Geronimo Descendant Will Ask Bushes to Help Return Warrior’s Remains

By Emily Esterson, 5-12-06

	Caption: Geronimo, and great grandson Harlyn. Courtesy Roy Lohrart

In the days of science, when Billy the Kid gets his own lawyer to fight for his exhumation so his DNA can be tested, Harlyn Geronimo says he's willing to provide a DNA sample to Yale University historians. Geronimo is the great grandson of the Chiricahua Apache warrior Geronimo the Terrible. This past week, the story broke from the Yale Alumni Magazine that the famously secret Skull and Bones society stole Geronimo's skull and has it in its secret tomb.

Harlyn says he has been getting calls from lawyers who want to help him sue the U.S. Government, which owns Fort Sill, Oklahoma where Geronimo's remains were supposedly buried, then stolen by the Skull and Bones Society, of which Prescott Bush (grandfather to George W.) was a member. But while the story recently received national play, Harlyn has been working on the repatriation from Ft. Sill of his great grandfather's remains for about six months. An active member of the Mescalero Apache Tribal Council until he retired five years ago, an artist and an actor who has played Geronimo senior in several documentaries, he was responsible for pushing for a memorial to the warrior in the Gila Wilderness, New Mexico, supposedly Geronimo's birthplace. Harlyn says he wants to bring the bones there, too, to accompany a bronze sculpture and a memorial the Apache leader.

There is doubt, of course, the Skull and Bones society did indeed steal the great warrior's skull -- which is why Harlyn offered up his DNA. But Yale unearthed this letter, written in 1918 by Winter Mead '19 to F. Trubee Davison '18. Writes the magazine: It announces that the remains dug up at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, by a group that included Charles C. Haffner Jr. '19 (a new member, or "Knight"), have been deposited in the society's headquarters (the "Tomb"): "The skull of the worthy Geronimo the Terrible, exhumed from its tomb at Fort Sill by your club & the K -- t [Knight] Haffner, is now safe inside the T -- [Tomb] together with his well worn femurs[,] bit & saddle horn."

If Harlyn's DNA does match, "I would like the Bushes to look into this and return what was stolen," he says.

In the meantime, Harlyn says that Monday, when the Yale story broke in the national news, he got about 150 phone calls from people who were concerned about the desecration of Geronimo's grave -- some calls came from the general public, others came from those who claimed to be descendents. While he has not yet formally requested help from the presidential family, he has called on Native American medicine people (he and his wife Claudine are both medicine people) to gather for a prayer session to seek guidance on how best to proceed.
[End of article]

I find this terribly disturbingly interesting! I am appalled that you have discovered that there is a government sanctioned secret society the disinters the remains of ancient warriors to have stuffed in their war chests! It sounds so Satanic to me of these people that would do such things! Especially considering that they perhaps are trying to imprison the spirit of this war to fight for an army he was staunchly opposed to! If there is truth to your words then by all means the remains shall be returned to the burial grounds of his loving family without fail! And absolutely the abolishment of such societies and there dishonorable discharges from governmental servicing! We the people will not stand for covert activities such as these attempting to monopolize on ghoulish skull armies for godless known reasons!

Further suggesting that you approach this as a criminal act! Grave robbing is an arrestible offense. Notify local authorities at the gravesite where the bones were stolen from that you wish to press charges and let them add to your investigation and help you in the recovery of his remains! It is there job to and they must do so freely! Good luck to you!

THERE IS MUCH MORE TO THIS THEN MEET THE EYE!
Investigate who was the founder? The indian spirits want justice and righteously they should have. By the way Who is Prescott? What does he have to do with Yale Skull and Bones Society?
Make thing right that is all the Native American People want...

Give the Native American People their respect and dignity!!

the one thing that I do not get is why in the world would he not want to sue them for oversteping there boundries and making a judgment that they had the right to disrespect that grave. He could do a lot of posative things with the money from sueing them. Do more posative things for other natives build something industial on a reservation and provide a future for other natives to make a better tomorrow. I am sure his greatgrand father would be proud of him if he were to do that. I may not fix what they did to disrespect his resting place but i sure would make his spirit sing and dance.

