Friday, March 4, 2016

Geronimo Chiricahua Apache M2


Geronimo
Chiricahua Apache. (1829-1909)
  1. What source did you review and who created it? What perspective do you think it is meant to convey? Provide at least one specific example and citation from the M2 Online Resources to support your opinions.

The online resource I chose to highlight is the American Indian Biographies, A – Z, at Infoplease.com, and Powersource.com.   The information in the text explains how Native Americans have not been depicted properly over time and I was instantly drawn to this section.
I was pleasantly surprised by how long the list of biographies was and that there were multiple entries for many of the names listed. A few of the more recognizable names stood out like
Sitting Bull, Sacajawea, Cochise, Crazy Horse, and Geronimo. As a child I remember watching movies that depicted Geronimo as a savage killer that was feared by white men. I was curious to see how the biography would compare to the version I remember watching and reading about.
The first entry I clicked on was basically a brief overview of Geronimo’s struggle with American soldiers, “When the Chiricahua Reservation was abolished (1876) and the Apaches removed to the arid San Carlos Agency in New Mexico, Geronimo led a group of followers into Mexico. He was soon captured and returned to the new reservation, where he farmed for a while. In 1881 he escaped again with a group (including a son of Cochise) and led raids in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico” (infoplease.com).
Powersource.com describes why Geronimo hatted whites so much, “By the time American settlers began arriving in the area, the Spanish had become entrenched in the area, they were always looking for Indian slaves and Christian converts. It was the Spanish who raided and killed Geronimo's young wife and child and reportedly caused such a hatred of the whites that he vowed to kill as many as he could”.    This site also had some of his more memorable quotes such as “The soldiers never explained to the government when an Indian was wronged, but reported the misdeeds of the Indians.”
The piece mentioned how Geronimo’s aggressiveness and courage in the face of difficulty embodied the very essence of Apache values. The listed quote of Geronimo that stood out to me and mirrored what was learned in the text was “There is one God looking down on us all. We are all the children of one God. The sun, the darkness, the winds are all listening to what we have to say” (powersource.com).

2.      Why do you think these web resources where selected and put into this course and not others? What makes a quality academic website and do you think the website you reviewed is one? Provide at least one specific example and citation from the M2 Online Resources to support your opinions.

The next section of this biography page I explored was ‘Geronimo, His Own Story’.
In the sectioned titled Greatest of Wrongs, Geronimo explains that the soldiers convinced some of the tribe to come near the fort and received rations as a peace offering, only to attack
the village at the same time killing women and children. In Hopes for the Future Geronimo talks
about how his people only wanted to live peacefully on their land and cultivate and that the Government constantly broke their treaties.  I feel these are quality academic sites due to the nature of truth.  It tells the stories that are not told to us in grade school and threw out high school.
3.     
      Has the information you have read thus far changed, in some way, your view of native communities? Provide at least one specific example and citation from the M2 Online Resources to support your opinions

Yes my views of the Apache tribes has changed and those of Geronimo as well, “To the Apaches, Geronimo embodied the very essence of the Apache values, aggressiveness, courage in the face of difficulty. These qualities inspired fear in the settlers of Arizona and New Mexico” (powersource.com).  The biography also touches on the warrior in Geronimo and his drive to fight for what he believed belonged to his people.  This wasn’t about Native vs Native, this was about fighting for the rights of men and women, fighting against a system that was trying to destroy every cultural aspect of your life.  Those were different times and constant battles were a way of life back then but it is clear in this biography, as in the text, that Native Americans have been clearly wronged over time and have been depicted in a one sided manner.

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/aihmbioaz.html
http://www.powersource.com/gallery/people/geronimo.html


2 comments:

  1. I remember my dad and I admiring a portrait of Geronimo. He said, "Nick that guys looks like he could kill you and go back to eating." He said it more as a statement of fact than pride or disapproval. Bottom line is whenever I look at his portrait, I look at his eyes and think of how hard a life he must have had.

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    1. I believe that facial expressions, especially the eyes, have the ability to tell such powerful stories that can't be put into words. I can see it all the time when looking at my grandparents pictures from when they lived in Ukraine. Sadness, depression, struggles. As they say, a picture tells a thousand words.

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