Know the Real Geronimo, Through Literature

Who was Geronimo? Much has been made of the fact that his name was used as a code word for Osama bin Laden. The very phrase, “Geronimo-EKIA” (Enemy Killed in Action), is what informed President Barack Obama that the feared Al Qaeda leader had been slain. The resulting firestorm that the unfortunate epithet has inspired in Indian country raises many questions, among them: Can we learn more about this hero and reacquaint ourselves with why he is one? And what books can best get that across to non-Natives, who clearly need a primer?  More than two dozen books chronicle or otherwise address the life of this fierce champion of his people. Not all are credible or informative. But those that are range from his autobiography, to reminiscences by his captors and adversaries, to histories that paint the bigger contextual picture of Geronimo’s times. There are even student books, including an activity book. These selections are very different, but they have one thing in common: None portray him as a terrorist. Indeed, they reveal a man of principle, conviction and loyalty, a family man who struggled to protect his territory and culture from invading forces. The best place to start is with the testimony of the man himself. In 1905 Geronimo sat for a series of sessions with Stephen Melvil Barrett (who went by S.M. Barrett), the superintendent of education in Lawton, Oklahoma. Barrett recorded Geronimo’s memories at length after lobbying President Theodore Roosevelt for permission, going over the heads of officials who thought Geronimo did not deserve to have his side of the Apache story told because of his ferocity in battle...more