Geronimo, courtesy of AHM

Check out this ongoing exhibit at the Arizona History Museum (AHM)!

Geronimo! Leadership, Perseverance, Independence Discover the man behind the legend in this visual biography of the mythic Apache warrior. Highlights of the exhibit include the rifle Geronimo surrendered to Indian Agent John Clum and the famous C.S. Fly photographs of peace negotiations between Geronimo and General George Crook. Support for this exhibit was provided by the San Carlos Apache Tribe, the Fort Sill Chiricahua-Warm Springs Apache Tribe, and members of the Historical Arms Society of Tucson.

Here’s the museum’s link to more photos of the Geronimo exhibit (click here), which I visited today. The exhibit begins with a history of the Apache conflict with other Indian tribes, Mexicans in Sonora, and American settlers. Geronimo’s biography is included (1823 – 1909), with displays of his field glasses and the aforementioned rifle, and large poster photos by C.S. Fly of him and his warriors. There is also information on the Apache tribes and reservation life on the San Carlos Reservation. Of note is that Geronimo was a prisoner of war from 1886 to his death in 1909, and he is buried in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He was 86 when he died of pneumonia.

Kids all over America used to yell “Geronimo!” when they jumped off something (like a diving platform into a pool), indicating courage — we even did this in rural Hawaii, way out in the Pacific Ocean. We didn’t know who Geronimo was, except that he was a Indian (Native American) chief, somewhere in the Southwest desert. This exhibit will help both adults and children understand who this famous Apache chief was.

For more information on Geronimo in wikipedia, click here.

Arizona History Museum, 949 E 2nd St., Tucson, Arizona (just west of Park Ave. and the U of A). Telephone: 520-628-5774. Hours of operation: Monday to Saturday, 10 to 4 p.m. Admission:
$5 general, $4 ages 12 to 18 & seniors 60 +, free ages 11 and younger. Validated parking is available in the large parking garage near Euclid Avenue on E. 2nd St. to the west of the museum. Free on the first Saturday of the month.