Naiche/Natchez

[coeurrouge]

Thanks for your support. There is a book about him : Naiche, fils de cochise / Author (French) Giovanni Del Franco (Auteur).

Only 16 euros, The author wrote also about Chatto, Mangus, Nana, a book about the broncos stayed in the Sierra and a new one about JUH. I never read because how was it possible to write one book/year seriously about the Chiricahuas. It was because of his biography about Naiche, I began to do my work in 2019. If the autho could do one, I can do it a better one.

[saskia21]

Aug 18, 2022 6:49:46 GMT -5 coeurrouge said:

Tahdotonn hab been a scout between may 1891 and august 1893. It is why he did not appear in the San Carlos census in 1892 and 1893.
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Only Zanyego appeared with her daughter in law in 1892 and 1893, and in 1894 ththree were together
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I found the boy and her mother in the 1888's census, page 31 of the San Carlos Apache. It could mean thaht Zanyego was among the 13 chiricahua women released by Chihuahua in April 1885.
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For Altsidah maybe she was page 3 on the same census in 1888 with her sister but I am not sure. I still not find them neither Gessemuday in 1889. Djataize and Zhante were with Eskiminzin.

[saskia21]

Have maybe found Zanyego, Tahdotonn en his wife Nah dee day yah in de 1890 census:



Also in the 1888 Census Zanyego and Charlie are listed as part of a family so it may be interesting to find out who they are in relation to them:

Attachments:

[seeker]

Dec 11, 2022 4:00:44 GMT -5 coeurrouge said:

Thanks for your support. There is a book about him : Naiche, fils de cochise / Author (French) Giovanni Del Franco (Auteur).

Only 16 euros, The author wrote also about Chatto, Mangus, Nana, a book about the broncos stayed in the Sierra and a new one about JUH. I never read because how was it possible to write one book/year seriously about the Chiricahuas. It was because of his biography about Naiche, I began to do my work in 2019. If the autho could do one, I can do it a better one.

I would agree - being able to write good, well researched books about each of those men could not be done in a year for each one.  I'm impressed with your work and enjoy it

[coeurrouge]

Hello,

long time ago. I sent you a gift, not perfect and not finished. first part of my biography of Naiche.

enjoy reading

Attachments:

Naiche.pdf (6.57 MB)

[coeurrouge]

Hello, long time ago I did not write here, but I can tell you that the following story of my work on Naiche will come soon...

[coeurrouge]

Prisoner of War and Nantan

Historical context during those times.

During this period, USA knew the peak of their immigration from Europe. It allowed the country to become one of the principal economy of the world. But the money felt in too few pockets and corruption was the rule in politics.Several strikes of workers occurred during this time, asking a just sharing of the wealth.

USA began to think like European Countries to get an Empire. In 1898, after the short war against Spain, it acquirred Puerto Rico, Guam island and Philippines Islands, broken violently a native’s revolt there.During this war Theodore Roosevelt increased his popularity and 1901, he was elected President of USA. During his presidency, USA stopped imperalism idea but made soft pressure to control Central America, and financed the building of the canal of Panama between 1908 to 1914.

Towards the Native Americans, USA continued to apply assimilation and forced education in boarding schools. In 1887 the Dawes’ law was voted divising the collective lands of the reservations in individuals allotments, officially to accelerate the self-suffisancy of the native. But it was another way to steal the last interesting lands owned by the Natives. It made desesperated some nations like the Lakota (Sioux) and the Ghost Dances appeared, ending by the Wounded Knee’ massacre, in the end of 1890. Since then, until 1968 and the actions of the American Indian Movement, for most American peoples eyes the natives have diseapperead.

[coeurrouge]

1. Sand and Sea.

1.1. Without the family.

8th of September 1886, the journey of exile to the East began, as Prisoner of War. Certainly anxious being in full mercy of blue soldiers, Naiche felt surely glad to see soon all his family, for some it would be the first time more than one year. The promise of General Miles was to join Kla-esch in Fort Marion where their family were held and some times later they could chose a place for a safe reservation to build their new life.
Apparently, Naiche decided to act as the Nantan he was, sharing the fate of his people and trying to do his best to diminish the impact of POW’s life among his people. He seemed that he would no more be influenced by elders, especially Goyakla, and would make and impose his own decisions, knowing his loyal “brother”, Atelnietze, would not be no more on his side to support him. But first Naiche would have to adapt to this new life, in a new country he did not know and feared because his older brother died far east.

