In Geronimo's Footsteps: A Journey Beyond Legend

(Hardback)

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The name "Geronimo" came to Corine Sombrun insistently in a trance during her apprenticeship to a Mongolian shaman. That message and the need to understand its meaning brought her to the home of the legendary Apache leader's great-grandson, Harlyn Geronimo, himself a medicine man on the Mescalero Apache reservation in New Mexico. Together, the two of themthe French seeker and the Native American healerwould make a pilgrimage that retraced Geronimo's life while following the course of the Gila River to the place of his birth, at its source.
Told in the alternating voices of its authors, In Geronimo's Footsteps is the record of that journey. At its core is an account of Geronimo's life, from his earliest days in a Chiricahua Apache family and his path as a warrior and chief to his surrender and the years spent in exile until his death, at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Recounted by his great-grandson, his story is steeped in family history and Apache lore to create a portrait of a leader intent on defending his people and their land and traditionsa mission that Harlyn continues, even as he campaigns to recover his ancestor's bones from the U.S. government. Completing Corine's circle, the book also explores the links, genetic and possibly cultural, between the Apache and the people of Mongolia.

Reviews

This is a good medicine book and holds sublime truths. It is an interface of ancient shamanic knowledge with present-day realities. At its heart is the story of the holy and noble warrior Geronimo. Corine Sombrun and Harlyn Geronimo have shared a bittersweet journey with usit is a powerful affirmation of the mystery. David Carson, award-winning author of Crossing into Medicine Country and coauthor of the bestselling Medicine Cards

"Harlyn Geronimos passionate commitment to return the remains of Geronimo, his legendary great-grandfather, from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he died a prisoner, to his birthplace and native home at the headwaters of the Gila River in New Mexico is a profound revelation of the endurance of the Native American spirit." Ramsey Clark, former attorney general of the United States

"A stimulating book, full of history and Native American legends, of accounts of war and plants for healing."Le Point

"Captivating . . . Weaves together both ancestral Apache culture and a glimpse of the daily lives of people on the Mescalero reservation in New Mexico. The chapters devoted to Geronimo read like an initiation story, while those on contemporary Apache life are classic reportage."Nouvel Observateur

"Geronimo's great grandson recounts the famous Apache chief's life in a riveting book that also touches on topics from his own service in Vietnam to his activism for his people and the medicine man he has becomethis in addition to little known facts about Geronimo."Le Monde
This is a good medicine book and holds sublime truths. It is an interface of ancient shamanic knowledge with present-day realities. At its heart is the story of the holy and noble warrior Geronimo. Corine Sombrun and Harlyn Geronimo have shared a bittersweet journey with usit is a powerful affirmation of the mystery. David Carson, award-winning author of Crossing into Medicine Country and coauthor of the bestselling Medicine Cards

"Harlyn Geronimos passionate commitment to return the remains of Geronimo, his legendary great-grandfather, from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he died a prisoner, to his birthplace and native home at the headwaters of the Gila River in New Mexico is a profound revelation of the endurance of the Native American spirit." Ramsey Clark, former attorney general of the United States

"A stimulating book, full of history and Native American legends, of accounts of war and plants for healing."Le Point

"Captivating . . . Weaves together both ancestral Apache culture and a glimpse of the daily lives of people on the Mescalero reservation in New Mexico. The chapters devoted to Geronimo read like an initiation story, while those on contemporary Apache life are classic reportage."Nouvel Observateur

"Geronimo's great grandson recounts the famous Apache chief's life in a riveting book that also touches on topics from his own service in Vietnam to his activism for his people and the medicine man he has becomethis in addition to little known facts about Geronimo."Le Monde

Author Bio

Corine Sombrun is a musician, writer, and shaman. Born in Africa, she was trained as a pianist and composer in France and worked in London for a BBC World program on religion. While she was in Mongolia for the BBC, a shaman recognized her gift, and she underwent a three-year apprenticeship. Her abilities in the trance state have been studied by researchers in France and Canada. She now resides in Paris, France. Harlyn Geronimo is a medicine man and activist deeply involved in the life of his people on the Mescalero Apache reservation. He is also a sculptor. A former member of the tribal council, he speaks publicly about Apache history. From his many speaking engagements in Europe, he has been called an "Indian ambassador." He lives with his wife, Karen, an Apache linguist and teacher, in Mescalero, New Mexico.