Geronimo, struggle, agony and resurrection of the Apache nation

Goyahkla, an Bedonkohe apache who would later be known as Gerónimo, was born in the 1820s in a town that the Apaches called No-doyon at the headwaters of the Gila River, currently in the southeastern Arizona state. His birthplace is today a place of reverence among the surviving Apache people.

His father's name was Taklishim - "The Gray Man", son of the Mahko chief of the Apache-Bedonkohe tribe from whom he inherited the traditions. His mother, taught him the mythical origins of his people, taught him to pray to Usen, the supreme being, also called the life giver. He explained the legends and exploits of supernatural beings, the Woman in White, the Child of Water, entities that are closely connected with the origin of the Apache people and the kind spirits of the mountains, who lived in hidden caverns and that They were honored at the ceremonial Apache.

When Goyahkla and his brothers and sisters were old enough they helped their parents in the fields. They worked the land with sowing sticks and hoes. They planted the corn, the beans entangled in the stems and the pumpkins covering the ground with their big leaves. In autumn they collected the products of the harvest in baskets transporting them to their homes, often using the caves in the mountains as storage sites.

Goyahkla's life was spent suffering the struggles, defeats and tragedies of the Apache nation. When he was 19, Mexican troops killed his mother, his wife and three children. The Apache chief would comment some time later: "My life lost all purpose."

Under the leadership of Cochise first and Victorio and Nana later, the Apaches resisted the American and Mexican invasions. The aggression continued and despite the fervent struggle they were gradually displaced from their territories to more arid and less productive areas.

When Victorio and Nana were defeated and killed, the leadership was assumed by Goyahkla and Juh. At that time, and to avoid greater sacrifices to their people, they entered into negotiations with the US government.

The representatives of the US government offered them an extension of land in exchange for their weapons. The place, called San Carlos, was arid and totally inappropriate.

Daklugie, son of Juh described it illustratively.

“The Creator did not make San Carlos. It is an older place that He simply left as a sign of how things were done before He appeared. Take stones and ashes and thorns, and throw some scorpions and rattlesnakes, put all that on top of red-heated stones, add the United States army chasing after the Apaches and so you will have San Carlos. ”

The Apaches rejected the offer and continued the fight. They retreated to the mountains to continue the resistance.

Six years after the fall of Victorio, in 1886, Juh died and Geró¬nimo remained as the only chief accompanied by a handful of men, women and children in the rugged mountain. At that time in his life, Gerónimo was 56 years old.

The last Apache stronghold faced two powerful armies on both sides of the border. They were only seventeen warriors with their families. They were surrounded by five thousand soldiers and thousands of civilian militia from the United States side and three thousand Mexican soldiers in the Mexican sector.

In spite of the unequal situation the Apaches continued the fight. Daklugie commented it this way:

“At that time Gerónimo also had Lozen, known as the Warrior Woman, Gerónimo was weakened, also by the presence of women and children who had to be defended and fed. No one ever captured Geronimo. I know it. I was with him. Anyway, who can capture the wind? ”218

Some time later the US army kidnapped and transferred women and children leaving men alone in the fight.

A few months later, exhausted and discouraged by the absence of their families, Gerónimo and the Apache warriors who accompanied him surrendered to General Nelson Miles of the US Army with the promise that the Apache chief would be released in two years and It would allow you to live in peace in your reserve.

The promises were broken again. Geronimo was held in prison for twenty-three years. He died in 1909 still captive. The rest of the Apaches, a few hundred were sent to Oklahoma and New Mexico.

Currently the Apaches are concentrated in the Fort Apache and San Carlos reserves in Arizona. Most of the Chihuahuan Apaches, Mescaleros and Lipan live in the Mescalero Reserve of southern New Mexico. The Jicarilla Apaches have a reservation in the north-central area of ​​New Mexico.

In all the reserves, some 60,000 Apaches survive who seek to heal the wounds left by the genocidal war of which they were victims.

The first goal has been the recovery of their culture and their land.

For this they begin to count on the help of many brothers from the continent and from other parts of the world. His fight has been long and very hard but it is not over yet.

Geronimo was not left alone even after his death. Nine years after his death a group of young people belonging to the most rancid elite of American society violated his grave and seized his remains to lock them in "The Tomb" of the University of Yale.

Perhaps Gerónimo's skull and remains are in Yale today. We do not know for sure. They can actually be somewhere else, anywhere.

What we do know is that his spirit has long been freed from the bonds of repression, imprisonment, kidnapping and abuse.

More than a century after his death, the memory of Goyahkla-Gerónimo remains alive in the most dignified history of the First Nations of America.

