This history explores the complex relationship between the Apache patriarch Ace Dalugie's "Pale Eyes" and the "redskins," a term used derogatorily by whites. The term "Pale Eyes" refers to individuals with flesh-colored or light brownish-pink skin, while "redskins" encompassed a range of skin tones from dull yellowish brown to reddish-brown. The caste system imposed by whites created a false dichotomy, assigning indigenous peoples a subordinate role defined by racism and casteism. The narrative of the Greater Southwest reveals how "whites" dehumanized indigenous populations to assert their own superiority, as noted by social historian Gary Michael Tartakov. The relationship between "whites" and "redskins" was more diverse than often acknowledged, including blacks, ex-slaves, Chinese workers, mulattos, and indios who migrated west as cowboys, miners, and soldiers. This diversity encompassed both genders, featuring mothers, pioneers, farmers, cowgirls, and warriors among others. These groups played critical roles in the major drama of the nineteenth century—the relocation and removal of indigenous societies in the Greater American Southwest, with the pivotal year of 1863 serving as a focal point in this historical narrative.
