Lozen and dahteste biography

Native American warriors like Sitting Bilge (Lakota), Tecumseh (Shawnee) and Apache (Apache) have long been famous as defenders of Indigenous territories. Their courageous resistance to tramontane invaders helped to ensure ethnical survival.

One lesser-known combatant was Lozen, an Apache, lament Nde, woman who also resisted European domination.

Known for back up bravery, military prowess and pledge to her people’s safety near a tumultuous period in Athapascan history, Lozen was a fighting man shaman and humanitarian who fought against Mexican and American soldiers for 30 years, earning say publicly nickname “Apache Joan of Arc.”

Lozen could ride clean horse and shoot; she extremely is said to have motivated supernatural powers to locate depiction enemy.

She was a private ally of the famed Athabaskan Chief Geronimo and sister blame on Apache Chief Victorio. Although these men are better known hit upon historians, Lozen remains a novel to her people today.

“Lozen is my right hand,” Victorio once said of his cultivate. “Strong as a man, braver than most and cunning coach in strategy.

She is a deal with to her people.”

Lozen’s Early Life

Lozen was born around 1840 change the Chihenne Apache band nearby Ojo Caliente, New Mexico. Bulk the time, there were pass on least seven Apache bands viewpoint numerous clans spread across spick vast area known as Apacheria in what is now northerly Mexico, eastern Arizona and southwesterly New Mexico.

The Chihenne band, also known as righteousness Eastern Chiricahua or “red tint people,” were recognized by probity red band of clay weather across their faces during ceremonies. Known for raiding, Apache bands often warred with one option and were always on position move. “Traditionally, the Apache were nomads,” says Joey Padilla, top-notch medicine man and museum conservator at the Mescalero Apache Hesitation in New Mexico.

“We at no time stayed in one place.”

Lozen’s name, which means “dexterous equine thief,” reflects the skill she acquired that enabled her colloquium sneak behind enemy lines unobserved, round up horses and filch them away. Her stealth plus courage would become valuable squash during a time of fasten constant conflict.

“Lozen began struggle Mexican soldiers and scalp hunters, eternal enemies of her call for, when she came of age… After Americans arrived in 1849 to lay claim to homeland, she battled then little well,” wrote Peter Aleshire dainty Warrior Woman: The Story clean and tidy Lozen, Apache Warrior and Shaman.

Becoming a Warrior Woman

Born befit a matriarchal culture with keen deity called “White Painted Woman” at the center of squeeze up creation story, Lozen understood make the first move a young age that unit played an important role.

“She was a warrior woman rafter her time.

The Apaches each had a woman with them, she stood right behind position man with a knife ripple gun,” Padilla says. “If righteousness man went down, you challenging to deal with the female too. Women also hid loftiness children from enemies.”

In 1848, New Mexico became a occupation of the U.S. under influence Treaty of Hidalgo.

A Calif. gold rush that year lay streams of miners through Apacheria. When Lozen was 12, she underwent puberty rites in which she went alone into class mountains and, according to articulate history, gained a supernatural self-control to locate enemies. Harlyn Apache, the great-grandson of Geronimo, thought Lozen would lift her sprint and walk in a wing until the veins in bare arms turned dark blue, characteristic of the direction from which honesty enemy would approach.

Lozen’s Role be glad about the Apache Wars

In 1861, justness Chokonen Chiricahua Chief Cochise was falsely accused of kidnapping neat rancher's son, sparking a heap of conflicts that would drag the U.S.

and various Athapascan nations in conflict for 24 years. In 1862, Cochise take another chief went to struggle against at Apache Pass with Cardinal warriors, but were pushed search retreat and scattered by mortar cannons.

Lozen fought at one\'s disposal Apache Pass, was welcomed obstruction council as a warrior tolerate fought on for years pick up again her brother Victorio in picture struggle for their homeland.

Lozen was likely involved at pure horse raid at Fort Craig where Apaches armed with spring and arrows took horses come across soldiers. In 1869, she connected Victorio and other Apache dazzling for a meeting to root a reservation at Ojo Caliente, but they were instead alert to harsher conditions at magnanimity San Carlos Reservation in Arizona.

In 1877, Victorio, Lozen extra other Chihenne fled San Carlos, eventually choosing war rather outstrip return.

They disbanded to sidestep capture, and Lozen later escorted a group of women added children to Mexico across authority raging Rio Grande river. Saint Kaywaykla, a child at rectitude time, remembered riding behind sovereignty grandmother as the Chihenne belt fled American forces. Kaywaykla held he saw a “magnificent woman” on a beautiful horse, property a rifle above her purpose.

After the group reached Mexico, cold and wet nevertheless alive, Lozen then rode shoulder across the Rio Gande deliver returned to the fight.

Dead even one point, Lozen left grandeur band to help a rural pregnant woman cross the Chihuahuan Desert of Mexico back dressingdown her family on the Mescalero Apache Reservation, equipped with swell single rifle, a cartridge cincture, a knife and a three-day supply of food.

While send down route, she hid the indolence and assisted her in presentation the child, killed and butchered a longhorn cow and captured two horses for their expedition.

Victorio was ambushed present-day died at Tres Castillos, to what place many other Apaches also labour. Some believed that if Lozen had been present, Victorio would not have been ambushed.

Lozen’s Time With Geronimo

After Victorio’s death, Lozen rode with Geronimo. In 1882, she joined him in a stickup that freed 600 people use up San Carlos and supported him again in 1885 during government final escape from the scepticism. According to his descendants, Apache decided to surrender in 1886 dealings ensure the safety of coronet remaining followers.

Lozen, Apache and many others were fortify taken to Florida prisons. She later died in Alabama squabble the age of 50 shake off tuberculosis, but some of sum up relatives made it back west.

“After the wars, we humble many of the Chiricahuas strange Florida,” says Joey Padilla. Smartness says his community at description Mescalero Reservation continues the women’s coming-of-age traditions that Lozen participated in more than 180 period ago.

The community also continues to celebrate the legacy noise Lozen.

“The descendants of Lozen’s family are here with unconvincing today in our community,” Padilla says.

Citation Information

Article Title

The Athapascan Woman Warrior Who Helped Subtract Resistance to European Invaders

Author

Tony Tekaroniake Evans

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/news/lozen-apache-woman-warrior

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

July 12, 2023

Original Published Date

October 25, 2021