Arizona in the Saddle | Page 32

Geronimo

Last to Surrender – First to Rodeo
By Jim Olson, ©2015, www.TotallyWestern.com

W

hen Sitting Bull agreed to appear in Buffalo
Bill Cody’s Wild West Show in 1885, he
gave world-wide attention to the Native
American Indian and their participation in
Wild West Shows (the predecessor of today’s
rodeos). Buffalo’s Bill’s Wild West Show captivated
audiences from 1883—1913. Other famous Native
Americans who performed with the show at
various times included Geronimo, Chief Joseph,
and Rains In The Face. Today, thousands of Native
American Indians and Canadian First Nations
people compete in rodeos. Geronimo, however,
was the first Apache to participate.

Remembered as a fierce warrior, who later
became a celebrity, few associate Geronimo with
Wild West (rodeo) performances today. Although
it is generally accepted that he was born in 1829,
other reports say it could have been nearer 1832.
Goyathlay (his Apache birth name which is
sometimes also given as Goyahkla), Geronimo
was one of the last Native Warriors to submit to
the US Government. He surrendered to General
Nelson Miles, at Skeleton Canyon (in Arizona),
September 4, 1886. He was then sent to the
Southeast as a prisoner of war.

101 Ranch, 1905
By 1894 he was shipped westward to Fort Sill,
near Lawton, Oklahoma, where he spent the
remainder of his life. Much has been written and
several movies have been made about his life
leading up to the surrender, so we will not delve
into that here.

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March 2015

We now know that
Geronimo was quick
to learn about making
a dollar. Soon after
realizing his own
popularity he began
signing autographs—
charging visitors
around a buck each.
He branched out into
making little wooden
bows and arrows. He
even learned some
English (already being
fluent in Spanish and,
of course, Apache). He
would sell the buttons
off his shirt. As soon
as one was sold and
Pawnee Bill Poster, 1905
the customer gone, he
would sew another in
to what we might call a “specialty act” at today’s
its place to be sold again. Pretty soon, anything
rodeos. However, even at his advanced age, he did
connected to Geronimo became a souvenir. If
occasionally rope!
asked, he even would show off old battle wounds.

At the St. Louis World’s Fair, when he was not
By the late 1890s, he started appearing at
selling items to tourists and making appearances,
Expositions, Fairs and Wild West Shows.
he delighted audiences with roping exhibitions,
The promoters of these events had to obtain
even reportedly roping buffalo in the Wild
permission from the war department, as he was
West show!
considered a prisoner of war.

Bob Boze Bell of True West Magazine once said,
Although he probably appeared at local shows
”Geronimo had a little bit of PT Barnum in him
around Oklahoma before this, the Transand a whole lot of courage.”
Mississippi International Exposition in Omaha,

Nebraska during 1898 was the first time he was
After the 1904 World’s Fair, Geronimo went on
presented on a world-wide stage. Over the next
tour with Pawnee Bill’s Wild West show (again,
several years he made appearances at the Pan
with permission of the US Government since he
American Exposition in Buffalo, the Louisiana
was technically a prisoner of war). His act was to
Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, several Worlds
shoot buffalo from a moving automobile!
Fairs and numerous Wild West shows including

for Buffalo Bill, the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch and In 1905, the 101 Ranch Wild West Show made
Pawnee Bill. He even rode in President Theodore
its world-wide debut. It expanded into an
Roosevelt’s inauguration parade in 1905.
international show which featured roping, riding,

bulldogging, Indian dancers, trick roping, shooting
At most of these events, Geronimo received
and much more. A contemporary newspaper
money for his appearance but he would also sell
report said there were over 65,000 people at the
his autograph, photographs of himself—and
ranch for opening day. It is no wonder, with
just about anything else he could! He was akin
attractions such as Bill Pickett, Lucille Mulhall and

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