His own story has been revised and edited, with an introduction and notes, by frederick turner. Toward the end of his life when he appeared on exhibit, geronimo also told his story to s. Following the massacre, geronimo swore vengeance against mexico and led a series. Geronimos father died when geronimo was still a boy. It is geronimos own words that gives a real insight into the plight of the apache it also begs the question who really were the savages, the. Close to the end of his life, during the years he was retained as a prisonofwar at ft. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. Geronimos autobiography excerpts from his 1905 book. But unlike sitting bull, crazy horse, or geronimo, the fog of history has left red cloud strangely obscured.
Born in what is now new mexico in 1829, he was the grandson of the chief of the bedonkohe apache. In the early 1900s, when geronimo was taken prisoner, barrett commissioned an interpreter to interview the native american warrior. When, at the end of the first session, barrett posed a question, the only answer he received was a. As geronimo was by then a prisoner of war, barrett had to appeal all the way up the chain of command to president teddy roosevelt for permission to record the words of the indian outlaw. Hear, in his own words, the war story of geronimo and. Differ witnessed was a shorn and blinded apache sampson.
The book largely consists of geronimos own words as he narrated his life story to the author. He was a naturally gifted hunter, who, the story goes, as a boy swallowed the heart of his first kill to ensure a lifetime of success on the chase. Geronimos story of his life includes bibliographical references page 191 notes by frederick w. For anyone interested in the apache indian history then this book is a must. It was not without a good deal of controversy and a string of objections from the u. Like all autobiographies, geronimos is selfserving.
The autobiography of a great patriot warrior geronimo, barrett, s. Geronimo, geronimos story of his life, in prison and on the war path, 1909 when geronimo surrendered, he had in his possession a winchester model 1876 leveraction rifle with a silverwashed barrel and receiver, bearing serial number 109450. His own story and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The child was not afraid, but his uncle was so dumb with fright that he did not speak or move. Barrett and geronimo 1996, paperback, revised at the best online prices at ebay. His own story is full of his descriptions of apache lifeways. The chief of our tribe, manguscolorado, went to make a treaty of peace for our people with the white settlement at apache tejo, new mexico. Hear, in his own words, the war story of geronimo and his chiricahua band of apache indians. The autobiography of the famous apache war chief, geronimo. A shout of geronimo is still evoked to show courage. His own story by geronimo 1970, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. With 200 apache, he journeyed to mexico, found geronimos camp, and with tom horn as his interpreter, persuaded geronimo and his people to return to the san carlos reservation. Nothing tells a story like when it is written from the own words of someone. Geronimo, his own story by geronimo overdrive rakuten.
Perhaps the greatest wrong ever done to the indians was the treatment received by our tribe from the united states troops about 1863. It has been reedited here by professor frederick w. The fact that geronimo has told the story in his own way is doubtless the only excuse necessary to offer for the many unconven tional features of this work. Enemies stole horses from him and his retaliation was swift and brutal, even throwing a baby in the air catching it with a spear. The author adds historical context as well as some editorial. Although it would be twenty years before he got to tell the story in his own words a book would be published in 1906 in his own words. Geronimo, born goyathlay, was an apache medicine man and warrior. Told in his own words, this is the story of his life and people.
Accordingly i wrote to president roosevelt that here was an old indian who had been held a prisoner of war for twenty years and had never been given a chance to tell his side of the story, and asked that geronimo be granted permission to tell for publication, in his own way, the story of his life, and that he be guaranteed that the publication. When it came time for him to tell his own story, permission was first denied as the officer in charge at fort sill claimed that the actions of geronimo throughout his life and the cost of his capture, approx. Sills ok along with remnants of the apaches, he expressed desire to write his own story. Geronimo was a free man, even when the american government told him he was barely the latter. Full text of geronimos story of his life internet archive. The page notes that the main text was originally published as. President theodore roosevelt had to order that geronimo was allowed to tell his story in his own words and his white friend was allowed to write it down and publish it, and even then certain bits critical of the united states were apparently edited out, and other parts that are critical of the united states are identified as being geronimos personal opinion and not necessarily accurate. Over many months in 1905, geronimo told his life story to s. The first step in analyzing geronimo, then, is a careful examination of the specific workings of this culturally, linguistically. Barretts original commentary, has been set in historical perspective by frederick turners new introduction on the latest scholarship about the period. This book is the autobiography of the legendary apache warrior, as told to s. When the meat was done they placed it on some bushes to cool.
Here is one of the most extraordinary and invaluable documents in the annals of native american history. Yet it offers genuine insights into the mans thinking, his respect. In the beginning the world was covered with darkness. Barrett transcribed geronimos spoken words into english with the help of an interpreter whom geronimo trusted. The nook book ebook of the geronimos story of his life. Geronimo, bedonkohe apache leader of the chiricahua apache, who led his peoples defense of their homeland against the military might of the united states. I was no chief and never had been, but because i had been more deeply wronged than others, this honor was conferred upon me, and i resolved to prove worthy of the trust. When geronimo returned later that night, he found that his mother, his wife and his three young children had all been murdered. During 1905 and 1906, geronimo, the legendary apache warrior and honorary war chief, dictated his story through a native interpreter to s. Geronimo is a name and expression that we all know, yet likely it is separated from the person who embodied its life.
Geronimo came to each interview knowing exactly what he wanted to cover, beginning with. And so he and juh, another apache leader, took twothirds of the chiricahua with them to the ojo caliente reservation in new mexico instead of marching into san. At the peak of their chiefs powers, the sioux could claim control of onefifth of the contiguous united states. For generations the apaches had resisted white colonization of their homeland in the southwest by both spaniards and north americans.
They broiled two hind quarters, one the child and one for his uncle. His uncle showed him how to dress the deer and broil the meat. Origin of the apache indians geronimo his own story origin of the apache indians in the beginning the world was covered with darkness. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. We hoped that in the future life family and tribal relations would be resumed. By return mail i received word that the authority had been. His own story is no exception, narrated by geronimo to oklahoma school superintendent s. There were, however, all manner of beasts and birds. Yet, unlike so many of the conquered, geronimos voice was not silenced with his surrender. His own story to provide unique insights into the beliefs, customs, and way of life of a remarkable man and his people. Geronimo 18291909 was an apache leader and medicine man best known for his fearlessness in resisting anyonemexican or americanwho attempted to.
Geronimo came to each interview knowing exactly what he wanted to cover, beginning with the telling of the apache creation story. Geronimo was a man who was hated by the whites and american soldiers at the time he lived. He didnt follow their orders, nor did he respect their imposition on his autonomy. We held that the discharge of ones duty would make his future life more pleasant, but whether that future life was worse than this life or better, we did not know, and no one was able to tell us. My great grandmother was the niece of geranimo and my grandmother told me many stories in my youth. That interpreter was asa daklugie, geronimos nephew.
From that point on, geronimo had to take care of his mother and his siblings. His own story is autobiographical, it has passed through several hands and has been modified so that some of its content is suspect or ambiguous. Geronimo, the legendary apache warrior and honorary war chief, dictated his story. Turner, iii, and along with corrective annotations theres a stirring introduction relating the indian culture clash civilization corrupts absolutely to society today. Barrett, then superintendent of schools in lawton, oklahoma.