This act by a college "secret society" is so high school. The devolution of our society continues at a pace that should be heart warming to the Natives who suffered attempted genocide and other deprivations at the hands of the Eurocentric portion of the population. Why the so called intelligencia at Yale hasn't come down upon these skull and boneheads like a ton of bricks is testimony to their lack of true humanity, much less intelligence. It is a disgrace to the university.

I strongly support Harlyn Geronimos´s demand of investigating the case. If Geronimo´s bones are really in possession of this "Skull and Bones Society" they should be returned - and reburied in the headwaters of Gila just like Harlyn Geronimo suggested.

Even if the bones are still in Fort Sill I would like to see them returning to the Gila. Geronimo wanted to return to Southwest and it´s time to make that a reality after another century of dishonor. Geronimo, Apaches and all the Southwest deserves a good monument for Geronimo and the well known history of the region.

MAILING ADDRESS:
10081 STANDIFER GAP RD.
OOLTEWAH, TN 37363

I AM APPALLED THAT ANYONE BELIEVES THAT IT IS O.K. TO DESECRATE ANYONE'S GRAVE FOR ANY REASON! I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO KNOW HOW THIS TURNS OUT!
I BELIEVE THAT THIS "SKULL & BONES" ORGANIZATION OR ANY SECRET SOCIETY, FOR THAT MATTER, IS UP TO NO GOOD!

were talking old,old,old money here .there sick ppl

If Lincoln's remains, or Grant's, or Washington's, were taken and desecrated, a SWAT team would be there in minutes.

But this cover-up appears to lead to the highest office in the land. It should recieve a lawful investigation, nonetheless.

And let Geronimo finally return to his beloved Chiricahua Mountains!

I feel that while moral outrage at this act of desicration is justified, many of the people who commented here are forgetting that this act occurred in 1918. In those days, many people were a lot less sensitive towards native american culture. George Bush was in no way responsible for this act, but was a member of the Skull and Bones society while in Yale, and therefore in a good position to help. I sincerely hope that Harlyn is successful in recovering his grandfather's remains and constructing a fitting monument. I sincerely hope that the Bush family will assist in righting this wrong.

this is in responce to what Mr scott Garbus wrote.....
I dont think that any one ever forgot what year it was in.. If you recall your history then you should recall that every moment that the natives reminded others of european race that they wanted the land back. that it was a discrase what white man did to these people and this land. As unjustified as it was then and now your white race is still living on this continent running a government and in all sincerity. I dont thing the blame should NOT be on every white, black, oriental person in this continent it was your ancestors who did this was it not. So in each and every aspect the blame is on the white, black, and oriental race becausse you are still living on this continent running a government on a land that was swindled for people. To take the blame off you would have to something self rightouse like give the land back and go back to where your ancestors came from. And dont for get you came from some where before you came to this continent and do not use the I am from the United States cause that is like old scool. Take responsablity of what your ancestors did to learn from your mistakes or your ancestors mistakes cause that is how you become a better person. Look at what the stupidity that your ancestors actions made every mistake that affects your race and how you became a color not a person. BLACK WHITE those are not races but colors and every time you get help to see this you should show your gratatude by returning the respect and consideration. I am not telling you this because I care about how the children of those who ruined this conitnet are going to learn I am telling you this because My children are living in this continent and because of your ancestors stupidity I dont fell like mine should pay by becoming as ignorant as the white or black race.

I am a white man that came from America not from where my Ancient ancestors came from! I love this land as much as the Native Americans do! I have a great deal of respect for the Native Americans and am envious that you know of such a time of such a pristine America uncoil by Industrial greed! My heart grieves because of this to and so do many of our people who are paying for it more dearly then Native Americans who do not have to pay taxes living on reserves! We are all children of God on the face of the earth! Many of our ancestors were forced and here and we had to fight for our right to survive not only against our imposed enslavement but against your people's rejection of us! It may have not been a pretty struggle but whenever is one? Was such bloodshed between Cherokee and Iroquois the result of white or black men? Should yours even go back to Asia so the buffalo and bison can go on being unhunted?
We are all the same beast! God has made us all from the same muds as them! The only differences that exist between us has only been caused by our isolations from one another! We must learn to get along with one another for like it or not, this white man is a Native American as well! The only difference between our cause brother is that your heads are buried in the sand and I must struggle against our common foe and risk persecution! Its expected of your people and you have allowed yourselves to become complacent on your prison lands! Let us keep to the subject namely the ruination of such hateful folk of covert skull and cross bone societies bent against white, black, oriental, and native American folk as a fraternal order of leaders of our Nation who wrongfully think themselves as hidden from the law they must staunchly serve!

