“In the Apache way of thinking about the world, there’s no separation between the land, the spirit, the mind, and the body. To the extent that we can heal the land at and around Fort Apache and eliminate the boundaries that have been erected between Fort Apache and the rest of the land, [it will] enable people to be healthy through greater connections to the land.”

John Welch is the board secretary of the Fort Apache Heritage Foundation in Arizona, which focuses on education, health and wellness, cultural preservation of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, and economic development. In the new issue of American Artscape, Welch spoke with us about the plans to renovate a former Army fort and adjacent Native American boarding school and repurpose both sites into a place of rejuvenation, reconnection, and healing.