06/12/2024
STRONG NATIVE WOMEN; THE STORY OF LOZEN:
Shown here are the Chiricahua nantan, Beduiat (Victorio), and baby sister/medicine woman/midwife/second in command, Lozen. The nantan is missing the signature headband, because it fell off during the struggle to restrain him for the photographer. He had avoided being photographed up to that point, believing it was a bad omen. Tres Castillos proved him right. Lozen was a medicine woman and fierce warrior. She accompanied Victorio on campaigns, and had the ability to tell in which direction the enemy was, after going up into the mountains alone to pray. This was invaluable to her big brother, and their band. She was known to the US Army not by name, but skill and nerve. Lozen would sneak into their camps at night and relieve them of horses, undetected until it was too late. She would come under fire sometimes, but always managed to escape. A very good photograph of her is on display at the Pentagon under the topic of strategy. James Kaywaykla who was 11 years old at the time describes what happened on one occasion:
As the band fled U. S. forces, Lozen inspired women and children, frozen in fear to cross a surging Rio Grande. "I saw a magnificent woman on a beautiful horse—Lozen, sister of Victorio. Lozen the woman warrior!" said James Kaywaykla, a child at the time riding behind his grandmother. "High above her head she held her rifle. There was a glitter as her right foot lifted and struck the shoulder of her horse. He reared, then plunged into the torrent. She turned his head upstream and he began swimming." Immediately, the other women and the children followed her into the torrent. When they reached the far bank of the river, cold and wet but alive, Lozen came to Kaywaykla’s grandmother. "You take charge now" she said. "I must return to the warriors" who stood between their women, children and the onrushing cavalry.
Lozen drove her horse back across the wild river and returned to her comrades. "I depend upon Lozen as I do Nana (the aging patriarch of the band)," said Victorio, according to Kaywaykla. "She could ride, shoot, and fight like a man and I think she had more ability in planning military strategy than did Victorio".
Kaywaykla offered that much, but when she re-crossed the river, the cavalry was very much on the scene and a full scale exchange of fire was under way. Lozen noticed that a 500 round box of ammunition had fallen during the skirmish. She bobbed and weaved under heavy fire to retrieve it. Victorio explains his little sister (20 years his junior): She is “my right hand, strong as a man, braver than most and cunning in strategy. Lozen is a shield to her people.”
Long story short, on the way back into Mexico through the Tres Castillos range, a pregnant Mescalero Apache woman went into labor. Being a medicine woman and midwife, Lozen had to make a tough decision; stay behind and save two lives, or sacrifice them to continue with Victorio. She voted for the pregnant woman and over a five day period with very little to eat and drink, escorted her to the Mescalero reservation, dispatching three men who got in the way, during that process. Without her guidance, Victorio and the band rode into a carefully planned 500 man strong ambush by the Mexican Army. The Apache death toll in this event is all over the map with 78 being the low-ball figure, and 400 the nosebleed level. Seventy-eight makes a lot more sense.
The largest gathering of Apaches according to Geronimo, was the revenge summit after his wife, mother, and three infant daughters, plus everyone else in camp were slaughtered while most of the band were trading in a Mexican town. That was a gathering of 700 Apaches involving multiple bands. The 78 killed at Tres Castillos on October 14,1880 included Victorio. He was shot by a Tarahumara scout named Mauricio El Corredor, who was awarded a nickel plated Sharps .50 caliber rifle for the deed. Three weeks later, a small band of warriors were on the move, and crossed paths with a group of Mexicans, one of whom had Victorio's saddle. None of the Mexicans survived that encounter.
When Geronimo surrendered in September 1886, Lozen was among the few remaining warriors with him, but didn't make it to Fort Sill on the staggered relay trip; Alabama-Florida-Oklahoma which took a few years. She died of Tuberculosis, at 50, and is buried at Mount Vernon Barracks, Alabama in an unmarked grave to protect her remains. RIP master tactician/leader/unofficial nantanette/midfife/Victorio's right hand/shield to your people.
Nantan Victorio left and Lozen, the brilliant strategist, and shield to her people.
