ABSTRACT
Geronimo (whose birth name was Goyathlay, meaning “one who yawns”) was born in about 1829 in the mountains of what is now eastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. He was fourth in a family of eight children and was part of the Bedonkohe group of the Apache Indians. He grew up in the traditional Apache culture, learning to pray to their high God Usen and hearing stories of brave deeds of warriors and glories of the warpath. Th e Apaches were nomadic and lived primarily on wild game, berries, acorns, roots, and other foods available in their surroundings. Th ey also traded with other tribes and villages. Th ey typically traveled throughout the mountains of eastern Arizona, New Mexico, and the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora. Until 1852, these were all part of Mexico. His father died when he was young and he assumed responsibility for his mother.
