FORT APACHE, Ariz. - A stroll along Officers Row of this
decaying Army post conjures up images of John Wayne, horse
soldiers and Indian bands led by Geronimo. Made famous by dime
novels and Western movies, Fort Apache is synonymous with the
Old West. From 1870 until it was decommissioned in 1922, the
fort was a powerful symbol of the federal government's military
might in Indian country. The fort offered salvation to white
settlers fearful of Indian attacks, but to the native people it
was the home of an occupying army bent on subjugating them. In
early March, however, a U.S. Supreme Court decision turned the
old fort into a victory symbol for the White Mountain Apaches
and the rest of the nation's 550 Indian tribes. The high court
ruled 5-4 that the Apaches had the right to sue the U.S.
government for millions of dollars for failing to properly
maintain the fort, which sits on Indian land. Once the fort is
refurbished, the tribe wants to turn it into a tourist
attraction, augmenting an Indian cultural museum