10th of September, the train of the renegades stopped at San Antonio, Texas, on a supply fort for the US Army. The POWs were put in an open field surrounded by high walls and gates and closely eyed by soldiers. They were furnished of tents to be in comfort in this jail in open air. The tomorrow day, surprinsigly they did not continue their trip to Florida. Ceraintly Naiche and his fellows knew the schedule to bring them in Florida had an annoyance. Georges Wratten who acompanied them as interpreter, did not know much more than the Apaches.
In fact, General Miles deliberatly desobeyed his orders by putting in the train the renegades. President Cleveland ordered to keep them at Fort Bowie, the time he would decide the fate of Naiche and the others. President thought to hand over Arizona’s territory Naiche, Goyakla and other renegades to be judge by a civil’s courthouse. It would mean surely a death sentence for Naiche and Goyakla, so General Miles saved their life this day. But the superiors of Miles, two days later, asked for understandings about why General disobeyed and what terms of surrender he discussed with the renegades.

During this time, the Apaches spent their time to play cards, to take care of their bodies and to feed themselfs with army’ rations, waiting news about what happened fearing another betrayal. Naiche, like others, was certainly very anxious but showing nothing. Apparently, he stayed most of his days inside the tent. News about the presence of Chiricahua’s renegades, in open jail at San Antonio, attracted the crowd of curious. Then much Texas civilians came to watch the last Natives to resist against the US Army like Naiche and his people were animals in a zoo.
Through Wratten, Naiche tried to know what happened, if they could see their family and Naiche wanting to take care of all his familiy and his band, having no clear information was another subject of anxiety. If the renegades could exit the jail, time to times, few at a time, to buy clothes and usefull items they had nothing to do just waiting. It was only 29th of September that General Stanley met Naiche and Goyakla. General Miles still elusive about the surrender, the superiors ordered Stanley to interview separately the two Chiricahuas to know what were te terms of the surrender.

Naiche, with the help of Wratten, explained that he never thought to surrender before Kayitah and Eskinelata came to them. He said the promises of Miles, to join their people and their family in Florida and to finally have their own reservation, convinced him. He was tired to run, uncertain about the fate of his family. Goyakla said the same account and Wratten confirmed this story which embarassed General Stanley because the initial order to Miles was an unconditionnal surrender.
Taking benefit of the meeting with Stanley, Naiche asked what happened, why they had been stopped in Texas instead joining Kla-esch in Florida and if one day he could see his family as Miles promised. But General Stanley had no answer to give him, upsetting Naiche. Deeply worried about a new betrayal, certainly mortal this time, the warriors were supported by Wratten who by letters he send advocated their wishes and tried to free some of them especially Kayitah and Eskinelata, the Chiricahuas who convinced the renegades to surrender but were treated like the rebels. If even Chiricahuas who helped Miles to stop the war were also in jail, what kind of fate prepared the blue soldiers for Naiche. The fact Wratten explained he had some guns and ammunitions in his tent and would help them if a fight occurred, was a tiny consolation for Naiche.
At this time, his real support was Ha-o-zinne, his third and new wife. At least ten years younger than Naiche, she and he, confined several weeks together, discovered better eachother. I think it was at this time that Ha-o-zinne began to be the principal wife of Naiche instead of E-clah-eh.

The Chiricahuas made a ceremonial dancing with the blue soldiers’ authorization. For the Whites it was just a spectacle done for the civilians around but for the Chiricahuas it was more a prayer to the Gan’s asking help and answers for their very uncertain future. The answer was finally transmitted 22nd of Octobre, by General Stanley, more than six weeks they arrived at San Antonio. In few hours they would take the train again but on two separate wagons. The men in one and the women and children with Kayitah and Eskinelata in another. The men would be sent at Fort Pickens, west of Florida while the women and children would join Kla-esh and all the Chiricahuas from San Carlos, at Fort Marion in the Atlantic coast of Florida, three hundreds and fifty miles of Fort Pickens.
Naiche and Goyakla had another interview with General Stanley. They protested vehemently about the broken promise made by Miles to be united with their family. Naiche was angry because instead joining his mother, his sisters, Nah-de-yole, E-clah-eh and their children, US Army would oblige him to quit the only family remained with him, his third and beloved wife. If Naiche knew Ha-o-zinne was pregnant, it maybe increased his anger. Naiche was certainly not surprised by this new betrayal, but it convinced him more deeply that his life and the ones of his people were in total control of US Army whishes. He would have to find the way to handle this as best he could for his family and his people, ready to be Nantan of the Chiricahuas when he could.

