Preface/Cochise: Life/Times

 

My initial encounter with Cochise came during World War II when my parents’ relationship broke and I found myself profoundly affected by the loss of my Father. It was a big loss; I struggled for years over it. I was caught in the deep journey described by Joseph Campbell as the “Search for the Father”. As an “orphan archetype” I was confused, angry and self-destructive. My self-image had been bruised. Luckily my mother realizing that she could no longer manage me sent me off at the age of eight to live with my Uncle/Aunt and cousins. This provided stability and role models to learn from. While there I was drawn to native culture. I am not sure why or how the “spiritual magic” entered into my life leading me in their direction. I read everything I could about the Native experience and probably identified with them too as they had been orphaned/demonized and ethnically cleansed but nonetheless displayed incredible nobility, honor, and courage in the face of overwhelming odds.

At this juncture when I was about twelve Cochise arrived. The vehicle that brought him alive was the film “Broken Arrow” made in 1950. Jeff Chandler played Cochise, and although he was not indigenous, his role was so powerful that it exercised a significant emotional influence upon me. The film then led me to the historical fictional novel from which it was drawn, namely, Blood Brother, written by Elliot Arnold in 1947. My mother retells the story that when we first saw the film she realized the impact it was having and we stayed for all 5 showings. The same passion gripped me when I read Blood Brother. If I read it once I must have read it a dozen times. I just couldn’t get enough of the “Cochise Story”, I was snake bitten. I was drawn to Cochise’s honesty, compassion, strength, courage, and wisdom. He was the iconic “Father” figure and I wanted to imitate and internalize the qualities he had displayed during a difficult time for the Apaches as they experienced a serious challenge from a different culture.

Extraordinarily Cochise emerged as my internal “Sage Archetype” or voice/ guide who helped me to transform the youthful negative “orphan” images/patterns of victim, self-piety into a deeper insight that from loss emerges growth, wisdom and transformation. Out of this budding relationship with Cochise came the realization that everyone has the ability to create through the power of imagination and knowledge internal models of inspiration leading to a deeper appreciation of self and the frailties of the human condition humanity. Cochise expanded my appreciation for diversity and Native culture. There was so much “wisdom” that the dominant culture could learn from the Apaches about community, relationships, “Mother Earth”, four legged, nature, “rock people”, time, and healing. Indeed it wasn’t until 1989 that I realized what a profound impact Cochise had in shaping my life.  Upon leaving a “Forty Day Spiritual Retreat” in Taos, I along with a friend, drove to Chiricahuas Mountains to visit Chiricahua National Monument. I was very excited and expected to see many monuments to Cochise and his people, but soon went away baffled, confused and upset as hardly a word or artifact was to be found about the Apaches who had been there for centuries. I left visibly shaken and my friend pointing this out indicated to me that Cochise indeed had replaced my biological father. I vowed at that moment to honor his memory by writing a biography of him and his times.

Cochise and His Times : Book Outline

COCHISE: TIME ,PEOPLE, AND CULTURE

BOOK OUTLINE

Chapter I: The Landscape and Geography: Desert, Mesas, Mountains, Flora/ Fauna with emphasis on desert plants, herbs, animals as well as discussion of paleo-Indians, Mongollan, Anasazi and Pueblo people.

Chapter II: Arrival of Apaches: Creation Story, Cultural values, social organization, philosophy of governance, leadership, bands /divisions, the Chiricahuas, warrior culture.

Chapter III: Spanish/ Mexican Presence: Coronado and 7 Cities of Gold,  horse/cattle/sheep, Santa Fe/New Spain, Padres and Missions, Apaches relationships with Spanish/Mexican, a Raiding economy.

Chapter IV:  Cochise: Child hood/adolescences, becoming  a leader, royal bloodline, death of the Father,  Mangas Coloradas, Mexican - American War, shifting boundaries, miners/prospectors, Apacheria under threat, dealing with White Eye Americans, Butterfield Line.

