On Becoming Apache by Harry Mithlo and Conger Beasley Jr. (review)

As a scholar and member of the San Carlos Apache tribe in Arizona, I can see the obvious differences between our traditional stories and those written from non-Indigenous and non-Apachean perspectives. In many cases, these interpretations miss significant nuances; being Apache is deeper than just tribal enrollment or citizenry. Harry Mithlo, a Comanche and Chiricahua Apache, and Conger Beasley Jr., a non-Indigenous writer of dozens of books related to the American West, bring their experiences to the fore through Harry's father, Watson Mithlo, a Chiricahua Apache and prisoner of war with the Apache warrior Geronimo at Castillo de San Marcos, Florida, and Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Watson, who died in 1993 at the age of 107, recalls here his personal stories and unique perspectives on the events that unfolded following the Apache Wars—the long-lasting armed conflicts between Apache groups and U.S. military troops during the second half of the nineteenth century.

This book is by no means a retelling of the battles or confrontations that have been glorified and fetishized by popular culture and non-Indigenous scholars fixated on Geronimo and his band of "renegades." Instead, these stories exemplify the importance of Apache spirituality and the Apache lifeway. Moreover, through the hardships they experienced as prisoners of war and as what the federal government would call "free" individuals, Watson Mithlo and his family demonstrate the resilience of Apache people. Starting with a train ride in Arizona, Watson discusses Apache travels from Arizona to Florida and ends at Fort Sill, where many Chiricahuas remain and are now recognized as the Fort Sill Apache tribe.

Along with Watson's and Harry's descriptions of Apache life, Conger offers commentary, providing the reader context and explanation for comprehending the importance of specific aspects of the history. While much of Conger's commentary is helpful, a reader unfamiliar with Apache lineages might become confused as the stories turn to Oklahoma Territory without enough explanation about the presence there of Plains Apaches, a separate people with a similar language but who are different altogether. Stories related to the interactions between the Chiricahua and Plains Apache peoples would have been an interesting and welcome addition. Despite this and some ill-placed comments, I found many of Conger's perceptions of Apache people as "outsiders" interesting. While Harry and Watson were happy to share many things with Conger, they were not willing to share all of their Apache secrets: Conger recounts Harry saying to him, "Apaches don't tell outsiders everything" (104), emphasizing the importance of knowledge and its sacred status to the people.

Watson Mithlo's account of his time as a prisoner of war is a great addition to works published by other Chiricahua Apaches, namely Geronimo's autobiography, Geronimo's Story of His Life (Duffield, 1906), and Jason Betzinez's I Fought with Geronimo (Stackpole, 1959). Watson relays his accounts with these Apache men, especially Betzinez, whom he describes as a "ferocious warrior" when young, but a "kind of fuddy-duddy" when older (75). The emphasis on Apache spirituality, while incomplete, still enhances the story of the Apache experience after 1886. Harry Mithlo and Conger Beasley Jr. have done well by Watson Mithlo in expressing the Chiricahua Apache way of life.