22nd of October, in the afternoon, Naiche and his fellows quitted San Antonio by train separated from eachother. Like his men, in addition of the desperation, Naiche felt surely angry and humiliate once again. But as the way were educated the Chiricahuas, he had to be pragmatic. He had also to adapt of his future life if he wanted to be reunited with his all family and as nantan to lead by example the best way he thought for his people to survive.
Early, on Sunday 25th of October, the train stopped at Penscola, in Florida. The men’s wagon was disconnected from the train. While the men stayed in the railroad station, the train boarding their women and children continued his way to Fort Marion. Tired, sad and disheartened, the warriors did not complain and went downstair, framed by soldiers at each side, to the ferryboat which would bring them in the Santa Rosa Island in front of Pensacola. A crowd was there too, to look at them but Naiche and the others were no more impressed and worried about this.
With their mind with their family, they just discovered a new environment. As Apaches they were mountain and desert people, expert to know and to use plants from their land to live as human being. At Penssacola Naiche and his men were just at the sea level with a humid and salt wind. There was no pine tree and rocks but sand, sea and poor vegetation. While on the boat during the short crossing, they admired dolphins for the first time. In the Santa Rosa Island stood Fort Pickens which was not occupied for twenty years. And vegetation took control of the fort since then.
The prisonners were installed on two casemates where they sleeped, ate and spend their time when they did not work. In each casemate a man was in charge to prepare the meal. The army furnished plenty of clothes to work, canvas bag full of straw for the bedding and military rations for the food but in inadequate quantity. When Goyakla began to complain of that, Naiche shushed him showing to everyone that he was the chief and he would not admit any complain even from Goyakla. Naiche’s goal was the men could be united with their family and he certainly thought the each complain would delay the reunion.

6th of Novembre, two more warriors arrived at Fort Pickens. Naiche and the others were surprised to see his uncle Mangus and Goso. They lost from eachother see since august 1885 and the attack of Goyakla’s rancheria. Mangus explained why he surrender in Fort Apache two weeks before. Maybe by meeting Atelnietze and Nat-cul-baye, Mangus learnt about the fate of all his family stayed at San Carlos and decided with the remanents of his group, except Nachol and his family, to go north and surrender.
Like his nephew, two months before, Mangus took the train at Holbrook to be send at Fort Pickens with his two warriors, Goso and Eskineltze while his mother, his wife and the children among them two sons of chiefs, Istee and Daklugie would be sent to Fort Marion. But unlike Naiche, the trip was awfull for Mangus and his followers. Eskineltze died during the journey and at least Mangus’ wife was rapped one or several times. Humiliated, ashamed to be enabled to protect his family, Mangus jumped by a window, to commit suicide or just to escape. But he failed, was knocked and the surgeon who healed him did not see or let his arm broken.
As sadness was the story, Naiche knew they could not change their fate and have to obey to the soldiers. So, he took discreetly control of all the warriors upon Goyakla and Mangus. Works have to be done like the soldiers wanted to be and complains would stay in the casemates. Georges Wratten would be an ally of their cause, sharing their fate and he would be, until his death in 1912, one of the only whites the Chiricahuas would completely trust.

The prisoners worked five day per week, six hours per day. They were used to clean the fort from vegetations, trees and to consolidate walls. Saturday was to clean their clothes and to take care of their casemates. Sunday was their day for themself. The officer in charge and his superior, Colonel Langdon also in charge of Fort Marion, wrote that the prisoners conducted well, were always cleaned and disciplined. He also wrote they looked satisfied and that Naiche had a very good influence, showing the way and admitting no complain. The visitors described Naiche as a man always standing with dignity like the chief he was. Naiche did simply apply the advice and the example of his parents.
Like his followers he was not satisfied of his life at Fort Pickens but he kept his discontent inside the casemates to not compromise the reunion with his family. But for all of them, their family, the principal social structure of each Chiricahua, missed them deeply but they have no choice as POW. In January 1887, their rations increased. Naiche certainly saw as a sign, he was on the right way to improve the life of his followers.

[coeurrouge]

At least one daughter of Naiche that historians lost of view who died in 1960 at mescaleor with the first name Alta. Hooo I am wrong. Alta born in 1900 and died in 1960 was in fact Christian Jr's wife (thanks Naiche2). But who's the daughter of Naiche of this birth card I find in NARA?

