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Onondaga Nation Leaders Blast 'Geronimo' Codename for Bin Laden
Onondaga Nation Territory -- Leaders of the Onondaga Nation blasted as “reprehensible” the code name used for Osama bin Laden in the commando assault that killed him: “Geronimo.”
Leaders of the Onondaga Nation blasted as “reprehensible” the code name used for Osama bin Laden in the commando assault that killed him: “Geronimo.” “We’ve ID’d Geronimo,” U.S. forces reported by radio Sunday to the White House. Later, word came that “Geronimo” was dead.
Geronimo was an Apache leader in the 19th century who spent many years fighting the Mexican and U.S. armies until his surrender in 1886.
“Think of the outcry if they had used any other ethnic group’s hero,” the Onondaga Council of Chiefs said in a release Tuesday. “Geronimo bravely and heroically defended his homeland and his people, eventually surrendering and living out the rest of his days peacefully, if in captivity.”
“Geronimo is arguably the most recognized Native American name in the world,” the chiefs said, “and this comparison only serves to perpetuate negative stereotypes about our people.”
The chiefs said the incident revived memories of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s remark last year that Gov. David Paterson should “get yourself a cowboy hat and a shotgun” to deal with Indian affairs.
“It’s typical,” said Onondaga Tadodaho Sid Hill, the nation's spiritual leader. He said Geronimo was a hero to American Indians and it was incomprehensible that “they use him to identify a man like Osama Bin Laden.”
“Why would that be honorable to us?” he asked.
“All they know is just cowboys and Indians, the stuff they saw on TV.”
Hill said he had higher hopes for President Obama, who he said was adopted by the Blackfoot tribe during the 2008 election campaign. “Nobody seems to be able to see our side."
Loretta Tuell, staff director and chief counsel for the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, had a similar same reaction.
“These inappropriate uses of Native American icons and cultures are prevalent throughout our society, and the impacts to Native and non-Native children are devastating,” Tuell said.
Tuell is a member of the Nez Perce tribe and grew on the tribe’s reservation in Idaho.
Steven Newcomb, a columnist for the weekly newspaper Indian Country Today, criticized what he called a disrespectful use of a name revered by many Native Americans.
“Apparently, having an African-American president in the White House is not enough to overturn the more than 200-year American tradition of treating and thinking of Indians as enemies of the United States,” Newcomb wrote.
“It’s frustrating,” said Hill. “We just can’t let this slide again.”
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134 Comments so far
Show All“All they know is just cowboys and Indians, the stuff they saw on TV.”
A literally accurate statement. All they learned was how to pull the trigger and kill. They are assiduously discouraged from human emotion or the ability to engage in critical, independent thought.
Who is the mass murderer again?
Who are the terrorists?
“All they know is just cowboys and Indians, the stuff they saw on TV.” Use of the name Geronimo, a respected figure by Native Americans, as the codename used to identify Bin Laden is really yet another example of how militarism dehumanizes people and corrupts our values. The killing of Bin Laden absolutely does not make America "great".
Yes, Central North America is the correct description.
How about the US or USA? That's what I use.
How about the US or USA? That's what I use.
Therefore call the people who live there US citizens or US'ns.
The term come from rtdrury on these pages.
"live there' should read 'citizens of the USA'.
Sorry.
I call the people US population. Not everyone is a citizen.
We constantly have to revise and invent language to fit critical consciousness. Just yesterday a neighbor who is a waitress and Puerto Rican talked about leaving clutter for "the girl" to pick up. By rights I should have said something, but was flustered not wanting to insult this woman who is very kind-hearted and pays the house cleaner $80 for four hours of work monthly. My neighbor uses the wrong language, but does the right thing. So maybe another time I will tactfully mention this, but maybe not.
You've posted here many times ripping people who use the common term "America" to refer to the USA. Here's a post from Indian Country Today about the use of "Geronimo" to refer to Osama bin Laden:
******************
Oneida Nation Representative Ray Halbritter said, “The Oneida Indian Nation joins all Americans in celebrating the bravery that led to finally bringing Osama bin Laden to justice. All of us continue to mourn for the lives lost on 9-11, and we remember with pride the way our country came together to support one another following that awful day. In the spirit of bringing about that type of unity once again, we must address the use of an American Indian icon’s name, Geronimo, as the code name for Osama bin Laden. It is critically important that an historical figure like Geronimo, who for generations has served as an inspiration and hero to millions of American Indians and non-Indians alike, not be associated for all of history with one of the world’s most heinous villains. It is also important to recognize that American Indians have fought and died in in every American conflict since the Revolutionary War, including the war in Afghanistan. It is an insult to their service and memory that an icon of their culture be used this way.
