Onondaga Nation leaders blast 'Geronimo' codename for Bin Laden

Syracuse NY: The Post-Standard ^ | Tuesday, May 03, 2011, 9:32 PM | Charles McChesney /

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Leaders of the Onondaga Nation blasted as “reprehensible” the assigning of the world’s most wanted terrorist “Geronimo” as a codename.

Bin Laden was killed during an attack on his compound in Pakistan Sunday. “We’ve ID’d Geronimo,” U.S. forces reported by radio to the White House. Later, word came that “Geronimo” was dead.

“Think of the outcry if they had used any other ethnic group’s hero,” the Onondaga Council of Chiefs said in a release Tuesday. “Geronimo bravely and heroically defended his homeland and his people, eventually surrendering and living out the rest of his days peacefully, if in captivity,” the chiefs noted.

“Geronimo is arguably the most recognized Native American name in the world,” the chiefs said, “and this comparison only serves to perpetuate negative stereotypes about our people.”

Geronimo was an Apache leader who fought Mexican and U.S. forces before surrendering to U.S. authorities in 1886. He died in 1909.

[Just mythoughts]

My first thought when I read the name Geronimo, was that somebody was a Conspiracy Theory movie fan....

[TwoSwords]

Thanks. I would’ve preferred Operation Hyena. My favorite Nat’l Geographic show was call Lions & Hyeana’s: Eternal Enemies. We being the Lions. Or more appropriately our Armed Forces and intelligience agencies.

[Just mythoughts]

My first thought when I read the name Geronimo, was that somebody was a Conspiracy Theory movie fan.... Oh and I forgot to add as more picture evidence gets revealed I will be looking for some red and white smoke stacks as background images.

[bgill]

Next time the target will be named Whitey or Soccer Mom. Now, is everyone happy?

[PzLdr]

Perhaps they would have preferred “Joseph Brant”?

[KC Burke]

Consider this post the obligatory Skull and Bones reference.

Bushs’ fault.

[Oztrich Boy]

Sorry, in the awareness of virtually every American alive at the moment, "Geronimo" in this operation was the codename for Bin Laden.

Then every American are oversensitive easily-offended wimps, prone to organising to complain about every dam word.

[Domestic Church]

Thanks for clarity and the history lesson.

[PzLdr]

The Onondaga aren’t Lakota. They’re Iroquois.

[GOYAKLA]

History lesson? Surrender/or?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geronimo

[GOYAKLA]

History lesson? Surrender/or?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geronimo

[Delta 21]

It happens to every culture that has been subsidised by the tax dollars of hard working people other than themselves.

Started with the Indians. Really took off after WW II.

Continues to worsen to this day.

[PzLdr]

Geronimo may be admirable for his refusal to quit. But tell that to ALL the non-hostile Apaches who got sent to Florida because of him, and still [largely] have not returned to their homeland.

[razbinn]

well I guess they could have said “coming...ready or not”

[Delta 21]

My 1/16th Choctaw lineage is offended by your name.

But the Okie and Mexican in me are “ok” with it.

[I still care]

The sounds that Indians made while speaking are different from English. "Geronimo" probably sounds nothing like that Chiefs real name. I went and garnered this off wiki: Geronimo (Chiricahua: Goyaałé, "one who yawns"; often spelled Goyathlay or Goyahkla[2] in English.

[Cvengr]

So why do they call them Sioux Chefs? ;^)

[Slump Tester]

They should have used something like Libby. So what if a bunch of fruits get mad?

[GOYAKLA]

My line is 1/x Cherokee and many others but I call myself American.
We all can get offended at something but I prefer Bourbon over arguing. ;^}
Realizing that Geronimo accepted Christ in his later life I would like to think, in a strange way, the “Code Name” was to mean the Christians won!!!!
Have great life! Goyakla/ Geronimo

[LadyDoc]

Gernomino was an Apache, so I don’t see why it’s their business.