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[coeurrouge]

Pensacola’s inhabitants had great interest to the Chiricahuas held prisoners at Fort Pickens. Curiousity and business were their motivation. A lot of civilians wanted to see the last “sauvages” who fought the US Army and they needed transport to go in Santa Rosa island so they would pay for the boat used for transportation. Then under pressure, Colonel Langdon accepted tourism with paiement that would allow him to buy more useful things for the prisoners. This tourism began in February 1887.
If Naiche showed dignity, frienship and was polite, he put some distance with the visitors instead of Goyakla. The shaman took benefit about the visitors selling artifact he made, piece of clothe he wore or of his autographs. Naiche stayed concentrate about the reunion with the families of his followers. Antoher man got insterest about the Chiricahuas and their fate. This man was Herbert Welch from the Indian Rights Association. Hearing some description about Chiricahuas’ condition of life in Fort Marion and Fort Pickens, he decided to investigate in the forts requesting than an officer would accompagny him. The designated officer was Captain Bourke, the old headquarter officer of General Crook.

The investigations of Welsh were done in March 1887. At Fort Pickens, Welsh and Bourke understood that Naiche and his men waited to see again their family as promised by Miles when they surrendered seven months ago. The public report of Welsh had repercussions. The description of the concentration camp at Fort Marion obliged the US Army and President Cleveland to move towards the Chiricahua and to find another decent place to live. On his monthly report, Colonel Langdon wrote the only complaint of the POWs was the fact they were still separated from their family which was written too in Welsh’s report.
Naiche, Goyakla and Mangus did not wait for the Whites, they asked Wratten to write to Miles. They wanted to remind him his promises of the three stones and the promise to stay with their family. Neither promise was respected. So, they asked Miles to keep his words and allowed their families to be reunited with them. This letter was the sign, even they did not show to Langdon, that Naiche and his fellows were more and more disheartened thinking they would not see again their family.
Miles did nothing. It was Welsh’s report and the good conduct of the renegades which made changes for Naiche and his followers. In April, the US Army decided to move all the Chiricahuas in Alabama except those at Fort Pickens. But orders were taken to send the family of each man detained at Fort Pickens, to join their husband or father. 27th of April 1887, finally Naiche and his warriors could see and embrace their beloved wifes and children. For Naiche, it was the first time since more than one year he could be with Nah-de-yole, Paul, E-clah-eh and Bas-na-kli.

1.2.Another way of life.

But not all the women or children came. Some stayed with the other Chiricahuas. Ahnandia and Moh-tsos’s wife did not want to come and Tzegojun was not welcome by Mangus. It seemed that their reunion marked their divorce in Apache way. She-gah joined her husband, Goyakla, but everybody could see that she was very ill. She had a lung’s disease which provoked tiredness and cough with blood sometimes.
Naiche was certainly very happy to see again his three wives, Nah-de-yole, E-clah-eh and Ha-o-zinne. His two sons were there too and if Jacob was already born, he discovered his new baby. Naiche was surely disappointed to not see his older child. His daughter Deh-kluh-kizhee was not with her mother. In December 1886, she was sent to Carlisle’s boarding school. All the men who had their family with them moved in the old officer’s casemates while the single’s men stayed in the casemate, they used for six months.

Just after the arrival of the families, to thank the Gan’s about this happy reunion, the prisoners organized with Langdon’s authorization, a traditional dance which assisted a lot of visitors. They were at this time forty-eight, seventeen men, twenty women and eleven children. The women explained to their husbands the horrible life in Fort Marion. About five hundred people were too much for this fort. The tents have been in contact of the others, they had only two baths to clean for everybody, food was scarce and inappropriate especially cow milk for children. The promiscuity, scarce food, poor water, humidity and wind eased diseases to spread. One disease worried more the Chiricahuas as the soldiers who kept them. This disease attacked the lung and killed much of them, old and young, male and female. They could exit the fort and visit the city just near, but some women and children were captured by Cuban’s sailors on the beach like Huana and Kuka, wife and daughter of Itsah-dee-tsa. The soldiers sent children to the boarding school at Carlisle and when there were not enough voluntary children, the soldiers kidnapped them on the beach too. Fort Marion was a terrible concentration’s camp and they were very glad to come at Fort Pickens.
Naiche, hearing that, understood surely that his plan was the only good, obey to the soldiers, show no complaint in front of the soldiers, conduct right and maybe their next request would be also executed. His next step was to have a permanent reservation where they could have their own home and could become self-suffisant. While the men continued to do the work that Langdon gave them to maintain the quality of the fort, the women took care of their new “house” and the children.

