Lozen - Chiricahua Apache

Maria was born into a powerful family of medicine men, and even though she showed great talent for medicine ways as a young child, she was not allowed to develop her skills. Shortly after her puberty ceremony, she was married into still another medicine family but was still not allowed to develop her gifts. When her medicine-man husband took a second wife (a common tradition among Papago medicine men at the time) Maria refused to accept the practice and returned to her family's home. Some time later, she married a man considerably older than herself, and was encouraged to develop her natural talents as a medicine woman. Maria went on to become well known in the entire Territory as an expert in the curing of infant illnesses.

Early in the 1930s, Maria served as guide and informant for Ruth Underhill, an ethnographer who was studying the Papago culture and lifeways. During the time spent with Underhill, Maria related many of her life experiences which was published in 1936 as "The Autobiography of a Papago Woman". These writings were later refined, a detailed introduction was written by Underhill, and it was published again in 1979 as "Papago Woman". It is still hailed today as an outstanding and complex portrait of the Papago culture from a woman's perspective, and contains many discussions of family life, seasonal cycles, ceremonial events and traditions.

Even though Maria was thoroughly familiar and at home with white ways and customs, she preferred to live the traditional Native life. She was accomplished in basketry, and lived the latter years of her life divided between Tucson and her traditional ties on the Santa Rosa village of the Papago Reservation. She died in 1936. For additional information about Maria and the Papago you can order the following books online using our links to Amazon.com

• Her date of birth is given as both 1735 and 1736
• Her Mohawk name was either Gonwatsijayenni, Degonwadonti or Tekonwatonti depending upon your resource
• She died in Brantford, Ontario, Canada in 1795, OR in Kingston, Ontario, Canada in 1796
• There is even disagreement over whether she was Mohawk or Iroquois

It was at the age of 17 that Molly's destiny began to take shape when she met William Johnson, a famous British trader who later became Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the British Indian Department's Northern District. Johnson was clearly quite taken with Molly for, by the time she was 23, she had moved into his home and was fulfilling all the duties of wife, political consort, and hostess of his considerable estate. She went on to bear Johnson 9 children.

Some accounts hold that Molly and Johnson were married in Native tradition, but it is established that they were never married in a white ceremony. Even though she was considered only Johnson's mistress by white leaders, she was nonetheless accepted as their peer and equal. Her skill as a diplomat was admired by the political leaders of the day. Her grace and dignity as a hostess made the Johnson estate a major destination to visitors from this country, Canada and Europe who could find an excuse to"stop by". In return for her hospitality, Molly received many gifts of every type and description. The personal items such as clothing, she carefully packed away. Other items were proudly displayed for all to see.

Never shy, Molly used her considerable influence with the British to see that her people were well cared for. In times of disagreement, it was she who traveled into the villages and met with the Sachems (chiefs) to urge their continuing loyalty to the Crown. So effective was she that provisions were made by the British to support her financially for her entire life! Her yearly pension even exceeded that of her famous brother.

Prior to his death in 1774, Johnson had the foresight to make a will which left all of his wealth and property to Molly. Additionally, he set out political appointments for the children and for Molly's brother, Joseph. As the armies of the American Revolution drew closer to her home, Molly knew that word of her loyalties to the British were too well known for her to be safe there. She gathered her worldly goods and moved into Canada. Even so, the invading armies reported digging up several barrels of dresses which had been left behind......buried in the backyard.

Molly remained safe in Canada until her death. Even there, her efforts to keep the Iroquois loyal to the British never weakened. Molly Brant's life, and her influence over events of her time, are indeed legendary.
 

Nampeyo (Snake Girl) - Hopi

The village of Hano on Arizona's First Mesa was established around 1700 by Tewa refugees fleeing from Spanish oppression in New Mexico. Even though they learned many of the Hopi ways and intermarried into that Nation, the Tewa maintained their own speech and ceremonial practices. They became known as the Hopi-Tewa. In 1859 or 1860, Nampeyo was born to a Tewa mother and a Hopi father, and thus began a life that would gain fame and honor as a master potter of her people.

Nampeyo became fascinated as a young child by the pottery made by her grandmother to serve the family's needs. As she grew, she began to make her own, and to experiment with different looks and styles. At the age of 20, she married only to be left by her husband because he feared that her beauty would make her seek other men! Shortly after this disappointment, Nampeyo began to wander in search of the remains of old pottery created by earlier generations. An archaelogical site had been established not far from her home, and she heard of pottery which was being uncovered in the excavations.

Nampeyo and her new husband, Lesou, scoured the area finding all shapes and sizes of ancient pottery shards dating back to the Anasazi. Intrigued by the textures, color and design of these works, she began searching for different clays and unusual ways of mixing and baking the clay. She found ways of giving new life to the ancient designs she found, and had soon created a totally new look in Hopi pottery. When other potters discovered that her designs brought a higher price, Nampeyo's art was soon copied far and wide in the territory.

