Whiteriver, AZ

Whiteriver is the largest settlement on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation and the central community of the White Mountain Apache Tribe in eastern Arizona. The reservation’s history runs through the White River and the surrounding White Mountains, where Apache people have lived for thousands of years. Fort Apache lies four miles south of Whiteriver; the former Army post and Theodore Roosevelt School are now a National Historic Landmark owned and managed by the tribe, with the Nohwike’ Bágowa Museum preserving history and cultural interpretation.

ATTRChris English / CC BY-SA 3.0

The local map also includes Whiteriver Unified School District, the reservation’s only public school district, with Alchesay High School and schools serving students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The district’s main campus is in Whiteriver. The Fort Apache Interagency Hotshot Crew has been based in Whiteriver since 1982 and is a Bureau of Indian Affairs crew whose personnel are tribal members. Whiteriver is a reservation hub where the tribe’s heritage program, school life, and fire service meet at the White River.