From the book “Amerrique, the orphans of paradise”, D. Antón, Piriguazú Ediciones

The destruction of the Apache nation

The struggle of the Apaches against two armies
The life of Goyahkla (Geronimo) elapsed suffering the struggles, defeats and tragedies of the Apache nation. When he was 19 years old, Mexican troops killed his mother, his wife and three children. The Apache chief would comment later: "My life lost all purpose".
Under the leadership of Cochise first and of Victorio and Nana later, the Apaches resisted the American and Mexican invasions. The aggression continued and despite the fervent struggle they were gradually displaced from their territories to more arid and less productive areas.
When Victorio and Nana were defeated and killed, the leadership was assumed by Goyahkla and Juh. At that time, and to avoid further sacrifices to their people, they entered into negotiations with the US government.
The representatives of the US government offered them an extension of land in exchange for laying down their arms. The place, called San Carlos, was arid and totally inadequate.
Daklugie, son of Juh described it in an illustrative way.
"The Creator did not make San Carlos. It's a place older than Him. He just left it as a sample of how things were done before He appeared. Take stones and ashes and thorns, and throw some scorpions and rattlesnakes, put all that on top of red-hot stones, add the US army chasing the Apaches and then you'll have San Carlos. "
The Apaches rejected the offer and continued the fight. They retreated to the mountain ranges to continue the resistance.
Six years after the fall of Victorio, in 1886, Juh died and Geronimo was left as the only chief accompanied by a handful of men, women and children in the rugged mountains. At that time in his life, Gerónimo was 56 years old.
The last Apache stronghold faced two powerful armies on both sides of the border. They were only seventeen warriors with their families. They were surrounded by five thousand soldiers and thousands of civilian militiamen from the side of the United States and three thousand Mexican soldiers in the sector of Mexico.
Despite the unequal situation the Apaches continued the fight. Daklugie said it this way:
 "At that time Geronimo also had Lozen, known as the Warrior Woman, Geronimo was weakened, also by the presence of women and children who should be defended and fed. Nobody ever captured Geronimo. I know it. I was with him. Anyway, who can capture the wind? "
Some time later the American army kidnapped and moved the women and children leaving the men alone in the fight.
A few months later, exhausted and discouraged by the absence of their families, Geronimo and the Apache warriors accompanying him surrendered to General Nelson Miles of the US Army with the promise that the Apache chief would be freed in two years and would allow to live in peace in his reserve.
Again the promises were broken. Gerónimo was kept in prison for twenty-three years. He died in 1909 still captive. The rest of the Apaches, a few hundred were sent to Oklahoma and New Mexico.

From: "Chronicles of the Human Peripecia", Danilo Antón, Piriguazú Ediciones.

Apache struggle against two armies
D.Anton

Geronimo (Goyahkla) leadership
Goyahkla's life transcurred through the struggles, defeats and tragedies of the Apache nation. 
When he was 19 years old Mexican troops killed his mother, wife and three children. 
The Apache leader would comment later: "My life had lost all purpose."
Under the leadership of Cochise first and Victorio and Nana later, the Apaches had resisted the American and Mexican invasions. The aggression of the foreign armies continued and despite the fervent struggle they were gradually expelled from their territories to more arid and less productive areas.
When Victorio and Nana were defeated and killed, the leadership was assumed by Goyahkla (Geronimo) and Juh. 
At that time, and to avoid greater sacrifices to their people, they entered into negotiations with the US government.
The representatives of the American government offered an extension of land in exchange for them to lay down their arms. The place, called San Carlos, was arid and totally inadequate.
Daklugie, son of Juh described it in an illustrative way.
"The Creator did not make San Carlos. It's a place older than Him- He just left it as a sample of how things were done before He appeared. Take stones and ashes and thorns, and throw some scorpions and rattlesnakes, put all that on red-hot stones, add the United States army chasing you and thus you have San Carlos. "
The Apaches refused the offer and continued fighting. They retreated to the mountains to continue the resistance.
Six years after the fall of Victorio, in 1886, Juh was killed and Geronimo remained the only chief. He was accompanied by a handful of men, women, and children in the rugged mountains. At that time of his life Geronimo was 56 years old.
The last Apache bastion faced two powerful armies on both sides of the border. There were only seventeen warriors with their families. They were surrounded by five thousand soldiers and thousands of civilian militants on the United States side and three thousand Mexican soldiers in the Mexican sector.
In spite of the uneven situation the Apaches continued the fight. Daklugie commented it this way:
 "At that time Geronimo also had Lozen, known as the Woman Warrior, Geronimo was weakened, also by the presence of women and children who were to be defended and fed. No one ever captured Geronimo. I know it. I was with him. Anyway, who can catch the wind? "
After some time the American army kidnapped and moved the women and children leaving the men alone in the struggle.
A few months later, exhausted and discouraged by the absence of their families, Geronimo and the accompanying Apache warriors surrendered to General Nelson Miles of the US Army with the promise that the Apache chief would be released within two years and be allowed to live in peace in his reserve.
Again the promises were broken. Geronimo was held in prison for twenty-three years. He died in 1909 still captive. The rest of the Apaches, a few hundred were sent to Oklahoma and New Mexico.
From: "Chronicles of Human Peripecie", Danilo Anton, Piriguazu Ediciones.

