Geronimo’s Story of His Life

a contented and happy old man. But we can do nothing in this matter ourselves⁠—we must wait until those in authority choose to act. If this cannot be done during my lifetime⁠—if I must die in bondage⁠—I hope that the remnant of the Apache tribe may, when I am gone, be granted the one privilege which they request⁠—to return to Arizona.

Endnotes

1. See Chapter IV. ↩

2. Usen is the Apache word for God. It is used here because it implies the attributes of deity that are held in their primitive religion. Apache means “Enemy.” ↩

3. The boundary lines established at different times between Mexico and the United States did not conform to the boundary lines of these Apache tribes, of course, and the Indians soon saw and took advantage of the international questions arising from the conflicting interests of the two governments. ↩

4. The Apache Indian held prisoners of war are greatly decreasing in numbers. There seems to be no particular cause, but nevertheless their numbers grow smaller. ↩

5. Four is a magic number with the Bedonkohe Apaches. The dragon had four coats of scales; he took little Apache’s meat four times; they (the dragon and Apache) exchanged four shots⁠—the dragon rolled down four precipices. There are four moccasins used in the tribal game of Kah, and only four plays that can be made. A boy must accompany the warriors four times on the warpath before he can be admitted to the council.

   Geronimo is the fourth of a family of four boys and four girls. He has had four wives that were full-blood Bedonkohe Apaches, and four that were part Bedonkohe Apache and part other Apache blood. Four of his children have been killed by Mexicans and four have been held in bondage by the U.S. Government. He firmly believes in destiny and in the magic of the number four. Besides Geronimo, only four full-blood Bedonkohe Apaches are now living. They are Porico (White Horse), Nah-da-ste, Moh-ta-neal, and To-klon-nen. ↩

6. The Apaches did not smoke the peace pipe, unless it was proposed by some other Indians. They had no large pipes; in fact, they usually smoked cigarettes made by rolling the tobacco in wrappers of oak leaves. ↩

7. The only foundation for the statement, frequently made, that Geronimo was a medicine man. ↩

8. The Apaches recognized no duties to any man outside their tribe. It was no sin to kill enemies or to rob them. However, if they accepted any favor from a stranger, or allowed him to share their comforts in any way, he became (by adoption) related to the tribe and they must recognize their duty to him. ↩

9. Maco was chief of the Nedni Apaches. His son (Geronimo’s father) had married a Bedonkohe Apache (Geronimo’s mother) and joined her tribe, thereby losing his right to rule by heredity. By this it will be seen Geronimo could not become chief by hereditary right, although his grandfather was a chieftain. It is also shown that Geronimo’s father could not be chief, hence the accession of Mangus-Colorado. ↩

10. The Apaches will not keep any of the property of a deceased relative. Their unwritten tribal laws forbid it, because they think that otherwise the children or other relatives of one who had much property might be glad when their father or relatives died. ↩

11. Beads were obtained from the Mexicans. The Apaches also got money from the Mexicans, but deemed it of no value, and either gave it to their children to play with or threw it away. ↩

12. According to custom he should not have kept the property of his deceased relatives, but he was not compelled to destroy his own teepee or the playthings of his children. ↩

13. Strips of buckskin about two inches wide fastened around the head. ↩

14. At this time the Mexican Government offered a reward in gold for Apache scalps⁠—one hundred dollars for warrior’s scalp, fifty dollars for squaw’s scalp, and twenty-five dollars for child’s scalp. ↩

15. From the moment the command for war is given with the Apaches everything assumes a religious guise. The manner of camping, cooking, etc., are exactly prescribed. Every object appertaining to war is called by its sacred name; as if, for instance, in English, one should say not horse, but warhorse or charger; not arrow, but missile of death. The Indian is not called by his ordinary name, but by a sacred name to which is subjoined “brave” or “chief” as the case may be. Geronimo’s Indian name was Go-khlä-yeh, but the Mexicans at this battle called him Geronimo, a name he has borne ever since both among the Indians and white men. ↩

16. Geronimo had married again. ↩

17. They had never eaten bacon and did not learn to do so for a long time. Even now they will not eat bacon or pork if they can get other meat. Geronimo positively refuses to eat bacon or pork. ↩

18. The interpreter, Asa, son of Whoa, remembers a little captive Mexican girl who used to play with the Apache children, but was finally exchanged.

    One of Geronimo’s wives and her child were killed at this time, and thenceforth until he became a prisoner of war he had two wives. He might have had as many wives as he wished, but he says that he was so busy fighting Mexicans that he could not support more than two. ↩

19. Forty-five miles. ↩

20. Mescal is a fiery liquor produced in Mexico from several species of agave. ↩

21. Gulf of California. ↩

22. It is impossible to get