Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Geronimo Spoke Spanish






















The Apache chief Geronimo, driving a car in 1904. El líder apache Gerónimo conduce en 1904


It is quite easy to find a Spaniard or a Mexican who, if you ask him who Geronimo is, he does not succeed in answering something. This, regardless of his cultural level or his higher education. At the very least, all he can say is that Geronimo is an Indian who appears in Western movies. Or something like that. But it will be very difficult to run into someone in one or another country who knows that Geronimo spoke Spanish and who knows about the true history of this Apache and the Bendokes, his tribe; of Cochise and the chiricaguas, of Mangas Coloradas, Victorio, Pósito Moragas, Irigoyen, Ponce ... All of them Indian chiefs in the Apache wars against the United States, one of the bloodiest conflicts in the history of this country in its conquest of the West. Although in reality the Apache insurrection had begun before, after the independence of Mexico. It seems that during the viceroyal period there were no notable conflicts and that the Apaches lived reasonably integrated within the empire.

Es bastante fácil encontrar a un español o un mexicano que, si le preguntas quién es Gerónimo, no acierte a contestar algo. Esto con independencia de su nivel cultural o de que tenga estudios superiores. Como mínimo sabrá decir que es un indio que sale en las películas de vaqueros. O algo así. Pero va a ser muy difícil tropezar con alguien en uno u otro país que sepa que Gerónimo hablaba español y que conozca siquiera aproximadamente la verdadera historia de este apache y los bendokes, su tribu; de Cochise y los chiricaguas, de Mangas Coloradas, Victorio, Pósito Moragas, Irigoyen, Ponce… Todos ellos jefes indios enlas guerras apaches contra Estados Unidos, uno de los conflictos más sangrientos en la historia de este país en su conquista del Oeste. Aunque en realidad la insurrección apache había comenzado antes, tras la independencia de México. Parece que en la época virreinal no hay conflictos destacables y que los apaches vivían razonablemente integrados dentro del imperio.

Full Article from Maria Elvira Roca Barea, EL PAIS  (Spanish) here.

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