9 Of The Most Powerful Native American Warriors In History
Lozen: The Fearless Woman Warrior Who Rode Alongside Geronimo
New Mexico Historic Women InitiativeA marker in Otero County, New Mexico, bearing Victorio’s words on his remarkable sister.
Born into the Chihennes band of Chiricahua Apaches in about 1840, Lozen led a life so tragic that historians have called her the “Apache Joan of Arc.”
Most accounts chronicling Lozen’s life were not published until the late 20th century. What they revealed, however, was that she was an essential figure in the Apache Wars of the 1870s and 1880s. She was also a medicine woman.
At a young age, Lozen participated in a tribal ritual where she was reportedly ordained with the powers to heal wounds — and to successfully find her enemies. Legend has it that she would use these powers in battle and call upon the gods to locate any potential invaders. She honed those skills under an elder shaman and through extensive vision quests.
Skilled at riding, shooting, and horse stealing, Lozen was nicknamed “Dextrous Horse Thief” and “Warrior Woman.” But to her brother Victorio, she was his “right hand.” The Apache chief said she was “strong as a man, braver than most, and cunning in strategy” — and “a shield to her people.”
Unsurprisingly, Victorio consulted Lozen when the U.S. government offered to establish an Apache reservation in Warm Springs, New Mexico in 1871. She initially advised him to agree. Unfortunately, the tribe ended up being placed in the San Carlos reservation in Arizona — a far less desirable location. Fleeing the inhospitable conditions in 1876, they were hunted for years.
During these fugitive years, Lozen not only provided her insights to the Apache people, but she also joined them on raids and in war dances. When one woman in the band went into labor while they were being pursued in Texas in 1880, Lozen stayed behind to lead the mother and newborn to safety. But her beloved brother was soon killed by the Mexican military.
After the death of her brother, Lozen spent several years united in battle against the Mexican troops with fellow Apache Geronimo. During this time, she also reportedly fell in love with a woman named Dahteste. Together, they nearly brokered a peace treaty with General George Crook in the late 19th century. But in the end, they were ultimately captured as prisoners of war.
Shuttled to Florida and Alabama, Lozen eventually contracted tuberculosis and died at age 50 in 1889. She was buried in a mass grave containing 250 of her Apache brothers and sisters. It was a tragic end for a remarkable woman. And it’s said that Dahteste mourned Lozen for the rest of her life.
After learning about nine powerful Native American leaders from history, read about the seven scariest Native American monsters from folklore. Then, take a look at 11 of the fiercest female warriors of the ancient world.
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