In this episode of pplpod, we explore the life of Cochise, the principal leader of the Chokonen band of the Chiricahua Apache, whose name meant having the strength of an oak. The episode begins with a mystery: Cochise fought an eleven-year war across the American Southwest after being accused of a crime he did not commit, and when he died, he disappeared so completely that his grave remains unknown today. Born around 1805 in Chiricahua territory spanning present-day northern Sonora, New Mexico, and Arizona, Cochise grew up in a world shaped by Spanish, Mexican, and later American expansion. His early life was defined by fragile peace policies, colonial manipulation, raiding, and violent retaliation, including the death of his father at the hands of Mexican forces.

The episode also follows the turning point that shattered Cochise’s attempt a ...