Finally, one of the lessons we learned from Osama bin Laden is that symbolism matters. The president must act quickly to prevent the name Geronimo from being used as a rallying cry and symbol by those who might pick up his cause and bring harm to America. We believe that it was not the intention of this Administration to offend an entire culture, and are therefore confident President Obama will act to address this terrible decision before it’s too late.”
******************
Here's the Native American Journalists Association statement on the matter:
******************
The Native American Journalists Association (NAJA) is very grateful and proud that the U.S. government captured one of the biggest terrorists known to man kind, however, in doing so, the U.S. government once again contributed to the stereotyping of Native Americans by utilizing a historical Native icon such as Geronimo, to set the scene for American ridicule by comparing him to the capturing and killing of Osama Bin Laden.
The information distributed to multiple media sources across the nation, on the U.S. government’s behalf, has proven to the Native Nations across the board, that the American people in addition to the U.S. government still don’t understand that we, the Native People of this land, are not here for constant public humiliation.
In the New York Time’s article, “Clues Gradually Led to the Location of Osama Bin Laden”, Leon E. Panetta, the C.I.A. director, narrated “We have a visual on Geronimo,” he said. A few minutes later: “Geronimo EKIA.” Enemy Killed In Action. Since this information hit the news stands through out the nation, NAJA has received numerous calls of complaint from our fellow colleagues and tribal members who were upset to find out that again, our Native People are being equated to a terrorist/murderer/enemy number one.
We ask the Federal Government: could there not have been another name used in reference to this attack? Could we not have used another infamous enemy in reference to Bin Laden? Say, perhaps, Custer or Columbus? Throughout American history, our Native people have served in this country’s military in the highest numbers per capita of any racial group and yet sadly this is the way they are repaid for their service given to the United States. Both the Comanche and Navajo Nations helped the United States in World War II with their language used as codes.
George Red Elk, Comanche Indian Veterans Association Commander said he was, “very upset that the code name was chosen for the operation of killing Osama Bin Laden. The Comanche Nation, as well as all Native American Nations, have served this country honorably and many have paid the ultimate sacrifice to ensure we can still have the freedoms that are in our U.S. Constitution.”
Since 2001, 61 American Indians and Alaskan Natives have died defending our country in Afghanistan and Iraq. More than 400 have been wounded. Native Nations also lost Lori Piestewa, the Hopi woman, believed to be the first Native American woman ever to die in combat while serving in the U.S. military. All our Native service men and women have served honorably and continue to serve. This is not a matter of being sensitive; it’s a matter of respect. It’s time the United States respect the original people of this land and the Native people who step up to defend our freedoms. It is unacceptable for the United States to equate Geronimo with Osama bin Laden. Geronimo stood up for his people, their traditions, and the land they lived upon. Geronimo was no terrorist. He was a member of North America’s homeland security, and Native North Americans will never forget that. We ask the federal government to apologize for the use of Geronimo’s name with this operation as many of our Native Nations have been offended.
******************
America is widely known as a European word imposed by the invaders, based on a map in a book by phony "explorer" Amerigo Vespucci who named "the new world" after himself. Some people insist that we not call these continents America for this reason. Why rip one use of the word as if the user is personally reprehensible, while participating in the other use of the racist colonialist word?
From the 'Bristol Times' 19th June 2001
: The debate rumbles on about how America actually got its name. TOM HENRY reports
: WHAT'S in a name? Plenty if you've lent your moniker to the richest and most powerful nation in the world- the United States of America.
: History tells us, and has done for years, that the name of America came from one Amerigo Vespucci, a Florentine transatlantic explorer who was a navigator with Christopher Columbus in 1499, and the first geographer to realise that the Americas were separate continents.
: But for some years now, this claim to the name has been in dispute.
: And nowhere has the debate been hotter than in Bristol from where it is believed that the true origins of America came.
: Now, a new book by Bristol author Rodney Broome makes a compelling case for a West Country connection to the name of America.
: He looks at all the myths, legends, half truths and theories surrounding the story to create a convincing alternative explanation.
: Broome's book 'Terra Incognita - The True Story of How America Got Its Name' presents the argument that America was named after wealthy Bristol merchant Richard Amerike, who was an overseas trader living just outside the city in Long Ashton.
: In the book, the author acknowledges that while Vespucci played an integral role in the naming of America, he never actually took credit for the name for himself.
