March 27, 2022 • 18 mins
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(00:00):
Section nine, The Old and theNew, Part two, Chapter twenty one.
At the World's Fair. When Iwas first asked to attend the Saint
Louis World's Fair, I did notwish to go. Later, when I
was told that I would receive goodattention and protection, and that the President
(00:21):
of the United States said it wouldbe all right, I consented. I
was kept by parties in charge ofthe Indian Department, who had obtained permission
from the President. I stayed inthis place for six months. I sold
my photographs for twenty five cents andwas allowed to keep ten cents of this
for myself. I also wrote myname for ten, fifteen or twenty five
(00:45):
cents, as the case might be, and kept all of that money.
I often made as much as twodollars a day, and when I returned
I had plenty of money, morethan I had ever owned before. Many
people while in Saint Louis invited meto come to their homes, but my
keeper always refused. Every Sunday,the president of the fair sent for me
(01:08):
to go to a Wild West show. I took part in the roping contests
before the audience. There were manyother Indian tribes there and strange people of
whom I had never heard. Whenpeople first came to the World's Fair,
they did nothing but parade up anddown the streets. When they got tired
(01:29):
of this, they would visit theshows. There were many strange things in
these shows. The government sent guardswith me when I went, and I
was not allowed to go anywhere withoutthem. In one of these shows,
some strange men with red caps turkshad some peculiar swords, and they seemed
to want to fight. Finally,their manager told them they might fight each
(01:53):
other. They tried to hit eachother over the head with these swords,
and I expected both to be woundedor perhaps killed, but neither one was
harmed. They would be hard peopleto kill in a hand to hand fight.
In another show, there was astrange looking negro. The manager tied
his hands fast, then tied himto a chair. He was securely tied
(02:16):
for I looked myself and I didnot think it was possible for him to
get away. Then the manager toldhim to get loose. He twisted in
his chair for a moment and thenstood up. The ropes were still tied,
but he was free. I donot understand how this was done.
It was certainly a miraculous power,because no man could have released himself by
(02:40):
his own efforts. In another place, a man was on a platform speaking
to the audience. They set abasket by the side of the platform and
covered it with red calicoal. Thena woman came and got into the basket,
and a man covered the basket againwith the calicoal. Then the man
who was speaking to the audience tooka long sword and ran it through the
(03:05):
basket each way and then down throughthe cloth cover. I heard the sword
cut through the woman's body, andthe manager himself said she was dead.
But when the cloth was lifted fromthe basket, she stepped out, smiled,
and walked off the stage. Iwould like to know how she was
so quickly healed, and why thewounds did not kill her. I have
(03:30):
never considered bears very intelligent, exceptin their wild habits, but I had
never before seen a white bear.In one of the shows, a man
had a white bear that was asintelligent as a man. He would do
whatever he was told, carry alog on his shoulder just as a man
(03:50):
would, then when he was told, would put it down again. He
did many other things and seemed toknow exactly what his keeper said to him.
I am sure that no grizzly bearcould be trained to do these things.
One time, the guards took meinto a little house that had four
windows. When we were seated,the little house started to move along the
(04:13):
ground. Then the guards called myattention to some curious things they had in
their pockets. Finally, they toldme to look out, and when I
did so, I was scared,for our little house had gone high up
in the air, and the peopledown in the fair grounds looked no larger
than ants. The men laughed atme for being scared. Then they gave
(04:36):
me a glass to look through.I often had such glasses, which I
took from dead officers after battles inMexico and elsewhere, and I could see
rivers, lakes and mountains. ButI had never been so high in the
air, and I tried to lookinto the sky. There were no stars,
(04:56):
and I could not look at thesun through this glass because the bright
hurt my eyes. Finally, Iput the glass down, and as they
were all laughing at me, Itoo began to laugh. Then they said
get out, and when I looked, we were on the street again.
