Geronimo-A+19th+Century+Native+American+Hero+by+Roaminggnome

In my opinion a hero is someome who stands up for what they believe in no matter what anyone else says or thinks.

The person who is my hero is someone who embodies my definition and encourages others to do the same. He lived in many places ranging from new mexico to mexico itself. He was trying to help his tribe and ultimately the many other tribes being oppressed during the 1800's. This was important because it showed america that it could not trample on the many indiginous people that lived there just because they said that they owned it. My hero is geronimo.

Geronimos' real name is Goyathlay (One Who Yawns) but the mexican soldiers started to call him geronimo after the spanish name jerome. Although it is still up for debate on why they called him jerome in the first place. geronimo was part of the Chiricahua Apache Tribe. The tribe believed that geronimo had all of the qualities of a true apache and those values were aggressiveness and courage in the face of difficulty. The tribe was nomadic meaning they moved with the seasons and followed the animals. Although they did raid white villages in their culture it was an honorable thing to do when you were low on food and supplies.  Geronimo at first was in fact not a warrior, but a seer or spiritual leader. He helped the chiefs make dicisions on and off the battlefiels with his visions and his wisdom. Although he was never chief most outsiders would believe so because of the fact that he spoke for his brother-in-law Juh who had a speech impediment.

In 1858 Geronimo came home after a trading journey to mexico and found his wife and children murdered. He then swore to avenge the deaths of his family members. Geronimo was fed up with the attrocities being commited against his people. and in a famous quote from him himself he stated "The soldiers never explained to the government when an Indian was wronged, but reported the misdeeds of the Indians." The Slaughter of his family and many of the others in the camp was the last straw for geronimo.

In 1875 all of the apaches west of the rio grande were ordered to go to a airid deserted land nicknamed "hells forty acres". Geronimo escape the reservatioin and was then forced to go back in 1876 with the group of ther apaches as well. He always surendered and for the three times that he escaped they never cought him, he laways surendered. For the remander of the 1970's geronimo was peacful and quiet, but in 1881 an apache profit was slain so geronimo and juh went to their secret camp in the serria madre mountains.

Geronimo is a very influental leader both military and civilly. He led 300 men women and children away from danger while being chased by 1/4 of the us governments military and 3000 mexican soldiers. He stood up for what he believd in even though he could go to prisin or be killed, he made sure that the US government knew that the apache indians could put up a fight an would not be pushed around. He left a legacy of the last freat stand of the natives, the last gurilla fight caused by the indians and with his last stand he tought us that no matter how small you are, if you use your brain not your brawn you can make sure that everyone can hear your word.

If geronimo were here now he would tell kids to dont let anyone put you down because even if you are small you can still make a difference in this big world we call home.