Final answer:
The Apache people were nomadic hunters and gatherers who relied on hunting and seasonal foraging in the Southwest region before European contact.
Step-by-step explanation:
Apache Subsistence before European Contact
Before contact with Europeans, the Apache were primarily nomadic hunters and gatherers. Their subsistence methods in the Southwest region of North America involved moving throughout the area to follow game and seasonal growth of wild edibles. The Apache did not engage in much agriculture, unlike their settled neighbors such as the Hopi, Zuni, and Navajo. These groups practiced farming, cultivating crops like corn and squash. The Apaches' lifestyle involved skillful use of the land's resources for hunting and raiding, which were integral to their survivability and social structure. Post-contact events significantly altered their way of life, such as the Apache wars that continued until the capture of Geronimo in 1886.