GERONIMO (1829–1909)

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Goyaałé

February 17, 2026 | Native Children’s Survival

On this day, February 17, 1909, Goyaałé [kòjàːɬɛ́], also known as Geronimo, journeyed to the spirit world. Goyaałé was born in present-day New Mexico at the headwaters of the Gila River. He was Chiricahua Apache and known to the world as a great warrior fighting for the survival of his people against the genocide and oppression of the United States government and its army. Goyaałé was also an influential spiritual leader and medicine man, sought out by Apache Chiefs for his revered wisdom and legendary supernatural powers.

Following the murder of his mother, wife, and three children, Goyaałé emerged as a formidable leader during the longest-lasting resistance of the so-called Indian Wars. This protracted conflict, known as the Apache Wars, spanned from 1849 until 1886, when Goyaałé finally agreed to surrender. However, upon negotiations and terms of his final submission, his surrender was met with betrayal by the U.S. government. Alongside over 300 of his fellow Chiricahua, Goyaałé was relocated to Fort Marion in Florida. He would never return to his beloved homeland. Goyaałé endured a harrowing 27-year imprisonment before walking on. He is buried in the Apache Indian Prisoner of War Cemetery at Fort Sill Military Base in Oklahoma.

In the Spirit of Geronimo, join us in the Apache tradition of resisting the forces that threaten Indigenous Peoples, Mother Earth, and All Our Relations.