Apache Women were central to the culture because of the fragility of life in the southwest. In fact it can be stated that women were regarded as the mainstay of their culture. Surprisingly in light of the warrior ethos of the Apaches the culture was actually matrilineal and matriarchal! In the Apache culture, women were viewed as superior to men, sexism was absent. Their centrality flowed from the Creation Story revolving around “White Painted Lady”, their role in sowing and gathering food and in sustaining the future of the tribe through child birth. In fall they dug roots, prickly pears gathered, acorns, pinion nuts, bean of mesquite and banana like fruit of the yucca. In spring/summer they filled their baskets, light shallow trays or tall flat bottom called burden baskets for transporting or storing with wild onions, greens, grass seeds, berries and cactus fruit. In short it was the women who provided for the welfare of the tribe; they knew every source of precious water, planned clan movements on the basis of ripening plants or abundance of small game including prairie dogs and rabbits and their word was law superseding even the hunting and raiding of men! Women also provided spiritual support by praying for good fortune when their men were away on raids; whenever they pulled a pot from a camp fire there was a silent remembrance or reflection. They were careful in stacking wood as it was a belief that scattered kindling brought bad luck! Occasionally women acted as healers/herbalist and all were skilled in defending themselves against attack being familiar with the warrior arts of knives, bows/arrows/ spears/guns. Self-defense was important especially after scalp hunting became a Mexican/American policy. Bounty hunters, soldiers, trappers often decorated their saddles with scalps and sold Apache women into bondage. They were learned in the tactic of rendezvous, camouflage, tracking, riding of horses. There is a story of how a group of captured Apache women were able to escape from central Mexico and work their way back to Apacheria by traveling at night and staying off the main arteries and living off the land showing a keen geographic understanding as well as manifesting a survival instinct equal to any warrior. Lozen the younger sister of Victoria was a women warrior without equal who constantly fought. Lozen was described by James Kaywaykla as a “… magnificent women on a beautiful horse” urging the women and children to cross the treacherous Rio Grande River after Victoria’s band fled from the hated San Carlos Reservation. She never married and had the gift of clairvoyance being able to determine where the enemy was by a tingling in her palm. As she stated: “I see as one from a height sees in every direction.” Unfortunately Lozen was not there when Victorio was surrounded by Mexican troops in October 1880. Her life spans the Apache Wars from the conflict with Mexico to the annexation of Apacheria by the Pindah to the surrender of Geronimo in 1886 which she negotiated. Lozen was exiled to the East where she died of tuberculosis in Alabama in 1890. (Cf, Aleshire, Warrior Women, pp.54-57.)
