The Study
 Nevada History
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The Female Spirit
NANCY WARD (1738-1822)
One of the first politicians and peacemakers for her people, Nancy was instrumental in negotiating peace  between the European settlers and the Cherokee.  As a young bride she became a warrior in a battle against the Creek when her husband was killed and she took up his weapon and continued the fight.  The Cherokee bestowed a great honor upon her and made her a member of the Tribal Council, a highly unusual position for her time.  Her first official act as a new Council member was to save the life of a white woman that was sentenced to die.

Artwork appears courtesy of : 
Nancy Ward Cherokee Heritage Days, an annual event held at the Sequoyah Birthplace 
Museum, Vonore, TN.  Copyright Katherine A. Brestel, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Nancy Ward Cherokee Heritage Days	
Sequoyah Birthplace Museum
CYNTHIA ANN  PARKER (1827-1864)
In 1836 Cynthia Ann Parker, also known as Naudah, was captured by Commanches who raided her families home and killed her father.  She was adopted by a Commanche couple who raised her as their own.  She adjusted to their way of life and married a rising young chief named Peta Nocona, when she was 18.   From this union were born three children, two boys, and a girl.  She refused an offer to return to her white family in the 1850's but was recaptured with her young daughter in 1860 and sent to live with an uncle in Texas.  Four years later her daughter died from a fever and Cynthia Ann refused to eat.  She slowly starved herself to death.  Her son Quanah Parker became the last Commanche Chief and so loved his mother that he searched for her grave for almost 30 years.  He found her remains and reburied her on Commanche land shortly before his death in 1911.  Even though Cynthia Ann Parker was a white woman, her devotion to her Commanche family has earned her a place in Native/American history.
"Forty years ago my mother died. She captured by Comanches, nine years old.
 Love indian and free life so well no want to go back to white folks. All same people  anyway God say. I love my mother, I like white people. Got great heart." 
--Quanah Parker at his mothers funeral.
WOMAN GRINDING FLOUR ca.1926
Native American Women from the early 20th century still spent much of their day in pursuit of meal preparation and clean up.
"Old Indian woman preparing acorn meal.  The black oak acorn is much richer in fat than that of the white oak and these older Indians grind up the two varities at the same time and blend the flour.  They make a brush from the fibre of a plant called the soap weed which is used for three purposes.  They use this brush to brush the flour out of these holes into the baskets and they also use them to wash the baskets after they are used in preparing the mush or soup.  No household soap is used in clensing the baskets.  A bulb of the green soap weed is rubbed over the basket as we would use a cake of soap and followed up with this brush which makes a clean job.  Also the basket is preserved from wear and tear."
Photograph with text showing Native American woman preparing acorn meal, California.   National Archives. This is from a survey report of Fresno and Madera counties by L.D. Creel. (NRHS-75-SAO-CODED-150FRESNO-17
ANNA MAE PICTOU-AQUASH (1945-1975)
This young American Indian activist was murdered in the prime of her life.  She is remembered for her dedication to estasblishing Native Commutiy Service organizations across the country.  Her death is still unsolved.
"Her contributions to establishing the credentials for Native education programs at the famous Little Red Schoolhouse is sorely undervalued & unappreciated by many. That program alone has worked as a basic model for educational programs that have saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of Indian kids." 
From: "Bring Justice For Anna Mae" website.
In February, 1976, the body of Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash, a Canadian citizen, was  found by a local rancher near Wanblee, South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Authorities determined that Pictou-Aquash had travelled from Pierre, South Dakota, to Denver, Colorado, during the late fall of 1975 to visit acquaintances. While in Denver, Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash was abducted and later shot.
           At the time of abduction, Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash was 30 years old, 5'2'' and 110 pounds.
Details surrounding the crime from the FBI's online "Most Wanted" file.

THE CHANGING WOMAN
NATIVE  NEVADA STYLE
(From Nevada Historical Marker 143)

SARAH WINNEMUCCA HOPKINS (1844-1891)

The northern Paiute name Thocmetony (Shell-Flower) was bestowed on this valiant daughter of Chief Winnemucca and grandchild of the redoubtable Captain Truckee--a friend and supporter of General John C. Fremont. Sarah sought understanding between her people and whites when the latter trekked across and settled on Indian homelands. By lecturing, by writing a book (presumably the first in English by an Indian woman) and by founding a non-government school for Indian children, she worked tirelessly to remedy injustice and to advocate peace. Here at Fort McDermitt as interpreter and teacher she served well both Indians and the U.S. military. This exceptional Indian woman, a leader of her race, believed in the brotherhood of mankind.
In this late 19th-century studio  portrait, Be-sul, a noted Washoe basket weaver, wears  clothing typical for Native  Nevadan women of this period.   Her wardrobe includes ankle-length dress, apron,  head scarf and heavy fringed shawl for warmth. Women's clothing was an innovative adaptation of the  Euro-American styles, not a  copy.  According to Sarah Winnemucca, many women found the cotton dresses introduced by the Euro-Americans attractive and purchased or learned to make similar dresses for themselves. However, cotton also required frequent washing. After cash became necessary, some women also started small businesses washing clothes for pay.
From: Nevada Department of Museums, Libray and Arts.

 
DAT-SO-LA-LEE  (Mrs. Louisa Keyser)
This Washoe artist was well known in her own time for her magnificant basketry.  Although, not much is known about the artist herself.  Her turn-of-the-century work was tagged with fabricated tales about the meaning of the artistic symbols which she wove into her baskets, resulting in years of unfounded research into the history of the Washoe Indians.  Dat-So-La-Lee's baskets sold for about $75. in 1936, today some are worth as much as $250,000.  She was considered the "last of the great weavers" when she died in 1925.  The Nevada State Museum in Reno houses 20 of her pieces.
Photo from: Nevada Department of Museums, Libray and Arts.
Links

Changing Woman [Asdzaa nádleehé]  The story of mother earth.

Numuukahni/Commanche Lodge  - A very informative site dedicated to the Commanche people.

AncientSites.com  - A lot of information on Sarah Winnemucca and the Paiute people.   Excellent resource list for Native American women. 

AncientSites.com - "Becoming Woman" Apache Female Puberty Sunrise Ceremony by by Tika Yupanqui. Images and details that take you through the entire ceremony as it is performed today.

Biography of Nancy Ward - "...the most powerful and influential woman in the Cherokee Nation during recorded history."

Created by Patricia
Last updated May 2000