Well Richard you should blame your self for such envy and ignorance and mostly blame your ancestors. what you say is not true you do not pay and the natives do not go with out paying for such things no you need to stop lying that many people are paying for it more then Native Americans Having to deal with your white race and the other races that your stupidity brought to this continent dose take oppertunities from the Natives as far as Education, Job Oppertunities, Values, Morals, And other things that have no possessional value to white man. And as far as living on reservations well hell its there own living prisons where all white girls and guys can go look for native Americans and influence them with drugs and alcohol. My Such a hatefull race your with people are to blame some one else for your mistakes. You will never learn you will only overlook your mistakes and be hated for it. As far as Isolation from one another well as history is shows white man is always making the stupid mistakes so no we are not thea same mud or from the same beast. taking some ones land and acting like they have no right to teach there own children what to live like makes them less of a man. and yea look at your ancestors mistakes cause some one stupid enough to think that doing wrong should be accecpted and for gotten is stupidity. A sign of rejection would have tooken its place among most people with a normal mentality as a sign of some one not wanting to be invaded but once again white man with his ignorance has to be told differently by them showing them what they were doing to these peoples childrens and family way of life. I would fight you off if I would to see you influencing my children in an instant. but your race has never changed or learned about peoples differences and would then push your mentality that every man is equal and then I would try to kill you. One more thing you went back on what you said in the end you are realy the same as your white ancestors and I see your race will never evolve into anything more then a pussy never taking responsability for you stupid mistakes.

Anastasia:

I am sorry that your resentment is so strong. I will never accept your insults, curses, and especially not your death threat! I turn that all back upon you! Keep your curses to yourself and yours! And as to our ancestors mistakes... Maybe your ancestors should have made such mistakes which has taken this nation and made it the greatest Nation of the World! I'll never apologize for that nor for what I haven't done to your people! You did your people wrong by your reply, I have lost a great deal of respect and sympathy for all of them now just because of you and your stupid mistake even though the rest of your people have nothing to do with your ignorance! Just as you ignorantly blame all of ours! I have no idea what I see you as! As far as I am concerned now I never see you nor your children! Congratulations you have lost my vote and my sympathy! I doubt very much you'll see any change with such hate!

PS

Stop redirecting my quotes coward!

Hello,

The Iroquois destroyed many nations etc. but they are not anymore an independent nation (or group of nations), so there is very little they are able to do to correct their sins in history. The question is now of Geronimo´s bones and I think it´s best for the reputation of USA, and best for Apaches and all of us if Geronimo´s bones are returned to the Southwest. It woud be a good symbolic deed to end the certain period of history, which is ugly in many ways. Geronimo is one of the most famous names of that history. He deserves a final resting place in his homeland.

It sounds like that Richard person is very ignorant. He speaks as if he knows history. his white race did not make this government, they destroyed it and when the Natives rebuilt it to strength that it was before white man was riding close behind trying to take credit for it. You can see in his writing that he is a coward and has no moral sence of being. And can make things up no way was there an insult, curse, or death threat, he must understand that with what he wrote he is the one who no one knows what he is and as far as his white children every one already hates his white children and they are not even born yt right. quit being so stupid and read what she wrote, I did it makes sence more then your
I see this Magee person as coward
A MANGEE COWARD!!

Anastasia Trujillo,

Please remeber to take your medication on a regular basis. The doctors say that it won't work if you don't take it every day.

I hope that you feel better soon.