Nampeyo has been credited by many authorities as being the artist who brought the beauty of this new Hopi pottery to the attention of the world. She became the symbol of Hopi culture, and was at the height of her fame from about 1901 to 1910. Her works have been collected by the National Museum in Washington, D.C. She left her homeland 3 times to appear with her creations: in 1905 and 1907 she went to the Hopi House at the Grand Canyon, and in 1910 to the U.S. Land and Irrigation Exposition in Chicago.

Always her great supporter and helper, Lesou passed away in 1932. As she grew older, Nampeyo's eyes had begun to fail and Lesou had been invaluable in helping her to maintain the integrity of the art painted on her pottery. With his passing, her daughter Fannie took up her father's work and served as "eyes" for her mother until Nampeyo passed away in 1942. The three other surviving daughters born to Lesou and Nampeyo all were active in some manner with ceramic art.

One of Nampeyo's grandaughters, Daisy Hooee is credited with introducing the art of relief settings into the exquisite creations of the Zuni silversmiths. Even though she enjoyed sculpting in silver, Daisy returned to the creation of pottery, and has always signed her art "Nampeyo" in honor of her esteemed grandmother.

Pitamakan (Running Eagle) - Piegan

There seems to be no accurate record of Running Eagle's birth, and even the date of her death is uncertain. Her young life was spent in learning the domestic chores of the women of her tribe and, even though she had no patience for this type of work, she did perform these duties whenever her mother became ill, or was not able to care for the family. Running Eagle's true talents were formed when her father, a warrior of some standing in the tribe, began teaching her to shoot a bow and arrow.

Her skills soon became good enough that she was allowed to go on buffalo hunts with the men and, indeed, she did kill her share of buffalo. On one such hunt, the group encountered an enemy war party. In their attempts to flee, Running Eagle's father's horse was shot from under him and he was killed. Running Eagle turned back, picked up her father, loaded the fresh buffalo meat onto her horse, and escaped to her village. She was given great praise for her fighting spirit and her bravery in the face of the enemy.

Very shortly after the death of her father, Running Eagle's mother died of a broken heart. This left her responsible for her brothers and sisters, and forced Running Eagle to make serious life choices. Since she had no love for domestic chores, she brought a woman who had been widowed into the household to care for the family, and Running Eagle took on the role of hunter/warrior/family head. She carried her father's rifle with pride.

Before long, Running Eagle had her first war experience with Crow warriors who had stolen horses from her village. Upon reaching the Crow camp, she and her cousin were responsible for reclaiming 11 of their horses. While the main party rested under cover on their way back home, Running Eagle kept watch from a nearby butte. She attacked two enemy riders trailing her main party — killed one warrior — took his rifle — and shooting both her rifle and his, chased away the remaining rider.

After this experience, Running Eagle was instructed by the village elders to go on a vision quest in order to learn her true destiny. During her ceremony, she received a vision and the power necessary to become a successful warrior in the tribe. She was never questioned again by her people, and was given the respect of one who has received special powers from the Spirit World.

Running Eagle went on to become a mighty warrior. She took part in many raids, and was permitted to tell of her adventures in the Medicine Lodge ceremonies. She became a member of the Braves Society of young warriors, and successfully led many war parties. During a battle with a large party of Flatheads near the Sun River, Running Eagle was clubbed from behind and killed. The name of Trick Falls in Glacier National Park was originally named Pitamakan in honor of the great woman warrior. After it was re-named by whites, the name of Pitamakan/Running Eagle disappears from history.
 
 

Ptesanwanyakapi (Josephine Crowfeather) - Hunkpapa Sioux

Josephine Crowfeather was born to the Hunkpapa chief, Joseph Crowfeather, near the Standing Rock Agency in the Dakota Territory (now North Dakota), in 1867. Her father carried her into battle for protection as a newborn, and when they both returned unharmed, she was given the name Ptesanwanyakapi - "They see a white buffalo woman". From that time forward, she was regarded by her people as a sacred virgin.

While very young, Crowfeather dreamed of carrying on the work of Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Mohawk nun, in working to establish a Native Christian sisterhood. She went to the Benedictine Sisters' School in North Dakota for 4 years, and was able to study to become a Sister with an Iroquois Catholic priest who shared her vision of fulfilling the work of The Lily of the Mohawk - Kateri. With 5 other Sioux women, she attended the Benedictine academy in Minnesota, and went on to take her vows in 1890.

Her first assignment at a mission school in South Dakota did not go well due to internal disharmony within the noviate, and her group of Sisters was transferred to a new convent on the Ft. Berthold Reservation. This community of Sisters followed the Benedictine disciplines and became known as The Congregation of American Sisters. The year after establishing this group, Crowfeather was elected founding prioress-general and was given the title of "Mother". She was now known as Mother Mary Catherine, and with her group, worked among the Arickara, Gros Ventre and Mandan teaching English, caring for the sick and carrying on their missionary work.

Crowfeather died of tuberculosis at the age of 26, in 1893. The community she had founded survived for an additional 7 years after her death, and did grow to a total of 12 members. The determination to pave the way for an order of Native Sisters in the face of continuing poverty, illness and racism on every front has served as an inspiration through the years to all those who share this calling.
 