Chapter V: War( 1861-65): Bascom Affair, avenging family,  Fort Bowie, Battle of Apache Pass, Civil War, new war strategies, death of Mangas Coloradas, apparent victory over Americans, White flight from Apacheria, consolidating victories, emergence of Victoria, Juh, Lozen and Geronimo.

Chapter VI: War of Attrition (1865-72): The American return, new Washington program: reservations, acculturalization, ethnic cleansing, series of Forts, life becomes hard, war of attrition, Cochise on the run, pitting bands against bands, the use of Apache scouts, Crook, “the Grey Fox”, no way out.

Chapter VII. Looking for peace, mysterious Tom Jeffords, crossing cultures, “blood brothers”;  Grant administration, 1872 Camp Grant Massacre, Cushing and Juh, Coyler’s Peace Initiative, General Otis Howard, Cochise agrees to meet, creation of Chiricahuas reservation, Jeffords' agent.

Chapter VIII.  Cochise death, 1874, Taza emerges, Jeffords' fights to preserve the reservation, dissolved and Chiricahuas forced to settle at San Carlos, Geronimo and  others unhappy including Victoria who wished to live in his beloved Ojo Caliente lands, the death of Taza.

Chapter IX. The Victorio/GeronimoWars, 1878-1886, highlights, Victoria’s death by Mexican soldiers @ Tres Castillos (1880), Crook /Geronimo, Geronimo’s 1886 surrender ,Chiricahuas sent to Florida , Chiricahuas were permitted to return to Oklahoma in 1894 and then to Mescalero Reservation in 1909, but not to their original Arizona /New Mexico home land.

Chapter X. Historical analysis, today’s Apaches, future prospects/implications for America, return to the land of Cochise.

Apache Healers/Witches

 Witches and healers (Medicine Doctors) either men or women were those who manifested early a talent for communicating with the spirit world. "Some say that the earth talks to them, some say that the wind has life, some say the mountain." Doctors /witches usually received a vision or spiritual guidance instructing them in sacred songs and prayers for healing, for abundance, for blessing, to locate lost people, to control the weather, to weaken an enemy or to curse a person. Some "Doctors" were taken to a sacred mountain or cave where they were initiated into ceremony and received instructions about what and how to do it! During the healing there is a constant interplay between the Power and the practitioner. Some say that Cochise's death in 1874 was the machination of a witch! Geronimo as a war leader's had the “medicine” to extend the darkness, to vanish into air, to raise a dust storm. Lozen, Victoria’s sister was a great psychic warrior who had the ability to see into the future by experiencing after prayer an itch in her palm allowing her to locate/predicting enemy movements. As she stated: "I see as one from a height sees in every direction." Unfortunately for Victorio, her brother, she was not there when he ran into the Mexicans in October, 1880 at Tres Castillos. (Cf, Debo, Geronimo, pp.142-45; Stockel, Women of the Apache Nation, pp.29-51.)

               Doctoring/healing ceremony often was a four day ritual beginning with a Sweat in which the healer dressed in full regalia including wearing of turquoise, abalone shells, red coral, eagle feathers, pollen, black flint blades, white shell, and obsidian. Other items including tobacco, snakeweed and grama grass were part of their medicine bag. The Medicine person was accompanied by two assistants, a drummer and a rattler. The drumming sound in cadence with the rattle had the effect of calming the mind, releasing fear and was a reminder of the centrality of the heart in all healing. The drum cadence simulated the heart beat and the drum itself was consider spiritually alive return one to the spiritual
center of one's existence. The Doctor would sing: "I want nothing to harm us." "I want him to live" "Your Power must go into the life of this poor man." As the ceremony unfolded the doctor sprinkled the sick with pollen (symbol of life), red ocher, iron ore (strength), and white clay (purification). He simultaneously sang to the Four Directions, Colors (Red, White, Black and Yellow) and stones. Tea was used to heal and its plant burnt and smoke fanned over the patient with a sacred eagle feather. Cf, Opler, An Apache Life-Way pp.186-315, Film, “The Missing”)

