Under the brutal laws of warfare that governed the plains of North America during the 1800s, no warriors were more feared and respected than the Apaches. Their reputation for courage and skill on the battlefield was renowned across the cultures of other tribes, as well as by the new white settlers. Lozen was the sister of a great Apache leader, Victorio. In this position of relative stature, she was given more freedom than many of the other Apache women to pursue her tomboyish activities.

As a girl, Lozen learned to ride and rope as well as any of the men, and she soon gained the reputation as the best horse-handler in the tribe. It was this skill that made Lozen so valuable in battle. One of the most important objectives of the Apache raids was to steal the horses of the enemy, and Lozen was a master at stampeding and capturing the panicked animals during the heat of battle.

Off the battlefield, she also became respected as a loyal protector of her people. One legend tells of the time that she was stranded with a young mother and child in enemy territory, and, rather than ride away to safety, spent months guarding the pair and leading them back to safer soil. As Lozen aged, she became an acknowledged leader of the tribe, and her opinion was particularly respected in matters related to upcoming battle plans.

Excerpted from the book Cool Women with permission of publisher, Girl Press.

Learn More About Lozen
Women Spirit on Lozen
http://www.meyna.com/lozen.html
Biography of Lozen from Women Spirit, a site about Native American women.

Lozen Biography
http://www.t4cgamer.com/cytheria/t4c/Scroll/femwarriors/FW2Apache.html
Learn more about Lozen and the area and culture she lived in.

Apache Tribes
http://www.curtis-collection.com/tribe%20data/apache.html
Learn more about the Apache tribes, of which Lozen's group was one.

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