A Woman to Know: Lozen
Strong as a man, braver than most and cunning in strategy ... a shield to her people. — Chief Victorio
(Sculpture by Susan Kliwer)
Apache legends hail Victorio as chief in the 1870s, but Victorio hailed his sister Lozen, the woman warrior he called his "right hand" in battle. When Victorio's warriors of the Southern Plains fought back against American soldiers in the Apache Wars, Lozen rode into battle alongside her brother. In the final stands as her brother was preparing for defeat, it was Lozen who led the other women out of the war zone. According to legend, she relied on her powers of prophecy to protect the women, forcing her horses to swim and to to ford rivers and cross mountains.
Once she returned to her brother's side in battle, however, American forces captured her and imprisoned Lozen in an Alabama barracks. There, she continued her prophecy and prayers, sharing a chant for strength with her fellow Apache prisoners: "Upon this earth, on which we live, Ussen has power. This power is mine, for locating the enemy."
** See you in 2017! Thanks to so many of you for your recommendations this year. It's been a better year because of you all, and thank you for supporting this newsletter.**
Add to your library list:
Ghost Warrior (Lucia St. Clair Robson)
Warrior Woman: The Story of Lozen (Peter Aleshire)
Sifters: Native American Women's Lives (Theda Purdue)
Apache Women and Children: Safekeepers of the Heritage (Henrietta Stockel)
Read more:
Lozen: The badass warrior woman you've probably never heard of (Mashable)
The warrior women of Apache Chronicle (Indian Country Media)
Apache women in culture (Manataka Indian Council)
Lozen: An Intelligent and Brave Warrior Woman (Ancient Origins)
Lozen: Woman Warrior (True West Magazine)
** Send your own recommendations for women to know! Reply to this newsletter with your lady and she could be featured in an upcoming edition. You can browse the archive here. **