Native American leaders are criticizing the US military's code name "Geronimo" for Osama bin Laden during the weekend raid that killed him, pointing out that Geronimo was an Apache leader who fought against US and Mexican armies until his surrender in 1886, and to ascribe his name to a world-renowned terrorist is offensive:

Loretta Tuell, staff director and chief counsel for the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, said it was inappropriate to link Geronimo, whom she called "one of the greatest Native American heroes," with one of the most hated enemies of the United States.

"These inappropriate uses of Native American icons and cultures are prevalent throughout our society, and the impacts to Native and non-Native children are devastating," she said.

The Senate Indian Affairs committee, which was scheduled to hold a hearing Thursday on racist Native American stereotypes, is now also slated to discuss the military's use of the code-name Geronimo. Let's start the discussion off, shall we?