: However, in 1507 map-maker Martin Waldseemuller prepared a world map almost entirely from Vespucci's maps.
: In this map, the word 'America' is written across South America. In later editions of the map, Waldseemuller tried to change the name to 'Terra Incognita ' or 'Unknown Land.' So if the author is correct and Vespucci .
: never claimed that he named America, where did he get the word 'America' from?
: According to Broome the answer is simple - English fishermen visited Newfoundland long before Christopher Columbus or John Cabot crossed the Atlantic.
: 'Bristol merchants bought salt cod in Iceland until the King of Denmark stopped the trade in 1475,' he said.
: 'In l479, four Bristol merchants received a royal charter to find another source of fish and trade.
: 'Not until 1960 did someone find bills of trading records indicating that Richard Amerike was involved in this business.
: Records show that in 1481, Amerike shipped a load of salt (for salting fish) to these men in Newfoundland and I believe the Bristol sailors named the area after the Bristol merchant they worked for - Richard Amerike.'
: In addition, it is believed that Cabot's famous voyage to the New World on the Matthew was directly financed by Amerike.
: He calculated that Bristol merchants may be persuaded to take him across the Atlantic on an officially-sanctioned expedition.
: The voyage would be useful for the merchants who were constantly seeking new trading opportunities and it is thought that Amerike, a senior member of the Fellowship of Merchants and a customs office, made an application for a licence for the trip, Although the first voyage turned back at Iceland, the second, which started out from Bristol in May 1497, eventually landed on the east coast of America a month later.
: Many believe that Cabot, grateful for the attention he received in England on completion of the voyage, named an island or territory after his sponsor.
: Broome contends that Cabot used the name America for his map, a copy of which Vespucci obtained.
: This was purely speculative, he says, until 1955 when a misplaced letter was found in the Spanish National Archives. The letter confirms that Bristol merchants had reached Newfoundland earlier, and also notes that John Cabot's map was sent to Columbus.
: Amerike, whose surname possibly comes from a corruption of the Welsh name 'ap Meric', also had a coat of arms which, if it is to be believed, is a third piece of evidence in the linkage with the USA.
: Six vertical stripes form the background to a row of three horizontal stars, and the crest's colours include red, white and blue.
: Is the obvious resemblance to the modern day stars and stripes an amazing coincidence, or something more concrete?
: Broome comments: 'The question then becomes 'why haven't we heard of Amerike before?' Columbus and Vespucci wrote extensively about their voyages. The Bristol merchants did not.
: 'They were businessmen and more concerned about preserving their trade secret: discovery of the fishing grounds off Newfoundland.
: 'I've always been disappointed that nobody in the US seemed even remotely aware of Amerike. Vespucci seems to have total market saturation. This is an important piece of history that people should be aware of.'
Interesting!
afterthought: as an English speaking white man, "Amerike" qualifies as a gringo. - vdb
Only appropriate code name would have been: Doppelganger.
Patsy?
Yes, that was his point.
I vote for "Poppy's plant"
“All they know is just cowboys and Indians, the stuff they saw on TV.”
That evidently no person in the Administration raised a "red flag" about using this name tells us a great deal about their collective mindset. The same collective psychosis no doubt exists at the Treasury Dept., a branch of Goldman Sachs, where the idea of coming to the aid of the real (Main Street) victims of the collapse of the housing bubble is literally unthinkable.
And to add insult to injury, how many "Apache helicopters" were used to take out "Geronimo"?
It reminds me of the bluecoats' utter lack of sensitivity in Dances with Wolves, the "us versus them" mentality. So little has changed...
-30-
Things in America will remain the same as long as one of our major industries is instruments of war and the occupation of foreign countries for their natural resources.
Pray for the day that America and Americans become civilized...
"one of our major industries is instruments of war"
it is also one of the oldest.
The American government has always maintained the right of its citizens to ship arms to belligerents. President Washington, through his Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson, and his Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, took this position when France protested against the sale of arms to England in 1793, the answer being that "the exporting from the United States of warlike instruments and military stores is not to be interfered with." - Theodore Roosevelt's "Fear God..."p.160
Mahtowin Munro, Co-Leader of the United American Indians of New England, has been an activist on these issues. She has spoken out on the use of US weaponry, e.g, the Apache helicopter and the Tomahawk missile. I believe they have a website.
I don't like it one bit. Now there is a helicopter named after my people "Lakota". what an insult. it's disgusting.
OMR, Lots of things have changed - But not for the better!
