Cleghorn, Mildred Imach (1910–1997)

Mildred Imach Cleghorn, former tribal leader of the Fort Sill Chiricahua Apache, was born on December 11, 1910, at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. At the time of her birth, the Apache people were being held as prisoners of the U.S. government following the surrender of Geronimo in 1886. When she was 4 years old, the Apache people were released from U.S. custody after 27 years of imprisonment. Her parents, Amy Wratten and Richard Imach, had each been born into U.S. custody and had two daughters: Myrtle, who died in infancy, and Mildred. When the Imachs were released, they decided to remain at Fort Sill and each was given an allotment of land to start a new life. Mildred lived on these same allotments for the rest ...