After we were safe on the land. I watched many of these little houses
(05:17):
going up and coming down, butI cannot understand how they travel. They
are very curious little houses. Oneday we went into another show, and
as soon as we were in it, it changed into night. It was
real night, for I could feelthe damp air. Soon it began to
(05:40):
thunder and the lightnings flashed. Itwas real lightning, too, for it
struck just above our heads. Idodged and wanted to run away, but
I could not tell which way togo in order to get out. The
guards motioned me to keep still,and so I stayed. In front of
us were some strange little people whocame out on the platform. Then I
(06:01):
looked up again and the clouds wereall gone, and I could see the
stars shining. The little people onthe platform did not seem in earnest about
anything they did, so I onlylaughed at them. All the people around
where we sat seemed to be laughingat me. We went into another place,
and the manager took us into alittle room that was made like a
(06:25):
cage. Then everything around us seemedto be moving. Soon the air looked
blue. Then there were black cloudsmoving with the wind. Pretty soon it
was clear outside. Then we sawa few thin white clouds. Then the
clouds grew thicker, and it rainedand hailed with thunder and lightning. Then
(06:45):
the thunder retreated and a rainbow appearedin the distance. Then it became dark.
The moon rose and thousands of starscame out. Soon the sun came
up and we got out of thelittle room. This was a good show,
but it was so strange and unnaturalthat I was glad to be on
the streets again. We went intoone place where they made glassware. I
(07:09):
had always thought that these things weremade by hand, but they are not.
The man had a curious little instrument, and whenever he would blow through
this into a little blaze, theglass would take any shape he wanted it
to. I am not sure,but I think that if I had this
kind of an instrument, I couldmake whatever I wished. There seems to
(07:31):
be a charm about it, butI suppose it is very difficult to get
these little instruments, or other peoplewould have them. The people in this
show were so anxious to buy thethings the man made that they kept him
so busy he could not sit downall day long. I bought many curious
things in there, and brought themhome with me. At the end of
(07:55):
one of the streets, some peoplewere getting into a clumsy canoe upon a
kind of shelf and sliding down intothe water. They seemed to enjoy it,
but it looked too fierce for me. If one of these canoes had
gotten out of its path, thepeople would have been sure to get hurt
or killed. There were some littlebrown people at the fair that United States
(08:18):
troops captured recently on some islands faraway from here. They did not wear
much clothing, and I think thatthey should not have been allowed to come
to the fair, But they themselvesdid not seem to know any better.
They had some little brass plates,and they tried to play music with these,
but I did not think it wasmusic. It was only a rattle.
(08:41):
However, they danced to this noiseand seemed to think they were giving
a fine show. I do notknow how true the report was, but
I heard that the President sent themto the fair so that they could learn
some manners, and when they wenthome, teach their people how to dress
and how to behave I am gladI went to the fair. I saw
(09:03):
many interesting things, and learned muchof the white people. They are a
very kind and peaceful people. Duringall the time I was at the fair,
no one tried to harm me inany way. Had this been among
the Mexicans, I am sure Ishould have been compelled to defend myself.
Often. I wish all my peoplecould have attended the fair, Chapter twenty
(09:28):
two. Religion. In our primitiveworship, only our relations to usen and
the members of our tribe were consideredas appertaining to our religious responsibilities. As
to the future state, the teachingsof our tribe were not specific. That
is, we had no definite ideaof our relations and surroundings in after life.
(09:52):
We believe that there is a lifeafter this one, but no one
ever told me as to what partof man lived after death. I have
seen many men die, I haveseen many human bodies decayed, but I
have never seen that part which iscalled the spirit. I do not know
what it is, nor have Iyet been able to understand that part of
(10:13):
the Christian religion. We held thatthe discharge of one's duty would make his
future life more pleasant. But whetherthat future life was worse than this life
or better, we did not know. And no one was able to tell
us. We hoped that in thefuture life, family and tribal relations would
be resumed in a way. Webelieved this, but we did not know
(10:39):
it. Once, when living inSan Carlos Reservation, an Indian told me
that while lying unconscious on the battlefield, he had actually been dead and had
passed into the spirit land. First, he came to a mulberry tree growing
out from a cave in the ground. Before this cave, a guard was
(11:00):
stationed, but when he approached withoutfear, the guard let him pass.
