In the Chiricahua culture, the "band" as a unit was much more important than the American or European concept of "tribe". The Chiricahua had no name for themselves (autonym) as a people. The name Chiricahua is most likely the Spanish rendering of the Opata word Chihuicahui or Chiguicagui ('mountain of the wild turkey') for the Chiricahua Mountains, later corrupted into Chiricahui/Chiricahua. The Chiricahua tribal territory encompassed today's SE Arizona, SW New Mexico, NE Sonora and NW Chihuahua. The Chiricahua range extended to the east as far as the Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico and to the west as far as the San Pedro River Valley in Arizona, north of Magdalena just below present day Hwy I-40 corridor in New Mexico and with the town Ciudad Madera (276 km northwest of the state capital, Chihuahua, and 536 km southwest of Ciudad Juárez (formerly known as Paso del Norte) on the Mexico–United States border), as their southernmost range.
In thE cHIricAHUa CUlTure, the "BaNd" as a UniT was mucH MOre ImPOrtAnt tHan tHe AMerican Or europeaN conCept of "trIbE". the ChiricAhua haD no name for tHemseLves (AutonYm) as a People. ThE namE chiricAHUa is Most likely thE spanish Rendering Of ThE OpAta word chIHuicahui or ChiguIcagUI ('Mountain OF the wild TuRKey') for ThE ChIRiCAhuA moUNtAiNs, laTER COrRuPTEd into ChiricahuI/cHirIcahua tHe cHiriCahua tribaL tERriTorY encomPassed todaY's Se ARIzONa, Sw nEw MEXiCo, ne SonOrA aNd nw cHiHUAhUa. The ChiriCahUA rAnGE exTEnDEd tO THE eaST AS fAr as the rIo granDE VALley IN new MeXICO and to thE wesT As far AS thE San Pedro rIVer valLey iN aRizonA, north oF MagdaLENa jusT BElow pREseNT dAY hwY i-40 corridor iN nEw mexico aNd With The Town CiUdad mADERA (276 KM northwEst of ThE state cApITaL cHIHuahua, aNd 536 kM soUThwest of Ciudad juáRez (fOrmerly known as pasO deL NOrtE) on THe mexiCo–unitEd StatEs bOrDer), as THeIr soUThERNmosT range.