Following is a transcribed copy of an article written by Tim Giago, editor and founder of "The Lakota Nation Journal," and founder and former owner of "Indian Country Today." The article has been manually transcribed so as to fit the format of this website and to improve legibility. Our scanner is not capable of producing a quality scan of newsprint. The article is reproduced here with the knowledge and consent of Mr. Giago, and for that I am most grateful.
WHERE ARE THEY HIDING GERONIMO'S SKULL?
Notes From Indian Country
SAN CARLOS APACHE RESERVATION, AZ - Ned Anderson
is the former Chairman of the San Carlos Apache of Arizona. He is
on a one-man campaign to get the skull of his beloved Apache warrior,
Geronimo, returned to its rightful burial place.
Anderson is convinced that the skull has been used in weird fraternity rituals
at Yale University since about 1918 after it was taken from Geranium's grave
at Fort Sill, Oklahoma , by Prescott Bush, the grandfather
of Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush.
In 1983 several Apache leaders discussed the idea of having the bones of
Geronimo returned to Arizona for reburial. The meeting between the
Apache leaders at Fort Sill resulted in several papers picking up the story
and putting Ned Anderson's name temporarily in the spotlight.
A short time later a disgruntled member of Yale's Skull and Bones Society
contacted Anderson by letter and suggested that the remains of Geronimo had
been pilfered by Prescott Bush while he and five other officers were stationed
at Fort Sill in 1918. The stolen prizes were taken back to New Haven,
Connecticut to a place known as the Tomb, the home of the Skull
and Bones Society. The bones, a horse bit, and stirrups were
placed in a glass display case where members and visitors could view them
as they entered the building.
The secret informant sent pictures of the bones on display along with a copy
of a Skull and Bones ledger which held notations about the 1918 grave robbery.
The informant provided the information that the bones were used in the Thursday
and Sunday night rituals of the Society and Geronimo's skull was always placed
on a table in front of the participants during the ceremony.
Hardly believing his own ears, Anderson went to New Haven to confirm
the allegations and satisfied that it was true he contacted the FBI to take
control of the issue. According to Anderson, his attorney informed
him that if he would turn over every bit of evidence he possessed to the
FBI, they would then take on the case. Anderson rejected this
offer.
Anderson then met with Jonathan Bush, the brother of George Bush, in
Manhattan in 1986 with nothing of substance happening from the meeting.
Instead Anderson believes the meeting was used as a stalling tactic
in order to give the Society time to conceal the remains of Geronimo.
The secret letter that revealed the whereabouts of the bones mentioned that
Prescott Bush and the other grave robbers used carbolic acid to rid the skull
of the remaining flesh and hair.
Attorney Endicott P. Davison representing the Skull and Bones Society denies
that the club had Geronimo's skull. He claimed the ledger describing
the theft of the bones was a hoax.
Ned Anderson considers the concealment and cover-up as, "a sacrilege
and national disgrace."
"Everywhere I have turned for help I have run into barriers. I contacted
Arizona Congressman Morris "Mo" Udall before his death and Senator
John McCain and they were not able to help me. I just want to get my day
in court, so to speak, and have a congressional hearing so I
can present my case and my evidence," Anderson said.
Anderson is angry that he has been accused of orchestrating the whole scenario
and his detractors have tried to convey the message that it is all "make
believe." Although he served as chairman of the San Carlos Apache from
1978 to 1986, he is reluctant to go to the tribal council for support
because of the political turmoil now permeating his tribal government.
"The situation at San Carlos is getting worse and it is much worse
than it was several years ago when your newspaper covered the story," he
said.
Anderson said he feels that he is being held in abeyance. "I do have the
so-called smoking gun and that can bring all of this into perspective and
I am sure that the evidence I have will substantiate all that I have said
about this."
The former tribal chairman was adamant in his charges and angered over the
fact that some would accuse him of seeking to get personal publicity for
his actions. At press time he was about to call Valerie Taliman, the
producer of the national radio talk show, Native America Calling,
based in Albuquerque, N.M., to get air time to make his
views known to the other tribal leaders in America.
Where are the bones of the revered Apache warrior, Geronimo? I
must agree with Anderson that if his bones and skull have been used for childish
rituals by the Skull and Bones Society at Yale, it is indeed sacrilegious
and barbaric. If George Herbert Walker Bush, the former president of
the United States participated in midnight rituals using the skull
and bones of this great warrior, he owes every Indian in America an
apology.
Tim Giago (Nanwica Kciji)
(c) 2000 The
Lakota Nation Journal
vol.1 Issue 30
August 28-Sept.3rd, 2000
http://www.lakotajournal.com (Website of "The Lakota
Journal.")
I conducted a phone interview with Mr. Ned Anderson in the fall of 2000.
Mr. Anderson confirmed the details of the above article. He added
that in the meeting with Jonathan Bush, Mr. Bush produced a skull of
a ten year old child that he claimed was the skull used in the Skull and
Bones rituals. Mr. Anderson made note of the obvious physical differences
between the child's skull and the photo he had received of what was claimed
to be Geronimo's remains. Mr. Bush denied that Geronimo's skull was
in possession of the Skull and Bones Society. If you would like to
help Mr. Anderson recover the remains of Geronimo please write your congressman
and senators demanding a Congressional hearing on this matter. Phone
calls to Yale University may also prod the institution into resolving this
abomination in a respectful manner.
Mike Kohr 11/23/01
Related news article 5/2006:
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0509-12.htm