He descended into the cave, anda little way back the path widened and
terminated in a perpendicular rock many hundredsof feet wide and equal in height.
There was not much light, butby peering directly beneath him, he discovered
(11:22):
a pile of sand reaching from thedepths below to within twenty feet of the
top of the rock, where hestood holding to a bush. He swung
off from the edge of the rockand dropped into the sand, sliding rapidly
down its deep side into the darkness. He landed in a narrow passage running
(11:43):
due westward through a canyon which graduallygrew lighter and lighter, until he could
see as well as if it hadbeen daylight, but there was no sun.
Finally, he came to a sectionof this passage that was wider for
a short distance, and then closingabruptly, continued in a narrow path.
(12:03):
Just where this section narrowed, twohuge serpents were coiled and rearing their heads.
Hissed at him as he approached,but he showed no fear, and
as soon as he came close tothem, they withdrew quietly and let him
pass. At the next place,where the passage opened into a wider section,
where two grizzly bearers prepared to attackhim, but when he approached and
(12:28):
spoke to them, they stood asideand he passed unharmed. He continued to
follow the narrow passage, and thethird time it widened, and two mountain
lions crouched in the way, Butwhen he had approached them without fear and
had spoken to them, they alsowithdrew. He again entered the narrow passage
(12:50):
for some time. He followed this, emerging into a fourth section beyond which
he could see nothing. The furtherwalls of this section were clashing together at
regular intervals, with tremendous sounds,but when he approached them, they stood
apart until he had passed. Afterthis, he seemed to be in a
forest, and following the natural drawswhich led westward, soon came into a
(13:15):
green valley where there were many Indianscamped and plenty of game. He said
that he saw and recognized many whomhe had known in this life, and
that he was sorry when he wasbrought back to consciousness. I told him,
if I knew this to be true, I would not want to live
another day, but by some means, if by my own hands, I
(13:39):
would die in order to enjoy thesepleasures. I myself have lain unconscious on
the battlefield, and while in thatcondition, have had some strange thoughts or
experiences, But they are very dim, and I cannot recall them well enough
to relate them. Many Indians believedthis warrior, and cannot say that he
(14:00):
did not tell the truth. Iwish I knew that what he said is
beyond question true, but perhaps itis as well that we are not certain.
Since my life as a prisoner hasbegun, I have heard the teachings
of the white man's religion, andin many respects believe it to be better
than the religion of my fathers.However, I have always prayed, and
(14:24):
I believe that the Almighty has alwaysprotected me. Believing that in a wise
way it is good to go tochurch, and that associating with Christians would
improve my character, I have adoptedthe Christian religion. I believe that the
church has helped me much during theshort time I have been a member.
(14:46):
I am not ashamed to be aChristian, and I am glad to know
that the President of the United Statesis a Christian, for without the help
of the Almighty, I do notthink he could rightly judge in ruling so
many people both. I have advisedall of my people who are not Christians
to study that religion, because itseems to me the best religion in enabling
(15:07):
one to live right. Chapter twentythree Hopes for the Future. I am
thankful that the President of the UnitedStates has given me permission to tell my
story. I hope that he andthose in authority under him will read my
story and judge whether my people havebeen rightly treated. There is a great
(15:31):
question between the Apaches and the government. For twenty years we have been held
prisoners of war under a treaty whichwas made with General Miles on the part
of the United States government and myselfas the representative of the Apaches. That
treaty has not at all times beenproperly observed by the government, although at
(15:54):
the present time it has been morenearly fulfilled on their part than heretofore.
