Geronimo :: essays papers

GeronimoI was born in No-doyohn Canon, Arizona, June, 1829. In that country which lies or so the head waters of the Gila River Iwas reared. This range was our fatherland among these mountainsour wigwams were unknown the disperse valleys contained our celestial spheresthe boundless prairies, stretching away on every side, were ourpastures the granitelike caverns were our burying places. I was quaternityth in a family of eight children-- four boys and four girls. Ofthat family, only myself, my brother, Porico, and my sister,Nah-da-ste , are yet alive. We are held as prisoners of state of war in thisMilitary Reservation (Fort Sill). As a babe I rolled on the dirt floor of my fathers tepee, hung in mytsoch (Apache name for cradle) at my mothers back, or suspendedfrom the bough of a tree. I was warmed by the sun, rocked by thewinds, and sheltered by the trees as other Indian babes. When a child my mother taught me the legends of our people taughtme of the sun and sky, the moon and stars, the clouds and storms.She also taught me to kneel and ask to Usen for strength, health,wisdom, and protection. We never prayed against any person, but ifwe had faught against any individual we ourselves took vengeance.We were taught that Usen does not cautiousness for the petty quarrels of men. My father had oft told me of the brave deeds of our warriors, of thepleasures of the chase, and the glories of the war path. With my brothers and sisters I played about my fathers home.Sometimes we played at hide-and-seek among the rocks and pines several(prenominal)times we loitered in the shade of the cottonwood trees or soughtthe shudock (a kind of unreasonable cherry) while our parents worked in thefield. Sometimes we played that we were warriors. We would practicestealing upon some object that represented an enemy, and in ourchildish imitation often work out the feats of war. Sometimes we wouldhide away from our mother to see if she could find us, and often whenthus conceale d go to sleep and perhaps remain hidden for manyhours. When we were old enough to be of real service we went to the fieldwith our parents not to play, but to toil. When the crops were to beplanted we broke the ground with woody hoes. We planted the cornin straight rows, the beans among the corn, and the melons andpumpkins in irregular orderliness over the field. We cultivated these crops