All Apache children learned the basics of movement and survival in the landscape.

But the specific decision to pursue the path of a warrior — to undergo the training, the apprenticeship, the ritual confirmation of warrior status — was a choice that individuals made, and while it was primarily made by men, it was not exclusively so.

The Apache tradition acknowledged the existence of women who chose the warrior path, who trained alongside men, and who were judged by the same criteria as male warriors.

What mattered was the ability to do what warriors needed to do: ride, fight, endure, and contribute to the survival and defense of the community.