Apache Views on Death

Apaches never recklessly threw away their lives or took unnecessary risk unless it was absolutely critical to stay alive to protect women, children and elderly from their enemies. Apaches had a deep aversion toward death and emphasized the importance of life, of survival, of longevity. When a person died like Cochise his name was never to be mentioned again as it would confuse the deceased spirit about the plane he/she was  on. In the “Spirit World” it was anticipated that relationships would be resumed there. This is the thought that Cochise left Tom Jeffords with, as he neared death in 1874, when Cochise insisted to the skeptical Jeffords that they would meet again, “up there”. In fact, Apaches believed that in the “Happy Place” their enjoyment would be magnified. Preparation for burial involved putting the body into a sitting position so that its ghost could not look back on the village accompanied by favorite possessions or weapons of deceased. Legend has it that Cochise was buried with his silver engraved shotgun and favorite horse in a hidden deep cave located in the Dragoon Mountains. His wives cut their hair, wailed, burned the wickiup with all his possessions, and covered their face with charcoal protecting themselves from dark spirits of night! As the burial concluded the Medicine Doctor would declare; “Goodbye, it’s finished. We shall speak his name no more.” The Apaches believed that to get to the “Happy Place” you had to go through a rite of passage protected by animal gatekeepers, two serpents, grizzlies and mountain lions, and upon successfully passing these challenges you found yourself in a beautiful green valley where there was plenty of game and the People. According to Jeffords, Cochise given his “Greatness” was mourned with deep lamentation for four days by his people. Paradoxically the Apache custom of burning all physical signs and never mentioning the Name of the decease again means that it becomes difficult to determine genealogy or relationship. For instance, Cochise’s mother’s name remains unknown. She was probably treacherously killed along with her husabnd Pisago Cabezon at Galeana in Sonora in 1845. There still remains uncertainty however about who Cochise's father was although circumstance suggests Pisago Cabezon.(Cf Aleshire, p.17 & 61-63.)

Apache Coyote Stories/ Moral Wisdoms

Story Telling/Wisdom: A primary way by which Apache values were passed on and sustained was through stories told to the “People” most often during winter months of “Ghost Face”. These stories including “Coyote Tales” provided deep spiritual/psychological insights into the strengths/ foibles of the “People”, about how to live in harmony with nature, practical tips in survival, fighting, living in community and in healing. Basic “Coyote Tale” themes revolved around death, sex, family, animals, truthfulness, self-reliance, and perils of arrogance/pride. For instance, one story has it that Coyote decide to test whether or not a “Rock People” could run by defecating on it and to Coyote’s surprise it pursued; no matter how fast Coyote ran or maneuvered it was unable to get away and finally realized it  better go back and apologized by cleaning up its mess. The moral here was that reverence/interdependence for all things in nature had to be maintained! (Cf, Opler, “Myths & Tales”, p.35.) Apaches too later became increasingly suspicious of the hidden costs of Pindah modernity with its emphasis on material physical comfort/drugs including whiskey/tequila, cotton/kettles, and guns/knives, realizing that these trade items undermined their native lifestyle making them increasingly dependent on Pindah for material survival leading ultimately to loss of their spiritual identity through Christian missionary efforts and to final humiliation of reservations/Indian schools. Later “Coyote Tales” warned them of the implicit dangers of cultural borrowing/imitations. In one such story involving a Snake (Pindah) and Eagle (Apaches), the former convinces the Eagle that it can no longer sustain itself in traditional way as hunters /gatherers but must adopt new ways of farming/ ranching or perish. Cochise intuitively fought against cultural interaction as it breed dependence and fear by limiting White contact and insisting that his Band remain self-dependent. Cochise knew that to imitate the Pindah would undermine Apache identity, a loss of freedom/soul, which led him, along with Mangas Coloradas, Victoria, Nana, Geronimo and others to fight a remarkable twenty-five year war against the Pindah. Cochise‘s attitude captured best by Mescalero leader Cadette who remarked to Cremony: “You are slaves from the time you begin to talk until you die; but we are free as air. We never work, but the Mexican and others work for us. Our wants are few and easily supplied. The river, the wood, the plain yield all that we require, and we will not be slaves: nor will we send our children to your schools, where they only learn to become like yourselves.”(Cf, Cremony, “Life Among Apaches”, p 215.)