More appropriate would have been: "Christ on a Crutch." Operation Red Herring would also have worked well. How about, Operation Cowboy Justice.
I just read how one of his daughters watched as her unarmed father was shot in the head. What sort of medal do you think he''ll get?
How about 'Operation Instant Justice'?
Operation Execution would be more apt. After all there are new stories coming out that he was unarmed when killed. Others that he was alive and taken to a Carrier where he was tortured to death before being tossed overboard with a 'thank god for that' comment passing as a proper Muslim funeral.
I wish I could be more outraged, but the outrage meter has been maxed for so long...
"Operation Instant Justice" I like that one. Add one part gunpowder, two parts bull shit, waterboard briskly, salt to taste, serves millions.
....pepper with buckshot, a bit of mustard gas, some agent orange juice, a side of war d'oeuvres....
chuck,its been 10yrs since 911&in all that time the u s gov has never charged bin larden with any 911 crime,he isn't even on the most wanted list for any crime&this is so because the u s doesn't have any evidence to charge him with ant thing!!!!!all he is a big scare tacktic to scare the braindead american sheep so they/corproations can make tons of money off these illeagle wars!!1so chuck my question to you is/are you a braindead sheep or what?
I encourage everyone to make "Indian Country Today" part of their news reading schedule. There is Wall St., Main St. and then there is the Rez.. Where we look away from is where our hearts and minds belong. I never will understand how we can send money over-seas and not help our own. They have every right to expect an apology, Geronimo isn't just a name. There is a bit of Geronimo in all of us, if we'd but look inside. What would Geronimo do?
>>oneDman: "I encourage everyone to make "Indian Country Today" part of their news reading schedule."<<
I agree.
Add Intercontinental Cry to the list
http://intercontinentalcry.org/
with daily updates from around the world
Thanks, old goat. You're right. There are indigenous people around the world, surviving against great odds, indeed.
Problem is, is that not all of us think of ourselves as "native american", or "indian", many of the people intuned with their ways know their ancient names and refer to that. If not then, Indigenous will suffice. for example; I am Oceti Sakowin, drill down abit and you find the Titunwan, go down further and there is the Oglala, still further you find the Oyuhpe and further down you find the extended family name (the one I have now) then the nuclear family name (also the one I have now).
To be named American is to be insulted. As for the Indian Country Times who knows what they are thinking. I for one know and understand that the violence and racism toward the Oglala Lakota did not stop and by the u.s. naming their most hated enemy a indigenous name it only shows that my perspective is accurate.
Get this, there is at least one person I heard of that is Lakota that referred to crazy horse as a terrorist. I don't know him personally but this person works at a state police academy that trains "Lakota" to be police. Here at home there was a big issue this past fall over this. The state of SD, that lovable rational state, issued a quite apology through the academy and apparently the instructor did as well.
That's how far the brain washing as come, our very own calling our heroes terrorist.
Like the persons quoted in the article and many of the previous commenters, I too found the use of "Geronimo" for this latest high-profile victim of targeted assassination telling and appalling-- a sordid detail in a sordid atrocity.
The Great White Father, like any sociopathic serial killer, weaves fetishes and rituals into his endless string of wanton homicides.
To Uncle Sam's blood-soaked brain and blood-dimmed eyes, when you've seen one Enemy of the State, you've seen them all.
Their second choice was probably "Charlie".
That's the US, the stolen land;the land that now belongs to Pale Face, the semblance of a human being who always llies and cheats and steals and kills.
Point well taken: one must earn ones humanity.
“Nobody seems to be able to see our side."
I can.
What's been done to the tribes is just plain wrong.
"I survived the trail of tears and all I got was this poxy blanket."
Bad choice of a code name, thoughtless. Yet during WW2 our paratroopers cried out "Geronimo" when they jumped on a combat mission. Which I suppose has nothing to do with the current issue.
One thing however, as brave as Geronimo was, he didn't just fight the Mexican and US army, he slaughtered many Mexican farmers, ranchers and Anerican settlers, children, women and men. .
In his later years when asked if he was sorry for the things he had done he replied with, "No, except I am very sorry I murdered so many children."
Geronimo wasn't exactly a nice, decent guy and Geronimo wasn't his real name, it was what our troops gave him. Neither was Bin Laden a nice, decent guy and perhaps that is why the special ops personnel chose the name Geronimo. They could have used the name Hitler or Benny.
Deleted double post
Well, well, well. My obnoxious C/D followe (orchard keeper), the assumer's asumer, who has a big problem of comprehending what others write, has arrived in less then ten minutes of my posted comment to spout off his false comments about me. Whatever his problem is I don't have a clue, but it's HIS problem.