Scott

Isedria

Let em first start this reply as all curse words back at ya! What I am hearing hear is potential fertile grounds for terrorists in roads to this Nation that us White folk shall keep a stricter eye upon! You don't know me nor my children and you should never now! I talk of proven history that yours don't want to know and yours talk of only history that has been filled with hate and lies! Keep the biological threat of mange to yourself! Stop blaming history for your failure! What happened too many generations ago are by gones! What matters now is how you adapt to it not how you use it to rationalize your failures in society still! Their are plenty of Native American Indian folk out there that are real happy in white man's world now that they are off the reservations! Sounds like you folk need to get off the religious psychedelics!

PS

This is a white man's invention that you are freely spouting off upon. On a white man’s web site! Brought to you by your most hated enemies the good old US of A defense department! Good chance you hate and want to mange them and all their children too! To Hell with that! I say we need to keep a closer eye on these parts! Alert the Homeland security white boys! Hooya!

Speaking of bones there have been some interesting scientific findings regarding Kennewick Man. See: http://www.rctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060510/NEWS01/605100405/1006/MTCN0301
"

Craig:

Yeah about the bones before I was so rudely interrupted! I did some further research on my own as well and found an interesting article you may want to check out http://skullandcrossbones.org/articles/skullandbones.htm
The article has this sounding like some harmless frat that so happens to have a skull that they have called Geronimo for years! And that one of your tribal chairman was given the skull no contest but turns out it wasn’t Geronimo’s! To follow is an excerpt from it!

“As noted, for many years the society has possessed a skull that members call Geronimo. In the 1980s, under pressure from Ned Anderson, a former Apache tribal chairman in Arizona, the society produced the skull in question. The skull didn't match Anderson's records, and it was returned to the society's tomb. Anderson wasn't finished. He reportedly took the issue up with his congressman, John McCain; McCain tried to arrange a meeting between Anderson and George Bush, who was then the Vice President. Bush wasn't interested, and the matter was dropped. "We still call it Geronimo anyway," a Bonesman says. The issue of Geronimo's skull never surfaced in the public record during the bitter contest between McCain and George W. for the Republican nomination.”

Believe it or not! I do! But then again what does this MBA white boy know whom has been slanderously accused of being a “mange lying pussy coward” and was given a death threat! But anyhow just to show what a white guy I am about this, I won’t sue those idiots for it nor notify the local authorities! Instead back to the subject of this article.

Please go to this link its to a petition for the repartition of Geronimos bones.
There are already over 5200 signatures
http://www.petitiononline.com/Geronimo/petition.html

Open letter to President Bush
Senate selects committee on Indian affairs

I am writing to complain about a grave injustice, the injustice is that the stolen remains of a Native American are being held by the Knights of the Skull and Bones a secret campus society at Yale University. The remains a skull and femur bone was stolen from a desecrated Native American grave At fort Sill Ok. In 1918. The “bonesmen” claim the are the remains of GERONIMO the Society use’s the remains in its ceremonies This is a despicable act of anti native racism regardless of if the bones belong to Geronimo or not A Native American grave has was desecrated according to the “bonesmens” own documented statement, the act is made even more despicable by the fact that nothing has been done about this across almost 100 years even though (or maybe because) several American leaders including President Bush Have been “bonesmen” and The presidents grand father Prescott was reportedly one of the “bonesmen” who stole the remains. This anti native American racism is not new It go’s back through Presidents Grant an Polk clear to Washington, then it as called manifest destiny. What is the excuse in this century?
This is memorial day Geronimo is American hero he was risking his own blood and flesh fighting for freedom of His people who are Americans But no memorials exist for Geronimo nor are giant faces of Pontiac, Black kettle or Mangas Colarado carved into the black hills By the way what ever happened to Mangus’s skull?. There are parks With dashing figures on horse back Named for Generals Sullivan. Howard, Miles and Crook even Colonels Brooks, Chivington, Carrington and Whitside. Custer got a National Forest and he Lost. Sitting Bull, Red Cloud and Crazy Horse Won they got Nothing named for them.
Last week Geronimo’s grand son appealed to you on CNN,Test the remains to see if they have his DNA if they are Geronimo he deserves a what any veteran gets he should be interned near the land he fought for AND loved. He was never captured he surrendered on a promises of freedom never kept.
Happy Memorial Day
TS Jonathan Morse American Ojibwe

SCOTT,
talking about yourself and telling me what a doctor tells you aint gonna turn your lies into the truth. sorry but you are a lost case. a waste of time and need to stop lying natives were here still running there lives as before you entered this continent, they never left they were rebuilding what you destroyed while you wee here and you based it on what they represented, justified family life. So stop lying you just plain CRAYOLA white ignorant. Admit the truth and et on with your life, even better than that go ack to Europe if you know where your CRAYOLA WHITE but came from idiot.

