. In addition, there are two Culture heroes, the Twin War Gods, Born for Water and Killer of Enemies, as well as a heroine, White Painted Woman. Power suffuses the universe and can be employed for good or ill (Nde).

White Painted Woman

Singers are the traditional practitioners and are so named for they sing ceremonies, complex recitations, and rituals. There are also medicine people, skilled in herbal and psychological healing.


The world of humans is the world of illusion and shadow; reality resides in the other world of Power and Creator. Upon death a soul remains close to home for four days; if a proper funeral and burial is held, the soul is freed to make its way to the Land of Ever Summer, as some call it. There is disagreement about whether reincarnation is possible, although most traditional people believe it is (Nde).

•  http://www.flickr.com/groups/nativeamerican_arts/pool/page6/?view=lg
•  http://journeyingtothegoddess.wordpress.com/tag/changing-woman/
• "N'de, Dine, Tinde, Inde or "The People" Apache Religion and Cereomonies. 1999-2008