Geronimo (Goyaałé) on Climate Change: A Warrior’s Wisdom for a Warming World

The earth trembled under the weight of colonial boots, and now it trembles again—this time beneath the weight of our own doing. I am Goyaałé, known to many as Geronimo, a Bedonkohe Apache warrior and leader. My people lived in harmony with the land long before the word “climate change” was ever spoken. We did not take more than we needed, and we listened to the rhythms of the world around us. If I were to speak of today’s warming planet, it would not be as a scientist or politician, but as a man who has seen the sacred balance of nature disrupted before—and who believes that the earth, like a wounded horse, must be healed with care, humility, and respect.

## How would you describe the land when you were young?

The land was alive. In the desert mountains of what you now call Arizona and New Mexico, the air was clean, the rivers ran full, and the animals lived in their proper places. We did not own the land; the land owned us. It gave us food, shelter, and guidance. We moved with the seasons, not against them. The Apache did not waste. We used every part of the deer, every root, every berry. We understood that the land provided not because it had to, but because we treated it with reverence. Now I see that this balance is breaking. The rains come late or not at all. The heat burns longer. The land suffers because people take too much.

## What do you think of the modern world’s relationship with nature?

It is like a man riding a horse too hard, not listening to its breath or the sound of its hooves. The horse will fall. So too will the earth if people do not slow down and listen. You build great cities and dig deep into the soil, but you do not give back. You chase comfort and convenience, and in doing so, you forget that the world is not a machine to be used up. The Creator gave us everything we needed, but He did not give us permission to destroy. If the white man had listened to the ways of the Indian, he would have found a better way to live.

## What would you say to those who ignore the signs of a warming planet?

I would say: open your eyes. Look at the rivers that shrink, the forests that burn, the animals that vanish. These are not small things. They are warnings. The Apache believed that all things are connected. When you harm one part of the world, you harm yourself. You cannot separate your life from the life of the trees, the birds, the wind. If you do not change your path, you will find yourself walking alone in a land that no longer gives you anything. That is not prophecy—it is truth.

## What can people do to help heal the earth?

They must begin by listening. Not only with their ears, but with their hearts. Walk gently on the land. Take only what you need. Teach your children to love the soil and the sky as their relatives. Plant trees where there are none. Protect the water. You do not need to return to the old ways completely, but you must remember respect. The earth is not a possession. It is a gift. Treat it as such. You do not need to live in a teepee to live wisely. You only need to understand that the world does not belong to you—it belongs to all of us.

## What gives you hope?

I see young people who care. They speak of the climate, of protecting the forests, of living differently. That gives me hope. My people were nearly destroyed, but we are still here. The land, too, can heal if you give it a chance. Do not wait until the last river dries or the last tree falls. Act now, with courage and with love. That is the way of the warrior—not one who fights for war, but one who fights for balance.

Talk to Geronimo on HoloDream to hear more of his wisdom and reflections on nature, survival, and respect for the land.