Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Cochise For Western Wednesday...!

I am often taken aback by how many of us don't know the names of the greater Native American chiefs.

You don't have to be a fan of their ways, but all of us should realize these chiefs helped to form many of our country's boundaries and taught us so much about the land we unfairly took from them time and time again. One name many of us can remember is the warrior chief Cochise.

Cochise


Photo credit: Karen Gonzales/US National Park Service

Almost nothing is known about the childhood of one of the greatest Apache chiefs in history. In fact, no one is even sure when he was born. Relatively tall for his day, he was said to have stood at least 183 centimeters (6′), cutting a very imposing figure. A leader of the Chiricahua tribe, Cochise led his people on a number of raids, sometimes against Mexicans and sometimes against Americans. However, it was his attacks on the US which led to his demise.

In 1861, a raiding party of a different Apache tribe kidnapped a child, and Cochise’s tribe was accused of the act by a relatively inexperienced US Army officer.[8] Though they were innocent, an attempt at arresting the Native Americans, who had come to talk, ended in violence, with one shot to death and Cochise escaping the meeting tent by cutting a hole in the side and fleeing. Various acts of torture and execution by both sides followed, and it seemed to have no end. But the US Civil War had begun, and Arizona was left to the Apache.

Less than a year later, however, the Army was back, armed with howitzers, and they began to destroy the tribes still fighting. For nearly ten years, Cochise and a small band of fighters hid among the mountains, raiding when necessary and evading capture. In the end, Cochise was offered a huge part of Arizona as a reservation. His reply: “The white man and the Indian are to drink of the same water, eat of the same bread, and be at peace.” Unfortunately for Cochise, he didn’t get to experience the fruits of his labor for long, as he became seriously ill and died in 1874.

I think we might have been better off had we paid more attention to the words and warnings of the native Americans. But if history has shown us anything at all, it has pointed out that our leaders have never been much for listening to anyone holding counter views on policy.

Coffee out on the nice cool patio this morning.

6 comments:

Momlady said...

Crazy Horse was another big leader. I don't think I will live long enough to see the carving of him in South Dakota but continue to check on progress on the internet. If you ever get a chance to go see it...it's in Custer County.

linda m said...

Cochise was a great warrior. While living in AZ I was able to visit some of the places he lived and learned a lot about him. Truly a wise man.

joetentpeg said...

"...and taught us so much about the land we unfairly took from them time and time again."

It's called 'conquest' and it's the history of the human race.

Got Assyrians? Babylonians? Egyptians? Greeks? Romans?

Good thing the Cheyenne never 'unfairly took' land from the Sioux. Or the Commanche from the Apache. Or the Blackfeet from the Nez Pierce.

Oh wait. But they did.

Dizzy-Dick said...

The Indians where pushed off their native lands as the non-Indian population grew and grew and grew. Too bad, because the Indians knew how to take care of the land. Cochise was one of them that pushed back.

JO said...

The world just doesn't know how to get along everyone wants to own everything. Politicians are nothing but over grown bully children.

Patio sounds wonderful before it heats up.

HermitJim said...

Hey Momlady...
I've only seen pictures of the unfinished monument, but would really like to see it in person. Maybe some day...
Thanks for stopping by today!


Hey Linda...
So much history that we just don't know. Not enough time to learn it all, I reckon.
Thanks for coming over today!


Hey Joetentpeg...
You are correct in that conquest does indeed seem to be part of the human condition. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't seek a more peaceful way to guide us. Of course, that's just my opinion for what it's worth.
Many thanks for the visit this morning!


Hey Dizzy...
I reckon if you push anyone hard enough, eventually they will push back. That is just the way we are built, I guess.
Thanks for stopping by today!


Hey Jo...
Greed does seem to be the driving force behind so much now days. I guess it always has been that way.
Thanks, sweetie, for dropping by today!