Jessica Crabtree

My latest portrait, Apache, 12×16 pastel on suede.

The portrait is based on a 1906 photograph by Edward Curtis entitled “Tsahizn Tseh.”

The Apache people, along with their close relatives the Navajo, call themselves “Dine,” meaning “the people.” These nations are part of an extended group of closely related nations and bands who once inhabited large areas of the Western Plains. When they reached the deserts of the Southwest in the 1500s, the Navajo gradually adopted a farming lifestyle similar to the region’s Pueblo peoples, while the Apache continued their traditional nomadic ways. Their fierce independence and their incredible knowledge of desert survival have made them legendary.

September 4, 1886: Geronimo surrenders to the US Army in Arizona

After more than 25 years on the run from both the American and Mexican militaries, Geronimo (called “Goyathlay” in Apache) and his band of Chiricahua Apache surrendered to US forces under Gen. Nelson Miles. In a bitter irony, this last stand of Native Americans resisting reservation confinement occured only weeks before the dedication of America’s great new monument to freedom – the Statue of Liberty.

After his capture, Geronimo became an instant celebrity. He was paraded throughout the country, appearing at fairs, high-profile society functions, and presidential processions. Nevertheless he died a prisoner of war at the Fort Sill Military Prison in Oklahoma. The surviving Apache from Geronimo’s band, as well as the Apache who had served as scouts in the Army, were sent along with their families to military prisons in the Florida Everglades and across the South. The were never allowed to return home, and their imprisoned descendants remained prisoners of war until 1913 – a year before the first World War.

While Americans tend to view Geronimo as a cultural hero, many Apache feel that his ambivalent actions brought unnecessary hardship on the Apache people.

Geronimo – third from the left. Can you name the others? Find out here – (continue reading…)

Here’s the latest shot of my new painting Apache, 12×16.

More to come!

First stage of Apache, 12×16, pastel on suede. It will be in full-color, but in a painting with lots of dark shadows I find it works better to put in the darkest areas first. This look of this initial black layer has a really neat effect, I think. More coming soon!