In the treaty with General Miles,we agreed to go to a place outside
of Arizona and learn to live asthe white people do. I think that
my people are now capable of livingin accordance with the laws of the United
States, and we would of courselike to have the liberty to return to
(16:18):
that land which is ours by divineright. We are reduced in numbers,
and having learned how to cultivate thesoil, would not require so much ground
as was formerly necessary. We donot ask all of the land which the
Almighty gave us in the beginning,but that we may have sufficient lands there
to cultivate what we do not need. We are glad for the white men
(16:40):
to cultivate. We are now heldon Comanche and Kiowa lands which are not
suited to our needs. These lands, in this climate are suited to the
Indians who originally inhabited this country,of course, but our people are decreasing
in numbers here and will continue todecrease unless they are allowed to return to
their native land. Such a resultis inevitable. There is no climate or
(17:07):
soil which, to my mind isequal to that of Arizona. We could
have plenty of good cultivating land,plenty of grass, plenty of timber,
and plenty of minerals in that landwhich the Almighty created for the Apaches.
It is my land, my home, my father's land, to which I
(17:27):
now ask to be allowed to return. I want to spend my last days
there and be buried among those mountains. If this could be, I might
die in peace, feeling that mypeople, placed in their native homes,
would increase in numbers rather than diminishas at present, and that our name
(17:48):
would not become extinct. I knowthat if my people were placed in that
mountainous region lying around the headwaters ofthe Hilo River, they would live in
peace and act according to the willof the President. They would be prosperous
and happy in tilling the soil andlearning the civilization of the white men whom
(18:10):
they now respect. Could I butsee this accomplished, I think I could
forget all the wrongs that I haveever received and die a contented and happy
old man. But we can donothing in this matter ourselves. We must
wait until those in authority choose toact. If this cannot be done during
(18:33):
my lifetime, if I must diein bondage, I hope that the remnant
of the Apache tribe may, whenI am gone, be granted the one
privilege which they request to return toArizona. End of section nine, end
of Geronimo's Story of his Life byGeronimo
Section nine, The Old and theNew, Part two, Chapter twenty one.
At the World's Fair. When Iwas first asked to attend the Saint
Louis World's Fair, I did notwish to go. Later, when I
was told that I would receive goodattention and protection, and that the President
(00:21):
of the United States said it wouldbe all right, I consented. I
was kept by parties in charge ofthe Indian Department, who had obtained permission
from the President. I stayed inthis place for six months. I sold
my photographs for twenty five cents andwas allowed to keep ten cents of this
for myself. I also wrote myname for ten, fifteen or twenty five
(00:45):
cents, as the case might be, and kept all of that money.
I often made as much as twodollars a day, and when I returned
I had plenty of money, morethan I had ever owned before. Many
people while in Saint Louis invited meto come to their homes, but my
keeper always refused. Every Sunday,the president of the fair sent for me
(01:08):
to go to a Wild West show. I took part in the roping contests
before the audience. There were manyother Indian tribes there and strange people of
whom I had never heard. Whenpeople first came to the World's Fair,
they did nothing but parade up anddown the streets. When they got tired
(01:29):
of this, they would visit theshows. There were many strange things in
these shows. The government sent guardswith me when I went, and I
was not allowed to go anywhere withoutthem. In one of these shows,
some strange men with red caps turkshad some peculiar swords, and they seemed
to want to fight. Finally,their manager told them they might fight each
(01:53):
other. They tried to hit eachother over the head with these swords,
and I expected both to be woundedor perhaps killed, but neither one was
harmed. They would be hard peopleto kill in a hand to hand fight.
In another show, there was astrange looking negro. The manager tied
his hands fast, then tied himto a chair. He was securely tied
(02:16):
for I looked myself and I didnot think it was possible for him to
get away. Then the manager toldhim to get loose. He twisted in
his chair for a moment and thenstood up. The ropes were still tied,
but he was free. I donot understand how this was done.