In June 1887, Colonel Langdon in his report described Naiche:
The Chief, Natchez, who is a much younger man than Geronimo, has a great deal more influence than he over his fellow prisoners. Natchez is very manly, respectful, and patient. He not only never asks for anything, nor complains of anything himself but discourages others who may be inclined to a different course. He sets a good example to the other Indians who are not slow to imitate it, as they have been quick to see that Natchez has, apparently, won a certain degree of confidence and a friendly consideration by his behaviour.

This description showed that Naiche was definitively the respected Nantan of his people, at least in Fort Pickens. As a leader, with Goyakla and Mangus, he asked Wratten to transmit to Langdon their wish to have a permanent home and lands they could cultivate. Naiche was working of his next step for his people. Wratten was vigilant to not name the Chiricahua who asked but Langdon’s answer was brutal when he said that Naiche and his followers had lost their chance when they did their outbreak in May 1885. This answer cooled down for a time Naiche’s request for a new home where he could build the future of his family.
In the summer 1887, the men worked like Langdon ordered them but even they did not complain, they were not satisfied about the degradation of the casemates where their family lived. Colonel Langdon let them living in this casemates without windows, and some without doors. With their family with them, by tradition, it was to the men to provide what their family needed. So, their works began to be useless for most of the men even they did well what it was ordered. Naiche availed this time of work to learn how to use each white tools because he knew that to survive his people would have to work like the white men, the day they would have their own lands to cultivate.
In September 1887, the health of She-gah declined. And 28th of September, the Nehdni’s “sister” of Naiche died form tubercolusis. A disease which would take a lot of Chiricahuas during thirty years yet, but Naiche did not know at this time. He did understand however that another link with Goyakla disappeared with She-gah. Did this death convince Naiche to ask again to have farms for them? Because in October 1887, Naiche, Mangus and Goyakla read out Wratten a letter to General Stanley to ask his intervention about the achievement of the promise of Miles to have a reservation with farms for the Chiricahuas.

 
Unlike General Miles, General Stanley, even if he waited three months of reflexion, supported the claim of Naiche and his followers because he knew it was the promise said by Miles to obtain the surrender of the renegades more than a year ago. He alerted his superiors that it was maybe time to keep the promises made by Miles to Naiche and Goyakla.
Bureaucracy and certainly Sheridan’s pride slowed down the decision to transfer Naiche and the other forty-seven Chiricahuas still in Florida, to Mount Vernon Barracks in Alabama with all the Chiricahuas. The POWs would have to wait five other months. Finally, General Sheridan and the War department decided the transfer in May 1888. 13th of May 1888, Naiche crossed the channel between Santa Rosa Island and Pensacola. They took the train in direction of Mobile, Alabama and then Mount Vernon Barracks, always well escorted by soldiers. They walked half a mile to a hill above the village of their kinfolks and waited there, sitting on their luggage. If Naiche was enjoyed to be with all his people and to can be with his sisters and his mother, he was surely concerned about the welcome done by his people. Especially by Dos-teh-seh, his mother, with whom he had arguments the last time they saw eachother two years before.

NEXT : THE LEGENDARY MONSTERS ARE BACK

[coeurrouge]

2.The Legendary Monsters are Back.

The Chiricahuas, like all Apaches, think that the world is composed of opposing forces. These forces can be natural, living or supernatural. It can be the water of a river, the height of a mountain, an animal, a plant or a Gan's. For them, there are no good or bad forces, each must fight to survive, by being able to ally with others, against opposing forces that are therefore enemies. This opposition of forces dates back to the time of White Painted Woman.
Usen (Giver of Life), the highest spiritual entity, created the Universe and with it, the earth as well as other planets or stars. On Earth, he created animals, plants and Monsters. Day and night were confused because the opposing forces played to make light or darkness appear.

Then Usen created White Painted Woman. She is the supernatural being that the Chiricahuas venerate the most because she is the mother of the Nation. She was peaceful, kind, generous and serves as an example for Apache women. White Painted Woman had a son with the Sun, Killer-of-Enemies. He and his mother were surrounded by monsters, each more frightening than the last. By letting rain from a storm flow into her girl thingy, White Painted Woman became pregnant. Some time later, during a storm, her child wanted to come out of her womb to greet his father. Despite her reluctance, White Painted Woman let her child come into the world and thus was born her second son, Child-Of-Water. When he was born, she invited Lightning to recognize his son. Lightning was not convinced and struck Child-Of-Water four times, a sacred number for the Chiricahuas, with lightning in the four cardinal points. Since the child was not injured, Lightning knew that he was indeed her son.
But life was not happy for White Painted Woman and her two sons. They had to watch out for monsters. She even had to hide the existence of her second son because a Giant monster was fond of young children and threatened to kidnap Child-Of-Water at any moment. Thanks to subterfuges that deceived Giant's vigilance, White Painted Woman was able to preserve the life of her younger son until he was able to use a bow.

