Unconquered

Unconquered. Allan Houser, 1994. "Two men, fast men, quick men, rather fight and not be afraid at all." , -Sam Haozous, Fort Sill Apache , Oral Interview, 1956, Allan Houser's father, Sam Haozous, was the grandson of renowned chief Mangas Coloradas, was among those who surrendered to the United States government in 1886 and eventually sent to Fort Sill, Indian Territory. Now known as the Fort Sill Apache Tribe, they were freed after being held as prisoners of war for 27 years in 1913. The following year Sam's wife, Blossom, gave birth to Allan., Geronimo employed a style of fighting against the American and Mexican armies that was calculated and shrewd. Knowing the Apaches were often outnumbered, Geronimo's warriors often fought in small groups, many times as pairs., Sam Haozous described several instances where two Apache men would lay traps for their enemies by hiding under grass or blankets and ambush a small patrol of soldiers. Another account tells of two Apaches who caught the attention of a detachment of American cavalry and led them into a canyon where a larger group of Apaches were waiting. , "All of these stories of my dad's have lived with me through the years. They are the basis of most of this sculpture." - Allan Houser