It was certainly a miraculous power,because no man could have released himself by
(02:40):
his own efforts. In another place, a man was on a platform speaking
to the audience. They set abasket by the side of the platform and
covered it with red calicoal. Thena woman came and got into the basket,
and a man covered the basket againwith the calicoal. Then the man
who was speaking to the audience tooka long sword and ran it through the
(03:05):
basket each way and then down throughthe cloth cover. I heard the sword
cut through the woman's body, andthe manager himself said she was dead.
But when the cloth was lifted fromthe basket, she stepped out, smiled,
and walked off the stage. Iwould like to know how she was
so quickly healed, and why thewounds did not kill her. I have
(03:30):
never considered bears very intelligent, exceptin their wild habits, but I had
never before seen a white bear.In one of the shows, a man
had a white bear that was asintelligent as a man. He would do
whatever he was told, carry alog on his shoulder just as a man
(03:50):
would, then when he was told, would put it down again. He
did many other things and seemed toknow exactly what his keeper said to him.
I am sure that no grizzly bearcould be trained to do these things.
One time, the guards took meinto a little house that had four
windows. When we were seated,the little house started to move along the
(04:13):
ground. Then the guards called myattention to some curious things they had in
their pockets. Finally, they toldme to look out, and when I
did so, I was scared,for our little house had gone high up
in the air, and the peopledown in the fair grounds looked no larger
than ants. The men laughed atme for being scared. Then they gave
(04:36):
me a glass to look through.I often had such glasses, which I
took from dead officers after battles inMexico and elsewhere, and I could see
rivers, lakes and mountains. ButI had never been so high in the
air, and I tried to lookinto the sky. There were no stars,
(04:56):
and I could not look at thesun through this glass because the bright
hurt my eyes. Finally, Iput the glass down, and as they
were all laughing at me, Itoo began to laugh. Then they said
get out, and when I looked, we were on the street again.
After we were safe on the land. I watched many of these little houses
(05:17):
going up and coming down, butI cannot understand how they travel. They
are very curious little houses. Oneday we went into another show, and
as soon as we were in it, it changed into night. It was
real night, for I could feelthe damp air. Soon it began to
(05:40):
thunder and the lightnings flashed. Itwas real lightning, too, for it
struck just above our heads. Idodged and wanted to run away, but
I could not tell which way togo in order to get out. The
guards motioned me to keep still,and so I stayed. In front of
us were some strange little people whocame out on the platform. Then I
(06:01):
looked up again and the clouds wereall gone, and I could see the
stars shining. The little people onthe platform did not seem in earnest about
anything they did, so I onlylaughed at them. All the people around
where we sat seemed to be laughingat me. We went into another place,
and the manager took us into alittle room that was made like a
(06:25):
cage. Then everything around us seemedto be moving. Soon the air looked
blue. Then there were black cloudsmoving with the wind. Pretty soon it
was clear outside. Then we sawa few thin white clouds. Then the
clouds grew thicker, and it rainedand hailed with thunder and lightning. Then
(06:45):
the thunder retreated and a rainbow appearedin the distance. Then it became dark.
The moon rose and thousands of starscame out. Soon the sun came
up and we got out of thelittle room. This was a good show,
but it was so strange and unnaturalthat I was glad to be on
the streets again. We went intoone place where they made glassware. I
(07:09):
had always thought that these things weremade by hand, but they are not.
The man had a curious little instrument, and whenever he would blow through
this into a little blaze, theglass would take any shape he wanted it
to. I am not sure,but I think that if I had this
kind of an instrument, I couldmake whatever I wished. There seems to
(07:31):
be a charm about it, butI suppose it is very difficult to get
these little instruments, or other peoplewould have them. The people in this
show were so anxious to buy thethings the man made that they kept him
so busy he could not sit downall day long. I bought many curious
things in there, and brought themhome with me. At the end of
(07:55):
one of the streets, some peoplewere getting into a clumsy canoe upon a
kind of shelf and sliding down intothe water. They seemed to enjoy it,
but it looked too fierce for me. If one of these canoes had
gotten out of its path, thepeople would have been sure to get hurt
or killed. There were some littlebrown people at the fair that United States
(08:18):
troops captured recently on some islands faraway from here. They did not wear
much clothing, and I think thatthey should not have been allowed to come
to the fair, But they themselvesdid not seem to know any better.