Sacredness of the Land

For the Chiricahuas the land was “Sacred” and “Dark”, it embodied subtle energies/wisdom, good/bad, for the People to learn from. The Dragoons/Chiricahuas protected the “People” from their enemies allowing them to see days in advance settlers or soldiers crossing Apacheria, protected them from bullets, offered acorns in winter, mescal in spring, saguaro fruit in the summer. Every rock, crevice, tree, stream held a story that was invaluable to survival and was a living testimony or school to learn from.  The Apaches believed in Mountain People or Spirits called “Gaan”. “Gaans” were sent to earth by “Life Giver” to teach the Apaches how to live peacefully and were healing spirits. Men in ceremonies wore masks like Hopi Kachinas to take on their power. Rituals involved song, prayer and dance. The dancers invoked Gaan power for healing; prophecy and ceremony. Any disturbance of the land could anger the Gaan leading to earthquakes and terrible lighting storms. Cochise gained inspiration and strength from the landscape. Nature/places always called him, providing insights and direction. Yet the land held bitter memories and energy. Apache Pass was one of the worse places for him as it was there that his brother Coyuntura under a white flag was hanged. The Chiricahuas believed that one could capture the deep wisdom of the “Rock People”   by sitting in silence contemplating the pre-historical figurines that dotted the Chiricahua Mountain landscape. These Rock formations existed before time and eerily held a deep truth about mysteries of life. They precipitated deep altered states of consciousness and they spoke to the listener. Cochise being contemplated by nature often sought their knowledge and direction. “Rock People”, too, played a significant role in Sweat Lodge Ceremony, which was another favorite of Cochise, as its purification/healing rites brought clarity and insight. “The Rock People” “hot” were brought in and placed in a pit and then sprinkle with sage and water which allowed their healing properties to penetrate the circle of two legged who participated accompanied by song and smoke. The ceremony ended with bathing in a mountain creek or stream and drinking clear water.  Cochise often refreshed/renewed himself in spiritual ceremony of "Sweats” as they restored his energy and allowed him to make better decisions for the safety of his people.

Apache Time Sense

 Time for the Apaches was cyclical, with peaks and valleys, and followed the seasonal movement of spring, summer, fall and winter, as embodied in Medicine Wheel. The Medicine Wheel along with number 7 captured the totality of existence including 4 directions, Ussen and the “People.”The number 4 was especially sacred as it implied basic life pattern of birth/death/rebirth as well as capturing the 4 cardinal directions, east, south, west /north; 4 colors, black, yellow, red, white; 4 seasons, spring, summer, fall, winter; 4 elements, earth, air, fire, water); 4 ages, infancy, adolescence, adulthood, elderly; 4 conditions of man , physical, emotional, mental , spiritual. The Medicine Wheel was called upon in hunting, healing, locating things, invoking rain, planting/harvesting and was helpful in resolving clan/band relationships. Above all else the Medicine Wheel captured the underlying natural unity/interconnectedness within the web of the Universe as it provided clues to re-connecting with Ussen by discovering/following the moral principles of the “Red/Spiritual Path” by which Apaches learn to master darker impulses of each direction or season by living in the “heart” freeing them from fear of bringing dishonor to their family. Cochise always emphasized the importance of truth, of speaking from the heart and prided himself in never lying. (Cf, Cochise speech, “I am Alone”).Drinking tiswin excessively, an Apache beer made from corn ,and especially much stronger Pindah whiskey, was very destructive to the Apache lifestyle leading many away from the “Red Road” and to family quarrels, destructive fights, death and loss of face.