By the time Child-Of-Water was old enough to use a bow, his brother, Killer-Of-Enemies, was already hunting. Although a good hunter, he was unhappy because he was always hungry. Indeed, Giant stole all the prey he killed. One day when he was going hunting again, his brother Child-Of-Water wanted to accompany him. White-Painted Woman refused the first three times but faced with her young son's insistence, she accepted the fourth time.
The two brothers killed a deer and then roasted the meat. Killer-Of-Enemies was afraid and feared attracting Giant to them. Child-Of-Water told him that this was what he wanted in order to kill Giant. Giant introduced himself, attracted by the smell of roasted meat and asked the two brothers to give him the rest of the meat. Child-Of-Water replied that Giant would have to fight him and kill him if he wanted to take the deer. Giant accepted with humor because he was huge and his arrows were pine trees.
Giant first threw his four arrows at Child-Of-Water. Each time, he made a "phooo" sound with his mouth in the direction of the arrow. And each of Giant's arrows broke as if struck by lightning. Giant's four arrows, broken, in turn, Child-Of-Water fired his own. The first three broke the three flint protections that Giant wore on his chest. The fourth arrow killed Giant by hitting him right in the heart.
The two brothers returned home. Relieved and happy to see them in good health, White-Painted Woman sang and danced. It is the same song that the chiricahua women sing during the Na-ih-es rite. Then, encouraged by his mother, Child-Of-Water killed the last three monsters who liked to kill human beings. He first killed the Great Eagle family and with the feathers of the youngest, he created the birds. Then it was the turn of Bison and Antelope.
When Killer-Of-Enemies and Child-Of-Water became adults, Usen gave Killer-Of-Enemies a sedentary life with corn and cattle. According to legend, the White Eyes descended from the first son of White Painted Woman. Usen offered a nomadic life, with hunting and gathering as a basis for food, to White Painted Woman and Child-Of-Water. Some time later, White Painted Woman and Child-Of-Water created the N’de People, the Chiricahuas.

In Mount Vernon, during the day the Sun fought against the high pine trees to give some light across the shadow to the Chiricahuas settled there. The Chiricahuas were still POWs of the White Eyes and their blue soldier, far away from the country Usen gave them. The protector of the people Child-of-Water had gone and without raids, it was impossible to venerate him through the dikohes. With a lot of teenage girls at Carlisle in the boarding school, there was not much na-hi-es to organize and allowing to renew with the mother White Painted Woman. The Monsters perhaps availed to come back, changed in mosquitoes. They seemed to seek revenge of White Painted Woman and Child-Of-Water by striking the Chiricahuas with mortal diseases in Mount Vernon.

2.1.Adaptation and mortal diseases.

The Chiricahuas from Fort Pickens waited for thirty minutes before their kindfolks, settled there since on eyear, made signal to welcome them. It was Dohn-say who broke the ice. Seeing the group, the older daughter of Goyakla waited and then walked to his father slowly containing her emotion but near his father she could not anymore and run to embrace his father with tears. Three years they did not see eachother. Then Naiche and his followers joined the village, and each walked to their family.
The village was a serie of wooden houses of two pieces with a meadow in the middle. Each was the home of one family. The promiscuity of Fort Marion had disapearred. When Naiche arrived, Dos-teh-seh was living with her daughter Naithlo-tonz and Gokliz, Naithlo-tonz’ Pinal’s husband. At this time Naslada was at Carlisle boarding school since one year. It seemed that Naiche’s mother forgave him because when her son got his home, Dos-teh-seh quitted Naithlo-tonz and moved to live with Naiche. She certainly and finally recognized that his son behaved as the Nantan Naiche was.

