Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Victorio For Western Wednesday...!

Some of the greatest Native American warriors from history are almost unknown to us today. I found a great deal of information about some of the greatest chiefs at Listverse and decided to pass it on to you.

Victorio



Photo credit: Pinterest

A member of the Apache tribe, Victorio was also the chief of his particular band, the Chiricahua. He was born in what is now New Mexico in 1809, when the land was still under Mexican control. For decades, the United States had been taking Native American lands, and Victorio grew up in turbulent times for his people. Because of that experience, he became a fearsome warrior and leader, commanding a relatively small band of fighters on innumerable raids.

For more than ten years, Victorio and his men managed to evade the pursuing US forces before he finally surrendered in 1869. Unfortunately, the land he accepted as the spot for their reservation was basically inhospitable and unsuitable for farming. (It’s known as Hell’s Forty Acres.) He quickly decided to move his people and became an outlaw once again. In 1880, in the Tres Castillos Mountains of Mexico, Victorio was finally surrounded and killed by Mexican troops. (Some sources, especially Apache sources, say he actually took his own life.)

Perhaps more interesting than Victorio was his younger sister, Lozen. She was said to have participated in a special Apache puberty rite which was purported to have given her the ability to sense her enemies. Her hands would tingle when she was facing the direction of her foes, with the strength of the feeling telling how close they were.

As I look at some of the pictures of the chiefs and warriors, I can't help but notice how fierce most of them look. I sure wouldn't want to face them in battle.

Coffee out on the patio again, where it's still nice and cool!

7 comments:

Mamahen said...

I think they probably developed that look after the white man invaded their country...40° here this morning...a hot cuppa will be welcomed:))

Momlady said...

The Naive Americans have been treated so much worse than the "African-Americans" it makes my blood boil. At present I sponsor a Native American elder through a program called Adopt-an-Elder. If anyone who reads your blog is interested in finding out more they can go to their web site...www.AnElder.org.

linda m said...

i agree with Mamhen about the treatment of the Native Americans. I don't blame them for resisting and looking fierce. Just got back from a trip to GA where it was a lot warmer than here - around 40 here this morning.

HermitJim said...

Hey Mamahen...
That could very well be the case, I guess.
Thanks for stopping by this morning!


Hey Momlady...
What an interesting concept! I have never heard of them before. Thanks for the info.
Thanks also for coming over today!


Hey Linda...
It's really sad that we treated the Native Americans so shabbily. Still do, it seems!
Thanks for the visit today!

JO said...

I'm happy you are posting about some of the Great Chiefs, whites stole there land and killed women, children,the old and infirm. Then had the never to keep them from voting saying they weren't American Citizens! I read a lot about Chief Victorio

Very windy here today and 57% right now. Got up and did some chores before visiting and in dire need of a nice hot cup.

HermitJim said...

Hey Jo...
Many of these chiefs are almost unknown to most folks, thanks to the modern history books. That is way too sad, in my opinion.
Thanks for dropping by today!

Hermit's Baby Sis said...

Pictures posted yesterday and today sure look a whole lot like our Grandma King, don't they?No record that I can find of any Native American lineage, and I'm not claiming any, just making an observation.


Big hugs ~