Chihuahua or Chewawa, ( 1822/1825 – 25 July 1901), was chief of the Chokonen local group of the Tsokanende Band of

Chiricahua Chiricahua ( ) is a band of Apache Native Americans. Based in the Southern Plains and Southwestern United States, the Chiricahua historically shared a common area, language, customs, and intertwined family relations with their fellow Apaches. ...

Apache The Apache ( ) are several Southern Athabaskan language-speaking peoples of the Southwestern United States, Southwest, the Southern Plains and Northern Mexico. They are linguistically related to the Navajo. They migrated from the Athabascan ho ...

who carried out several raids on settlers in Arizona in the 1870s and 1880s. His elder brother

Ulzana Ulzana ( – 1909, also known as Josanni, Jolsanie or Ozaní’ – ″Tanned buckskin″ or Bį-sópàn – ″Big Buckskin″), was a Tsokanende Apache war chief, brother of Chihuahua. Biography Both the brothers were loyal and warlike suppor ...

( 1821–1909), who would later become known as leader of a very famous raid through New Mexico and Arizona in 1885, was his war chief (segundo). Chihuahua's name in the

Mescalero-Chiricahua language Mescalero-Chiricahua (also known as Chiricahua Apache) is a Southern Athabaskan language spoken by the Chiricahua and Mescalero people in Chihuahua and Sonora, México and in Oklahoma and New Mexico. It is related to Navajo and Western Apache a ...

was Kla-esh or Tłá'í'ez ("To push something under something else with your foot").

Biography

Chihuahua was a protege of

Cochise Cochise ( ; Apache: or , ; later or , ; June 8, 1874) was the leader of the Chiricahui local group of the Chokonen and principal nantan of the Chokonen band of a Chiricahua Apache. A key war leader during the Apache Wars, he led an upri ...

, fought under Cochise orders, and he surrendered with Cochise in 1872 going to live on the

San Carlos Reservation The San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation (Western Apache: Tsékʼáádn), in southeastern Arizona, United States, was established in 1872 as a reservation for the Chiricahua Apache tribe as well as surrounding Yavapai and Apache bands removed fro ...

in southern Arizona, where he became first sergeant of a company of

Apache Scouts The Apache Scouts were part of the United States Army Indian Scouts. Most of their service was during the Apache Wars, between 1849 and 1886, though the last scout retired in 1947. The Apache scouts were the eyes and ears of the United States mil ...

in 1880 under Lieutenant James A. Maney. Both brothers—Chihuahua and Ulzana—followed Cochise voluntary but after Cochise's death, they—together with Skinya ( 1825–1876) and his brother Pionsenay ( 1830– 1878)—didn't recognize Cochise's sons' leadership. Skinya (brother-in-law of Naiche) was killed by

Naiche Chief Naiche ( ; –1919) was the final hereditary chief of the Chiricahua band of Apache Indians.Johansen, Bruce E"Naiche (ca. 1857–1919)." ''Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.'' (retrieved 25 Sept 201 ...

( 1857–1919) himself and Pionsenay (youngest brother of Skinya) was badly wounded by Tahzay ( 1843–1876). Three years later Chihuahua fled the reservation to lead a war party into Mexico, but surrendered to General

George Crook George R. Crook (September 8, 1828 – March 21, 1890) was a career United States Army officer who served in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. He is best known for commanding U.S. forces in the Geronimo Campaign, 1886 campaign that ...

in 1883. He left the reservation in San Carlos again with Geronimo and other chiefs in 1885 after the tiswin incident and led raids into Mexico, finally surrendering again to Crook in 1886. On April 7, 1886, Chihuahua was shipped to Fort Marion, Florida, with the remaining Chiricahua renegades. In May 1888, he was transferred to Mount Vernon Barracks in Mobile, Alabama. In October 1893 the remaining were transferred to Fort Sill, Oklahoma. A cemetery and the hill on which he lived at Fort Sill are named after him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chihuahua (chief) 1820s births 1901 deaths Chiricahua people Native American leaders Native American people of the Indian Wars People from Arizona Territory Apache Wars Native Americans imprisoned at Fort Marion United States Army Indian Scouts