Bonita (Bonito), Chiricahua Apache Chief

Photographer Ben Wittick captured Bonita's portrait as an 8" × 10" glass negative, catalogued as Wittick #4 and held in the Ben Wittick Collection at the Palace of the Governors Photo Archives in Santa Fe ^[1]. Around 1884, Bonito appeared in a series of studio portraits of Apache leaders alongside figures including Geronimo, Loco, Chatto, Nana, Nachez, Mangus, and Chihuahua, suggesting his recognized status within Chiricahua leadership ^[2]. These cabinet-format prints, some hand-colored, are catalogued under the subject of tribal chiefs and Apache Indians in New Mexico ^[2]. The subject file for the Wittick portrait places Bonito within the Chiricahua Apache portrait category, confirming his identity and tribal affiliation ^[1].