Geronimo (indigenous name Goyathlay) was the fearless military leader and medicine man of the Bedonkohe subsection of the Chiricahua tribe of Apaches. Born in 1829 (in what is now Arizona), he was a gifted huntsman in his youth, joining the warriors’ council at the age of 15. After a couple of years he commanded his own raiding parties in to enemy tribal territory, demonstrating great leadership abilities. Those early years were characterised by bloodshed and violence, with his wife, children and mother killed by enemy Mexican forces in 1858. Stricken with grief he burned his family belongings and went into the woods. There, while crying, he heard a voice saying:
No gun will ever kill you. I will take the bullets from the guns … and I will guide your arrows.
In the coming decades he fought against the United States and its attempts to force his people into desolate reservations. Geronimo was captured on multiple occasions, though he managed to repeatedly break out. During his last escape, a quarter of the US standing army were chasing him and his followers. Though never a tribal chief, Geronimo became the last native leader who surrendered to the United States, living his remaining life as a prisoner of war.
Here we explore the life of this extraordinary Apache military leader through a collection of images.
