Apache Women Warriors

From back cover: "'Apache Women Warriors' challenges the popular literature and film stereotypes of the passive Native American woman. Apache women were able to assume a variety of roles which gave them more prestige and freedom than most of their eighteenth and nineteenth century female counterparts."

Warrior Woman is the story of Lozen, sister of the famous Apache warrior Victorio, and warrior in her own right. Hers is a story little discussed in Native American history books. Instead, much of what is known of her has been passed down through generations via stories and legends. For example, it is said that she was embued with supernatural powers, given to her by the gods. She would lift her arms to the sky and place her palms against the wind, and through the heat she felt in her open hands, she could detect the direction and distance of her enemies. Whether true or not, she did ride into battle alongside Geronimo in the Apache wars, and fought bitterly and savagely until she was captured along with her people, packed into railroad cars, and sent to imprisonment in the east, where she spent her last days. Peter Aleshire uses historical facts and oral histories to recreate her life. With immaculate detail he tells the story of her childhood, surrounded by the vastness of nature and the Chiricahua legends and religions that shaped her thoughts. He describes her coming-of-age ceremonies, and induction into her tribe as a spiritual leader. As the white men slowly took over the land of her people and forced them from one reservation to another, her role slowly evolved to match that of the staunchest warrior -- an almost unheard-of occurence among the Native Americans of the 19th century, where a woman's place was with the children in the villages. This is not only the story of Lozen, but the story of her people, from the events leading up to the Apache Wars until their inevitable and unfortunate conclusion.

WHITE PAINTED WOMAN appears in ancient myths of the Chiricahua Apaches as the virgin mother of the people and the origin of women's ceremonies. Such Chiricahua myths and traditions have closely prescribed the roles of women in relation to their husbands and children, to relatives and extended families, and to the band or tribe. One of those roles is to safeguard and hand on to the next generation the lore and customs of the people. In this way, Chiricahua women have served as safekeepers of a heritage that is now endangered. For more than a decade, H. Henrietta Stockel has moved with remarkable freedom and intimacy among the Chiricahuas, especially in the women's friendship circles. With their permission and even blessing, she has observed and recorded aspects of their traditional culture that otherwise might be lost to history. Chiricahua Apache Women and Children, written in a familiar, personal style, focuses on the duties and experiences of historical Chiricahua Apache women and the significant influences they have exerted within the family and the tribe at large. After beginning with a look at creation myths, Stockel turns to family patterns and roles. She describes in detail the puberty ceremony she has repeatedly witnessed, a ceremony little known by those outside the band. Stockel looks also at the alternative lifestyle, also culturally prescribed, of four women warriors. She concludes with Mildred Cleghorn, a contemporary "woman warrior" who was chairperson of the Fort Sill Chiricahua/Warm Springs Apache Tribe in Oklahoma for nearly twenty years and who was also Stockel's close friend and "Apache mother". Beautifully complemented with thirty-two black-and-whiteillustrations of women, children, and family life, Chiricahua Apache Women and Children offers a vivid glimpse into traditional Chiricahua Apache women's lifestyles.

A white woman and an Apache brave find forbidden love in the untamed land of the Wild West. . . Unbidden Yearnings Always Lead To. . . Every day that Amanda Carroll and her sister travel farther west, they worry about possible Indian attacks. Their greatest fear becomes reality when five armed Apaches surround their coach. Brazenly confronting her attackers, Amanda looks straight into the dark eyes of their fierce leader--only to be shocked by the intense attraction she feels for this bronzed Apache warrior. . . The Most Wicked Pleasure Kayto and his warriors had no intention to harm anyone, let alone the stunning woman before him. He is intrigued by her courage as she stares at him so defiantly--and a slow, searing desire ignites deep within him. Now he will not rest until the woman he dreams of day and night is his own. . .

Women Warriors combines myth, folklore, and profiles of both historic and living legends to form a playful celebration of women's fiercest role models from around the world, from Apache warrior Lozen to Lakshmibai of India, Aung San Suu Kyi to The Powerpuff Girls.

This book tells of six remarkable Apache women, relating the true deeds and extraordinary encounters faced and overcome by these very remarkable Chiricahua Apache Women of the mid-to- late 1800's. They were bold, courageous, intelligent, and resilient, and they show that they chose their own role in society, at their own time and on their own terms. They are an inspiration for both women and men of modern society. This book also gives some useful background on Apache ways, beliefs, culture, etc.

Numerous photographs accompany brief biographical portraits of important Apache women of the 19th century.

Although war has long been considered the domain of men, women have courageously fought for their families, their nations, and their causes—whether on the battlefield or off. The women profiled in this inspiring resource have proven that courage doesn’t have a gender and that fighting for a just cause is very much a woman’s issue. Also included are chapter notes, a glossary, a further reading section containing books and websites, and an index.