They had some little brass plates,and they tried to play music with these,
but I did not think it wasmusic. It was only a rattle.
(08:41):
However, they danced to this noiseand seemed to think they were giving
a fine show. I do notknow how true the report was, but
I heard that the President sent themto the fair so that they could learn
some manners, and when they wenthome, teach their people how to dress
and how to behave I am gladI went to the fair. I saw
(09:03):
many interesting things, and learned muchof the white people. They are a
very kind and peaceful people. Duringall the time I was at the fair,
no one tried to harm me inany way. Had this been among
the Mexicans, I am sure Ishould have been compelled to defend myself.
Often. I wish all my peoplecould have attended the fair, Chapter twenty
(09:28):
two. Religion. In our primitiveworship, only our relations to usen and
the members of our tribe were consideredas appertaining to our religious responsibilities. As
to the future state, the teachingsof our tribe were not specific. That
is, we had no definite ideaof our relations and surroundings in after life.
(09:52):
We believe that there is a lifeafter this one, but no one
ever told me as to what partof man lived after death. I have
seen many men die, I haveseen many human bodies decayed, but I
have never seen that part which iscalled the spirit. I do not know
what it is, nor have Iyet been able to understand that part of
(10:13):
the Christian religion. We held thatthe discharge of one's duty would make his
future life more pleasant. But whetherthat future life was worse than this life
or better, we did not know. And no one was able to tell
us. We hoped that in thefuture life, family and tribal relations would
be resumed in a way. Webelieved this, but we did not know
(10:39):
it. Once, when living inSan Carlos Reservation, an Indian told me
that while lying unconscious on the battlefield, he had actually been dead and had
passed into the spirit land. First, he came to a mulberry tree growing
out from a cave in the ground. Before this cave, a guard was
(11:00):
stationed, but when he approached withoutfear, the guard let him pass.
He descended into the cave, anda little way back the path widened and
terminated in a perpendicular rock many hundredsof feet wide and equal in height.
There was not much light, butby peering directly beneath him, he discovered
(11:22):
a pile of sand reaching from thedepths below to within twenty feet of the
top of the rock, where hestood holding to a bush. He swung
off from the edge of the rockand dropped into the sand, sliding rapidly
down its deep side into the darkness. He landed in a narrow passage running
(11:43):
due westward through a canyon which graduallygrew lighter and lighter, until he could
see as well as if it hadbeen daylight, but there was no sun.
Finally, he came to a sectionof this passage that was wider for
a short distance, and then closingabruptly, continued in a narrow path.
(12:03):
Just where this section narrowed, twohuge serpents were coiled and rearing their heads.
Hissed at him as he approached,but he showed no fear, and
as soon as he came close tothem, they withdrew quietly and let him
pass. At the next place,where the passage opened into a wider section,
where two grizzly bearers prepared to attackhim, but when he approached and
(12:28):
spoke to them, they stood asideand he passed unharmed. He continued to
follow the narrow passage, and thethird time it widened, and two mountain
lions crouched in the way, Butwhen he had approached them without fear and
had spoken to them, they alsowithdrew. He again entered the narrow passage
(12:50):
for some time. He followed this, emerging into a fourth section beyond which
he could see nothing. The furtherwalls of this section were clashing together at
regular intervals, with tremendous sounds,but when he approached them, they stood
apart until he had passed. Afterthis, he seemed to be in a
forest, and following the natural drawswhich led westward, soon came into a
(13:15):
green valley where there were many Indianscamped and plenty of game. He said
that he saw and recognized many whomhe had known in this life, and
that he was sorry when he wasbrought back to consciousness. I told him,
if I knew this to be true, I would not want to live
another day, but by some means, if by my own hands, I
(13:39):
would die in order to enjoy thesepleasures. I myself have lain unconscious on
the battlefield, and while in thatcondition, have had some strange thoughts or
experiences, But they are very dim, and I cannot recall them well enough
to relate them. Many Indians believedthis warrior, and cannot say that he
(14:00):
did not tell the truth. Iwish I knew that what he said is
beyond question true, but perhaps itis as well that we are not certain.
