Today is Indigenous People’s Day.

This photograph depicts Apache prisoners including Geronimo. I desperately need to become better educated about Native American history. This photograph has me interested in learning more about the plight and fate of Native American prisoners of war in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Below are some details about the photograph.

“The U.S. Army and the Apache tribe (who called themselves N’ne, meaning “the people”) engaged in armed conflict in the U.S. Southwest from 1851 through 1886. On September 4, 1886, the famed Apache leader Geronimo (or Goyahkla) surrendered to U.S. Army forces at Skeleton Canyon, Arizona. This photo shows Geronimo and his followers, including women and children, being sent to a U.S. Army fort to be held as prisoners of war. (Source)”

Learn more about the over 500 Apache Prisoners of War that the U.S. government held for over 25 years.

Chiricahua Apache Prisoners, Including Geronimo, 1886 (National Archives)