GOYATHLAY ro GOYAHKLA, GERONIMO.

 

 

GOYATHLAY  HISTORY

Asa young man, Goyathlay, or "One Who Yawns," better known  as Geronimo, lost his mother, wife, and children in a surprise attack by Mexican soldiers. In a campaign of revenge, Geronimo lead about 70 Chiricahua warriors along with their families across the Rio Grande River. They attacked ranches throughout the state of Chihuahua. In 1884, the last of Geronimo's band finally surrendered. From this time on, Geronimo and his warriors became cattle ranchers on the San Carlos Reservation.

Once again, Arizona settlers and the U.S. Army began to feel safe. Geronimo still had some fighting spirit in him. Geronimo began attacking the authorities by cutting their telegraph wires, killing a ranching family and he slipped back into his old hideout in Mexico's Sierra Madre along with 134 warriors.
 geronimo
General Cook once again found himself hunting down the last free U.S. enemy Indian chief. After two days of negotiations, Geronimo agreed to give himself up and accepted a two-year prison term at Fort Marion, in Florida, 2,000 miles away. While on the way to Florida, Geronimo and a handful of his followers broke free again.

The U.S. Army replaced Cook with General Nelson Miles. He committed 5,000 troops and 400 Apache Scouts to find and capture Geronimo. Even against such odds, Geronimo's band of 38 men, women and children still were able to escape the army. When Apache scouts talked Geronimo into giving up, he surrendered in a bloodless capture in September 1886.

Geronimo's half brother, White Horse, spoke out. "I am going to surrender. My wife and children have been captured. I love them, and want to be with them.'' Then another brother said that if White Horse was going, he would go too. In a moment the youngest brother made a similar statement. For several moments, Geronimo was silent. Then he spoke. ''I don't know what to do.

I have been depending heavily on you three men. You have been great fighters in battle. If you are going to surrender, there is no use in my going without you. I will give up with you.'' Geronimo and his brothers and their families were put on a train headed for Fort Marion, St. Augustine's old Spanish fortress where the army imprisoned Indians it considered dangerous. Geronimo would spend eight years there. During his time in Fort Marin, Geronimo heard a life-changing message. "Since my life as a prisoner has begun,'' said Geronimo, "I have heard the teachings of the white man's religion, and in many respects believe it to be better than the religion of my fathers.
 
I have always prayed, and I believe the Almighty has always protected me. Freed from prison in 1894, Geronimo accepted a Kiowa and Comanche offer to share their reservation in Indian Territory.

He spent the last year's of his life as a farmer near Oklahoma's Fort Sill. Following his release from prison, Geronimo became a Christian and joined a local church where he taught Sunday School. ''Believing the in a wise way it is good to go to church, and that associating with Christians would improve my character, I have adopted the Christian religion,'' Geronimo is quoted as saying. ''I believe that the church has helped me much during the short time I have been a member.

I am not ashamed to be a Christian, and I am glad to  know that the President of the United States is a Christian, for without the help of the Almighty I do not think he could rightly judge in ruling so many people. I have advised all of my people who are not Christians, to study that religion, because it seems to me the best religion in enabling one to live right. ''Geronimo spent a year travelling with the Wild West show and appeared in Omaha, Buffalo, New York, and at the St. Louis World's Fair.

He sold his Photographs and bows and arrows.
In 1905 U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt invited him to White House and asked him to ride in his inaugural parade. But to his dying day in 1909, Arizona never felt that Geronimo was safe enough to let him come back to his homeland.    

 

 

Click here for GERONIMO HISTORY

Click here for THANKSGIVING ITS TRUE HISTORY.

 

Dao Go Te' doo Hondah
Means to say It is good we meet and welcome.

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