The Nantan certainly took time to listen the journey of his family and friends who were forced to leave San Carlos, in Septembre 1886. Naiche learned that his half-sisters still lived in San Carlos. Apparently Tahdoton, nickenamed Charley or Big Charley married in a San Carlos Apache’s family and then with her mother, Zanyego, lived with them. Djataize and Zhante were living with her husband Eskiminzin also in San Carlos. First Dos-teh-seh wanted to stay with Gokliz’s family but the US Army refused so Naithlo-tonz followed her mother in exile and so did Gokliz, in September 1886.
Naiche renewed with Tah-ni-toe who surely told him that during the train travel from Arizona, in 1886, a Chihenne’s warrior, Massai, escaped the train in Missouri and seemed to succeed returning in New Mexico. He connected with Atelnietze and the other “bronco” Apaches living freely in the Sierra Madre. Even if his mother’s cousin purchased Naiche in 1885, as a scout, Naiche seemed to be glad to met again his old friend Pedes-klinje. He and Kaathenay explained that in July 1886, with Noche, Jlin-tay-i-tith and others, they were send by General Miles in Washington to meet the President of USA. There, the Chiricahua’s delegation refused the US proposition of a permanent reservation, outside New Mexico and Arizona. They came back Arizona with each a medal which they tought was given as an acceptation of their will to stay at Turkey Creek.
But when they were in Kansas, they were obliged to wait at Fort Leavenworth, but they did not know why. Finally September 20th 1886, they joined Kla-esch and all the Chiricahuas at Fort Marion, also as POWs. Pedes-klinje and Noche would be very hurted about this very unfair treatment. When Naiche arrived in Mount Vernon, with Zele discredited, Kla-esch always not interrested, Kas-tziden, Chiva and Jlin-tay-i-tith aging, it seemed the village’s leaders were Pedes-klinje, Kaathenay and in a less influence, Noche.
Like with his mother, all POWs and facing survival as a tribe, passed animosity between the outbreakers and scouts were shelved. But for Goyakla towards Pedes-klinje and Jlin-tay-i-tith it was impossible as for the Chihennes against Goyakla. But they did not show that in front of the soldiers. Naiche, like Kaathenay and Pedes-klinje knew they had to be united if they wanted to get their own farms to live.

But firstly, Naiche had to adapt living in Mount Vernon. Sure, he finally had his new home, he certainly constructed with the help of the soldiers and his friends. I think he had two houses, one for his oldest wife, with her son Paul and Naiche’s mother and another were living E-clah-eh with Bas-na-kli and Ha-o-zinne with Jacob. If his houses had windows and door, it did not prevent mosture to be in everything, food, clothes, blankets, tools and wood furniture. The Chirichuas cleaned up the aera and tried to cultivate some vegetables to add to the army rations and then improve their diet.
But as Naiche noticed, the soil in Mount Vernon was not fertile to cultivate enough food for this purpose. Naiche and his people still completely depended on the US Army to feed and to clothe. And still POWs the men did forced works which seemed more useless, the months passing. In all the families, parents were worried because more than one hundred of children and young adults were in the boarding school in Carlisle among them Deh-kluh-kizhee. Some had already died away from their family.
If Naiche had to adapt, most of the Chiricahuas discovered Naiche as a new leader, more confident, seeming sure about what he wanted for his people, commanding and more distant to Goyakla. Chief of the Chiricahus coming from Fort Pickens, Naiche was the same generation than Pedes-klinje and Kaathenay but very less cleaving than them. Goyakla’s and Kaathenay’s followers did not like Pedes-klinje and Jlin-tay-i-tith’s Chihennes distrusted Kaathenay and Pedes-klinje remembering the 1882’s kidnapping. Naiche seemed to not have the same reputation among them. Naiche dignity behaviour convinced certainly most of them that he was a real Nantan, at least for the Chokonens, the Nehdnis and Bedonkohes still alived. Naiche’s relatives in Chihenne’s band would help Naiche to become the Nantan of the tribe even they were POWs.

The general health of his people certainly worried Naiche. Unlike in Fort Pickens, the Chiricahuas who lived in Fort Marion, because of the promiscuity and the climate, developed contagious diseases. Added to the scarce and inappropriate food, they became weak and very sensitive to every disease from which they were not immunated off. The mosture everywhere in Mount Vernon, combined with the heat, helped the diseases to grow and to spread among the Chiricahuas.
The food, most of it rations certainly attacked by bacterias, provoked stomach problems. Because of the weakness of their mother, cow milk was given to the babies and the young children. But not used of this, plenty of those children got dysentery and some died. Side effect of the vaccination against smallpox also weaked the Chiricahuas for a time. The worst was the return of the shaking sickness Naiche and the Chokonens knew in the subagency at San Carlos. But in Mount Vernon, it was worst because this place was an heaven for mosquitoes and most of the inhabitants had the shaking sickness.

