Additional thoughts and info on the Shaker Church

and Geronimo's thoughts

I wrote an article on the Indian Shaker Church in Tulalip Washington a few posts ago. Additional research on the building.

It was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in May of 1976. In 2008 the structure was in bad shape and in need of serious repairs. It was burned down and re-built. Is this legal?

I asked Gemini AI.

Chat GPT response

The kick around AI answer seems to indicate that it is highly unlikely that you can burn down a historic building and maintain its status—unethical too. Would the Tulalip tribe ever do anything illegal, unethical? They were the main players in the Marysville Pilchuck High school hoax—Jaylen Fryberg, Andrew Fryberg, Nate Hatch.

In the spring of 2015 a Native American Indian boarded my bus late one evening. He boarded it with an old Indian drum. It was this man.

I inquired about the drum and asked him what tribe he is from. He told me he is from a tribe in New Mexico and he is up here on Indian business. He told me I might recognize his name. He handed me an Indian identification card with his picture on it. The name only had a first name GERONIMO.

He said there are a lot of impersonators but he is the real deal—Harlyn Geronimo. There’s a strong resemblance to Geronimo.

Researching the Pilchuck shooting hoax took me down several fascinating Native American rabbit holes. In one of the holes I found my last name. I traveled to the gravesite of the person buried just outside of Tacoma Washington.

I was so thrilled to have actually met and shook hands with a descendant of the real Geronimo that I pulled my bus over on 6th street. I got my bag out and wrote down my phone number and gave it to Harly. I told him that I had a million Indian questions. I asked him if I could buy him dinner or lunch while he was in town. He agreed but said his phone was broke but he’d have it repaired the following day. He never called.

I asked him what he thought of the Tulalip tribe. He said they are the scum of the earth, lower than the white man. He then said, “but no offense to you my friend.” He continued, “You might be an Indian and if you are you won’t be driving a bus anymore.”

He told me he is the chief of his tribe in New Mexico and showed me several pictures of his artwork.

I let Geronimo off on 4th street and Jackson. It was around 11pm. He stood in front of my bus and played a song on his drum and then began singing in his native tongue. It was quite amazing and several passengers stood up and came forward. Eventually, he stepped up to the curb and as I drove off he was still playing and singing.