Sally Ainse - Oneida

As closely as can be determined, Sally Ainse was born around 1728, and grew up in the region of the Susquehanna River.  She was to become famous as a fur trader, land owner and diplomat; all notable achievements for her time and place in history.  She was known by a number of names, but there is no explanation in my resource for these changes in name.

At age 17, she married an Indian interpreter for the British named Andrew Montour.  She was married to him for several years, and had several children with him.  However, as was the custom in some areas and tribes, Montour apparently became tired of Sally.  He returned her to the Oneida people where she began her career as an active trader.  From the Oneida, she secured a deed to lands in the Fort Stanwix area, now known as Rome, New York.   At this time, she was well known as Sally, or Sarah, Montour.

Shortly after the onset of the American Revolution, Sally abandoned her land holdings in New York and moved to the Detroit District which was under British control.  In Detroit, records show that she was referred to as Sally Hands, Hains and Willson, but she was best known as Sally Ainse.  She was back in business in very short order, trading cider and other goods to nearby Natives.  She prospered in her endeavors, and the 1779 Detroit census shows her assets as a house and lot in Detroit, four slaves, three cows, four horses and one hundred pounds of flour.

Because of her knowledge of both British and Native ways, Sally quickly made her mark as a diplomat and intermediary of the woodlands areas.  Following the defeat of the Allied Indian Tribes by U.S. Forces in 1794, she became active in peace negotiations, and relayed messages and speeches on behalf of Chief Joseph Brant to the various Native nations and the British.

Her acquisition of land holdings continued with a deed from the Ojibwa to an area along the north shore of the Thames River in current Chatham, Ontario.  Within a few years, she sold her land and home in Detroit and concentrated on settling in her new area.  Her purchases were quite extensive and included three improved farms, an orchard, and a house referred to as the "mansion".  Sadly, Sally's life was not to be a peaceful one.

In 1790, the British Crown purchased the remaining Ojibwa lands in this area by an agreement known as the McKee Purchase.  Specific conditions were deliberately placed in the McKee agreement which exempted the lands then owned by Sally.  The British Land Board supervising the sale and distribution of the new lands chose to ignore Sally's rights.  Once it became known that Sally's lands were threatened, seven Ojibwa chiefs, Mohawk chief Joseph Brant, Lt. Governor Simcoe, and the powerful head of Indian Affairs Sir John Johnson all verified Sally's ownership of the lands, her exemption from the McKee purchase, and her rights as a landowner.  It all failed.  This began a battle for Sally to retain control of her lands that lasted for 23 years.

In the early 1800s, Sally left her land in Chatham, and moved to Amherstburg, Ontario.  Finally, in 1813, she gave up the battle and relinquished her Chatham holdings.  She continued to live in Amherstburg until her death in 1823.
 
 

Wetamoo (Sweetheart) - Pocasset

 

  The English translation of Wetamoo, and all of its various spellings, was Sweetheart which led the English to believe that she was easily led. A mistake.

Wetamoo was born the daughter of the Sachem of Pocasset, Chief Corbitant. The Pocasset were located in and around present day Rhode Island, and the word "Sachem" ties them to the language of the original Lenni-Lenape; a grandfather Nation to many Nations of North America and Canada. When Chief Corbitant died, Wetamoo became the Squaw Sachem.

When Wetamoo's brother-in-law died mysteriously, she became convinced that he had been poisoned by the English. This belief led to a hatred of the whites that dominated her life. During the great war of the northeast against the Pilgrims/Puritans/English, Wetamoo joined forces with the great Wampanoag Sachem, Chief Philip. Since the whites could not understand the concept of tribal living, or the role of the chief, Philip became "King Philip" to them, and the resulting war lives in history as "King Philip's War".

Wetamoo married several times but, each time, her husband became sympathetic to the whites. When this happened, Wetamoo quickly sent them on their way. She was known for her great beauty and for diplomatic skills as well as her skills as a warrior. She was ever the fighter for her people against the unfairness of white rule. She was a powerful and regal Sachem and, at the height of her tenure, she commanded some 300 warriors.

Wetamoo and her warriors were hunted continually by the Plymouth colonists during King Philip's War, but they always were successful in evading the enemy. However, during one escape down the Fall River, Wetamoo lost her footing and drowned. The Pilgrims promptly cut off her head, and displayed it on a pike in the town of Taunton.

The most complete history of Wetamoo and her leadership as Sachem of the Pocasset can be found in the memoirs of Mary Rowlandson, a white woman captured by Wetamoo during King Philip's War.

(Note From Julia:  The following information was sent to me by Sandra Lomastro, of the Pocasset-Wompanoag Tribe of Fall River.  Since my information is limited to what can be found in research materials, I am always grateful to tribal members who take the time to add information.  This is Sandra's note: "It  was not her brother in law that was killed but her husband, the eldest son of Massasoit.  He was called Alexander, but his Native name was Wamsutta.  Also Wetamoo did not capture Mary.  Mary  was given to her by one of her husbands who was a Narragansett chieftain.  She spent two years in Wetamoo's service."  Thank you, Sandra.)
 
 

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