Chief Geronimo photographed in 1898, years after his capture. F.A. Rinehart/Getty Images
Multi-American’s sister blog DCentric has been posting updates on the controversy surrounding the use of the name “Geronimo” as code for the U.S. military raid that killed Osama bin Laden last weekend in Pakistan.
Native Americans have taken offense to the military’s tying together of the notorious terrorist with the 19th century Apache leader and warrior, to the degree that after bin Laden was killed, the team involved in the raid sent out the transmission “Geronimo EKIA,” for “Geronimo, Enemy Killed in Action.”
Yesterday, Geronimo’s great-grandson Harlyn Geronimo submitted testimony to the Senate Commission on Indian Affairs for a hearing on racist stereotypes of Native Americans. He demanded an apology from the Obama administration and a “full explanation of how this disgraceful use of my great grandfather’s name occurred.” DCentric posted more of his testimony, including this excerpt:
Whether it was intended only to name the military operation to kill or capture Osama Bin Laden or to give Osama Bin Laden himself the code name Geronimo, either was an outrageous insult and mistake. And it is clear from the military records released that the name Geronimo was used at times by military personnel involved for both the military operation and for Osama Bin Laden himself.
Obviously to equate Geronimo with Osama Bin Laden is an unpardonable slander of Native America and its most famous leader in history.