Since my life as a prisoner hasbegun, I have heard the teachings
of the white man's religion, andin many respects believe it to be better
than the religion of my fathers.However, I have always prayed, and
(14:24):
I believe that the Almighty has alwaysprotected me. Believing that in a wise
way it is good to go tochurch, and that associating with Christians would
improve my character, I have adoptedthe Christian religion. I believe that the
church has helped me much during theshort time I have been a member.
(14:46):
I am not ashamed to be aChristian, and I am glad to know
that the President of the United Statesis a Christian, for without the help
of the Almighty, I do notthink he could rightly judge in ruling so
many people both. I have advisedall of my people who are not Christians
to study that religion, because itseems to me the best religion in enabling
(15:07):
one to live right. Chapter twentythree Hopes for the Future. I am
thankful that the President of the UnitedStates has given me permission to tell my
story. I hope that he andthose in authority under him will read my
story and judge whether my people havebeen rightly treated. There is a great
(15:31):
question between the Apaches and the government. For twenty years we have been held
prisoners of war under a treaty whichwas made with General Miles on the part
of the United States government and myselfas the representative of the Apaches. That
treaty has not at all times beenproperly observed by the government, although at
(15:54):
the present time it has been morenearly fulfilled on their part than heretofore.
In the treaty with General Miles,we agreed to go to a place outside
of Arizona and learn to live asthe white people do. I think that
my people are now capable of livingin accordance with the laws of the United
States, and we would of courselike to have the liberty to return to
(16:18):
that land which is ours by divineright. We are reduced in numbers,
and having learned how to cultivate thesoil, would not require so much ground
as was formerly necessary. We donot ask all of the land which the
Almighty gave us in the beginning,but that we may have sufficient lands there
to cultivate what we do not need. We are glad for the white men
(16:40):
to cultivate. We are now heldon Comanche and Kiowa lands which are not
suited to our needs. These lands, in this climate are suited to the
Indians who originally inhabited this country,of course, but our people are decreasing
in numbers here and will continue todecrease unless they are allowed to return to
their native land. Such a resultis inevitable. There is no climate or
(17:07):
soil which, to my mind isequal to that of Arizona. We could
have plenty of good cultivating land,plenty of grass, plenty of timber,
and plenty of minerals in that landwhich the Almighty created for the Apaches.
It is my land, my home, my father's land, to which I
(17:27):
now ask to be allowed to return. I want to spend my last days
there and be buried among those mountains. If this could be, I might
die in peace, feeling that mypeople, placed in their native homes,
would increase in numbers rather than diminishas at present, and that our name
(17:48):
would not become extinct. I knowthat if my people were placed in that
mountainous region lying around the headwaters ofthe Hilo River, they would live in
peace and act according to the willof the President. They would be prosperous
and happy in tilling the soil andlearning the civilization of the white men whom
(18:10):
they now respect. Could I butsee this accomplished, I think I could
forget all the wrongs that I haveever received and die a contented and happy
old man. But we can donothing in this matter ourselves. We must
wait until those in authority choose toact. If this cannot be done during
(18:33):
my lifetime, if I must diein bondage, I hope that the remnant
of the Apache tribe may, whenI am gone, be granted the one
privilege which they request to return toArizona. End of section nine, end
of Geronimo's Story of his Life byGeronimo
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