The Mayans and the Apaches are two important indigenous tribes of the Americas. These large tribes lived in different places; while the Mayans lived in the rainforests and lowlands of Central America, the Apaches lived in the deserts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Both the Mayans and Apaches have a rich history and cultural heritage. However, the Mayans and the Apaches lived in different environments and therefore had to adapt to them. They had different social structures and lifestyles, had different experiences when they came into contact with Europeans, and faced different challenges. adaptations that the Mayans and Apaches had to face. The Mayans first settled the lowlands of what is now northern Guatemala around 1000 BC. The Apaches, on the other hand, lived largely in the deserts of southwest Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. An Apache group called the Plains Apache lived in what is now Oklahoma. The Apache first arrived in the Southwest between 1000 and 1400 AD. In response to the environments that the Mayans and Apaches found themselves in, both tribes adapted to their environments in various ways. The Mayans had to cross the thick rainforests of northern Guatemala in order to have land and space to grow crops like beans, squash, avocados and corn. The forests allowed them to hunt deer, rabbits, and monkeys for food, and provided building materials like wood, vines, and mud for their homes. With increasing trade, they began to expand out of their small villages, building large cities in Mesoamerica around 200 AD. It was in Mesoamerica, a region stretching from central Mexico south to northern Central America, that the Mayan civilization flourished from...... middle of paper ..... . civilization. By the mid-18th century, the Apaches waged war against their neighboring tribes, the Navajo and Comanche, as well as European immigrants. In the 19th century, they faced a difficult war against the American army, which caused the loss of many men, divided their leadership and forced them into reservations. The Mayans and Apaches are among the most famous tribes in the Americas. Both had different environments and therefore adapted differently to their surroundings. Each had a different class system and government. Each was differently affected by European contact with them, and each faced their own difficult challenges that could have eventually caused the downfall of the Mayan civilization and which drove the Apaches onto reservations. However, the Mayans and Apaches share one thing in common: a compelling story to tell...