Build on a tank, surrounded by high pine trees, the village was not enough ventilated. If each the house was more comfortable than the casemate, it was hard to ventilate it and to chase mosture in it. This humidity could easily transport virus from an ill person to a healthy one in the same home. It was why, I think, tubercolusis and lung disease could strike so hard the Chiricahuas and killed a lot of them. In 1888, it had a high rate of birth with sixteen born children, but it did not compensate the twenty-seven deaths most of them by diseases especially tubercolusis. And news from Carlisle were not good. From all the Chiricahuas brought to this school, between 1886 to 1887, one fourth of them died in this school and most of them also from tubercolusis.
Losing the next generation of the Chiricahuas, Naiche and the other leaders were anxious about the survival of their Nation. When two sisters from a Massachusetts’ association came to open a school for the youngest in Mount Vernon, 14th of February 1889, the parents were not hurried to register their children in this school.

Because of the death reputation of Carlisle boarding school and the experience at Fort Marion, the parents were afraid their children would fall sick or be taken away from them to another school, like Carlisle. The school was a house with only one piece for everybody. In the first time the children were only thirty and there were as much adult males. among them apparently Naiche. Always in schedule to have all he could to understand the American’s way of life, Naiche decided to learn English, following the school teaching when he could. But it was hard for an Apache adult to learn and if Naiche understood some English, along his life, he always used an interpreter to speak with Americans, at least with the officials.
The teacher succeeded to be appreciated by the children and respected by the parents. Very soon, eighty children were at school and Goyakla took in charge the discipline at schoold helping the sisters to maintain focus the scholars. Naiche seemed to not have send his sons Paul and Bas-na-kli to the school the first years. It seems Naiche waited 1891 and having plenty of confidence about the teachers to send Paul and certainly his brothers to the school.

Despite the difficulties because of the heat and the mosture which made the life very hard and mortal for his People, Naiche as a Nantan had to keep faith of the future and fought to protect and to give hope to his People, the Chiricahuas. He had to continue asking their reservation with their own farms which would allow them to be self-suffisant in the White way of life. Naiche took every opportunity to do so like Pedes-klinje and Kaathenay. It was to this generation of leaders to act, the olders began to quit this life like Chiva, the old companion of Naiche’s father, 19th of May 1889.
Due the fact of sevral reports, of the militaries and of the Indian Right Assciation, the authorities thought to honorate the promise made by General miles of a permanent reservation for the Chiricahuas. In June 1889, captain Bourke visited the Chiricahuas with a memberof the Indian Right Association. the goal was to investigate about a new location for the Chiricahuas where they could live by their own, but all the locations they considered were east of the Mississippi. The two visitors interviewed the chiefs and headmen about what they wanted. Georges Wratten translated for the Apaches.

As always, Naiche was short during his speech. if he began by flattering the Whites, he was very clear of what he thought that would be the best for him, his family and his people:
Three years ago…I thought I would follow int the footsteps of the white people; I saw the way they dressed, slept, ate, drank, and acted, and it seemed to me to be better than my own way…At Fort Pickens I learned how to use tools picks, spades, axes, saws to saw wood. I learned how to work. they told me that was the way to learn how to make a living. I’ve been longing for some one to talk to me as you have talked today. It seems as if we already had the farm, the talk has benn so good. I would like to work and make my own livig. I think about it every day, how hard I would work. I could buy my own clothes with money I would make myself. That’s all I have to say.

A new hope was in the heart of Naiche. He thought he was listened by Bourke and he was. The kindness of the teachers who supported the will of the Chiricahuas to have their own farms, encouraged Naiche to believe of a new departure for he and his people. Allowed to work in dayjob outside the barracks and tourists from Mobile brought money in each family. This money improved the situation and enabled the adults to be little more useful for their family. More present beside his wives, like other men, allowed Naiche to see his family growing. A new daughter with Nah-de-yole born, October 22nd of 1889, certainly enhancing Naiche’s hope in the future. Named Lena, she was the first daughter of Naiche since 1876.
Ready to live as the white men, also in October 1889, Naiche was seen having lunch seated around the family table with Ha-o-zinne, E-clah-eh and their children which impressed the white visitors. Naiche stayed right on the conduct he chose and did not complain, with the Americans about the fact that the good news of their removal from Alabama, was not hearing by the Chiricahuas. Despite Americans, US Army officers, teachers, Wratten and old friend visitors, helped to transmit the Chiricahuas’ wish to move from Mount Vernon, Naiche began to despair that it would never happen or he would die before it could.

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