This is very interesting site

What was more interesting was the ignorance of people in general. the stupidity stoped when the truth came out and the truth got told. Yes Crayola dose make crayons but dose it make people. No stupidity, love, happyness, and sorrow makes people. Not a company so stop denying your self the truth and admit that it was some ones stupid ancestors that started a war on a continent that was once ran by Native Americans and show some respect towards these people. Stop being so sarcastic and down talking them when the stupidity is there ancestors. Admit to what they did wrong try to make right what they did and maybe for once there white race will finaly learn how to be a better person not just a color white. And not to mention it was there race who did this to themselves not the natives but there ignorant selves. I would not want to help a race that made my ancestors life misserable and told them that they were savages when it was the opposite way around, Hell they could not even respect there own government and destroyed what eviedence that held them close to it. Insane some would say but then again I would only look for ways to send them back to Europe and there friends to where ever other country that they came from So one day finaly it could be a great nation.
As it was in the past Justified and Honerable!!!

O-o-o-o-o-o-o-h, Bush family....what have you done? It is a terrible, terrible thing when a human being actually believes that the horrible things they do will go unnoticed. Once again the white man has proven that he is powerless without the help of the very people he fears. Was stealing Geronimo's skull really worth all of this, knowing full well that in the end every thing done in the dark comes to life. May my indian (narragansett-turtle tribe) ancestors and the ancestors of Geronimo's tribe and all my brothers and sisters of Native America have mercy upon you and your family...but guess what, I believe God is pissed with what you did...perhaps that is why everything is coming to a head now. hmmmm!

I think if it was the other way around and someone stole the body parts of the people responsible for Geronimo's skull being stolen, it would have been returned to their family members. But because it is Geronimo, a Native American, no one has stepped up to do anyting about it. Why was Geronimo lied to by the government and denied his last wish, which was to come back to his beloved Arizona and live the rest of his life peacefully on his native land which was wrongfully taken from the Apaches to begin with!!!!! I think justice should be done and Harlyn should be allowed to bring back the remains of Geronimo to be buried on Native land. I think he should go forward with the lawsuit and use the money to help all Native Americans. Not only for the money, but to serve justice where it is needed.

As a avid fan of Geronimo I am horrified that Skull and Bones has his remains. I feel that anything they have should be returned to Fort Sill.

While we are all blaming each other & pointing our fingers, the bastards that remain in control are being served way too well by us not getting along with each other. The only productive thing to do here is to unite with each other & stand up & say "NO" to a corrupt government that robs from each of us, either our land, taxes out of our hard-earned money, our freedom & our pride in ourselves & our ability to take care of ourselves & our "Mother Earth"!! The bottom line here is that all of life is sacred, regardless of its origin, for we are all from the same Creator! Our goal needs to be focused on righting the wrong that has been committed, rather than wasting our time & energy placing blame! We know who was to blame originally, & we cannot change what happened. All we can do is go forward & make sure that Geronimo's remains & anyone else's remains that were wrongfully disturbed return to where they belong. We can accomplish this if we stick together & work at it!!

I have been reading the responses between persons on this page and i hasten to add some are losing sight of what this is about...it's NOT a battleground this is about respect for fellow man!!!! his/her beliefs, way of life...The Native American Indians don't need sympathy it just boils down to people with rights the same as anybody else on this planet...Harylin great grandson of Geronimo along with his people just want Geronimo returned to his rightful resting place not just pieces of a man but a whole man...desecration in any shape or form is a dispicable act and should be dealt with no matter what year it happened or to whom it happened!!!!!!!! I sincerely hope that this is resolved and Geronimo can rest in peace...