The same American culture that made Geronimo famous had also imprisoned him for twenty-three years without trial, violated the terms of his surrender, and denied him the right to return to his homeland.

The celebrity it extended to him as an old man — the World’s Fair appearances, the inauguration parade — coexisted with the continued refusal to grant the specific request he kept making: go home.

Understanding Geronimo as a historical figure rather than merely a symbol requires engaging with the specific history of Chiricahua Apache sovereignty, the specific failures of U.S. policy in the Southwest, and the specific experience of the Apache prisoners at Fort Sill — a community that maintained their identity and culture through more than two decades of captivity.

His autobiography provides a starting point.