Apache genocide

Geronimo, the last resistant Apache chief, was not left in peace even after his death

Danilo Anton

Who can capture the spirit of the wind?

Geronimo, whose real name was Goyahkla, was the last Apache leader who fought the armies of the US and Mexico in a protracted war of resistance until they were isolated and derrotados..His captors promised to release him but kept him captive until his death in 1909.

Geronimo was not left alone, not even after his death. Nine years after his burial a group of young people from the elite of American society, including Prescott Bush, father of George Bush and grandfather of George W. Bush, violated Geronimo's tomb, took his remains and carried them to "The Tomb", a student fraternity building called "Skull and Bones" of the high aristocracy US Yale University where, as has been reported, are still maintained.

Who was Geronimo?

Goyahkla a Bedonkohe apache who later became known as Geronimo, was born in 1820 in a town called No-doyon in the headwaters of the Gila River, now in southeastern Arizona. His birthplace is today a place of reverence among Apaches surviving communities.

His father was called Taklishim - "The Gray Man", son of the chief of the tribe apache Mahko Bedonkohe who inherited traditions. His mother taught him the mythical origins of their people, taught him to pray to Use, the Supreme Being, also called the giver of life. She explained him the legends and exploits of supernatural beings, The “Women in White”, the “Water Child”, entities that are closely connected with the origin of the Apache people, and the kind spirits of the mountains, who are hidden in caves and were honored in the Apache ceremonial. (...)

Long after being defeated and killed the Apache chiefs Victorio and Nana, the leadership was assumed by Geronimo (Goyahkla) and Juh. At that time, and to prevent further sacrifices to his people, he entered into negotiations with the US government.

Representatives of the US government offered the Apaches piece of land in exchange of laying down their arms. The place, called San Carlos, was barren and totally inadequate.

Daklugie son of Juh illustratively described it.

"The Creator did San Carlos. It is an older place than he just left it as a sign of how things appear before He became. Take stones and ashes and bones, and throw some scorpions and rattlesnakes, put up all that red-hot stones, add the US Army Apaches chasing and so will have to San Carlos. "

The last Apache bastion faced two powerful armies on both sides of the border, the United States and the Mexican army. At the end there were only seventeen warriors with their families. They were surrounded by five thousand soldiers and thousands of civilians sided with the United States and three thousand Mexican soldiers on the other side of the mountains.

Despite the unequal situation the Apaches continued to fight. Daklugie said it this way: "At that time Geronimo also had Lozen, known as the “Female Warrior”. Geronimo looked weakened also by the presence of women and children who should be defended and fed. Nobody ever captured Geronimo. I know it. I was with him. Anyway Who can catch the wind? "

A few months later, exhausted and discouraged by the absence of their families, Geronimo and the remaining Apache warriors who accompanied him surrendered to General Nelson Miles from US Army with the promise that the Apache chief would be released in two years and will be allowed to live in peace in their reserves.

Again the promises were not fulfilled. Geronimo was kept in prison for twenty-three years. He died in 1909, still captive. The rest of the Apaches, a few hundred, were sent to Oklahoma and New Mexico.

Today the Apaches are concentrated in the Fort Apache reservation in Arizona and in San Carlos. Most of the Chiricahua, Mescalero and Lipan Apaches live in the Mescalero Reservation in southern New Mexico. The Jicarilla Apaches have a reservation in north-central New Mexico.

Even after his death his enemies did not leave him in peace. Nine years after his burial a group of young people from the elite of American society violated his tomb and took his remains to "The Tomb", a student fraternity called “Skulls and Bones” at Yale University.

Perhaps the skull and the remains of Geronimo are still in Yale. We do not know for sure. They may actually be somewhere else, anywhere.

What we do know for sure is that since long time ago his spirit has been freed from the shackles of repression, imprisonment, kidnapping and abuse.