Fort Sill historian doesn't think 'Geronimo' name is a big deal

Wednesday, May 4, 2011  

The historian at Fort Sill in Oklahoma doesn't think the use of "Geronimo" as a codename for the U.S. military mission against Osama bin Laden is a big deal to Apache people.

Towana Spivey, who has served as historian at Fort Sill since 1982, has studied Apache leaders like Geronimo. “Geronimo was a legend and celebrity in his own time,” he told The Oklahoman. “The Apache give him credit for being a patriot and a freedom fighter, but they’re really desensitized to the use of his name.

"In general Apaches think he gets too much attention compared to some of their other great men and women in history, so they don’t react," Spivey added.

Last year, Spivey testified against the U.S. Army in a lawsuit filed by the Comanche Nation. Spivey helped convince a federal judge to block construction of a military training center by Medicine Bluffs, a sacred site.

Get the Story:
Use of ‘Geronimo’ not offensive, expert says (The Oklahoman 5/4)

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