Where have I ever in my entire life said or implied that I promote genocide? That is a lie on his part. And it is clearly obvious that he doesn't don't know the history of Geronino. What I wrote is accurate.
Finally; I didn't condone the special ops using the name "Geronimo". In fact I said it wa wrong. I also don't condone the seal team for murdering the unarmed man, whomever it was.
So rave on (orchard keeper), write whatever your muddled mind so chooses. I won't reply to any more of your lies and insults about me and by so doing screw up the thread with a bunch of unnecessary crap between you and I.
Nope, same post posted three times.
And I see you are the only one here slinging racial slurs.
I noticed that trace function. I posted mine and your reply answered within eight minutes.
I deleted a triple post here. Don't know how that happened.
But btw, Geronimo said a lot of things.
"...a nice decent guy...?" Really? He was a warrior defending his people against foreign invaders and murderers. Suck it up, cupcake. War is ugly.
WayneWR, read "I Buried My Heart at Wounded Knee" and learn some history and then come back and discuss comparing Geronimo (given the name by Mexicans, not US troops) and bin Laden. His real name was "one who yawns", often spelled Goyathlay or Goyahkla in English. After his wife, children, and mother were killed by Mexican soldiers, he joined in revenge attacks which later extended to the US. If you know your US history you are aware he had very good reasons. If you learned about the Indian wars from John Wayne (by any chance a relative?) that's a different story.
And yes, his only regret was that he surrendered because as usual, the US did not keep it's side of the agreement. I'm sure you've heard rumors of the US breaking treaties and promises?
Unfortunately the white people wanted the land his people were living on and they didn't have a chance. But hey, that's us (as in US) the world over. That much hasn't changed, we're still at it; although we don't want their land, just what's under it.
Hey Kathy, I am fully aware of what our government and many settllers and others did to the Indians. The things they did were horrific, terribly wrong, shameful and those wrongs have never been righted to this day.
However; what I had posted about Geronimo was accurate, there is nothing wrong with speaking the truth and you are one to agree to that. You also know that I'm no troll or shill for anyone. At least I believe you are aware of that.
Geranimo was despised by his own people for the things he did, he was not an Apache Chief, he was an outlaw who commanded small bands of outlaw Apache. He had some valid arguments, but there is never an excuse for murdering babies and innocent children. In his later years he repented and became a decent person.
Truth is subjective. Or rather, what each person says is the "truth", is only part of the actual truth.
There are no excuses for murdering babies and children. True. Equally, there are no excuses for bringing those babiese and children along, while invading the homes of other people. If you bring babies and children along while invading other people's homes, don't whine and cry and moan when those babies and children are killed in the war. The parents of those murdered babies and children have to bear some of the burdens for their murders. Did they repent and become decent people?
With sincere respect I have always been confounded as to why, and I a do undertand the mandatory warrior component of many Native American Cultures, why Natives seemingly so readily enlist in the same USA military which attempted to totally eradicate the their forebearers? There must be a viable alternative than to join the USA military in visiting upon others very similiar horrors as those that were visited upon Native Americans?
Perhaps Native American determined assassinations?
OBL had to be murdered to prevent any unwanted information from emerging.
I in no way implied Natives had any role in OBL murder.
It was a general question about Natives often joining the Military of their past and present oppressors and attempted Genociders. It really confuses me. Is the need to be a Warrior greater than the pain from being so horrifically slaughtered? I would think becoming an international mercenary to be a much preferred alternative. Do many Natives become Freelance Mercenaries, I have never heard any indication of this?
I would appreciate a thoughtful reply.
Apache, Chiricahua Apache in particular, were in fact the last free Americans. (By the way, not all of them surrendered in 1886: a group drifted away to live out its remaining years of genuine freedom in the Sierra Madre.) So freedom died in Amerika in 1886: now we live in militarized, christianized, corporatized zones, trapped on corporate treadmills to more enslavement and brutalization.
No wonder the legends of Cochise, Victorio, Naiche, and Geronimo will live on,while pale faces, desperate for some, any, freedom won't leave them alone.
The more the white man talks about "freedom" the less he knows about it. Interesting how he never mentions "honor". Now why is that?
Welll my personal number one hero is Chief Joseph, seconded by Black Hawk, then the Navaho code speakers.
I admire the peace loving man, you admire the warriors.
("and leave folks alone.") you say. I do believe it was you who attacked me for no reason. And I shill for no one!