The Incredible Story of Lozen, Apache Woman Warrior
While Joan of Arc fought for France, an Apache woman named Lozen waged her own war across the American Southwest. Born around 1840, this Apache woman fought Mexican and American forces for three decades.
She could allegedly sense enemies by turning in circles until her palms tingled, a gift from the Apache Creator. Her brother Chief Victorio called her his right hand, braver than most men. Even Geronimo respected her warrior skills.
Here’s her story.
Victorio Taught Her To Fight
At seven, Lozen learned to ride and quickly became the band’s best rider. Her brother Victorio trained her with war clubs, spears, bows, and rifles.
She completed warrior trials and the Apache Council accepted her as a full member. Few women ever sat in council meetings, but Lozen earned that honor through her fighting skills.
Mexicans Attacked Apache Families
Mexican soldiers and scalp hunters raided Apache camps throughout the 1850s, selling scalps for bounty money.
Lozen fought back with Apache war parties and likely helped steal thirty-one horses from Fort Craig.
As a child, she witnessed Mexicans trick her people with fake gifts, then massacre families. This traumatic event shaped her lifelong hatred of those who threatened Apache people.
Americans Claimed Apache Territory
After 1848, American forces took over Apache lands following the Mexican-American War. Lozen fought at Apache Pass in 1862, where warriors faced howitzers for the first time.
Her supernatural powers grew stronger – she would stretch her arms skyward, pray to Ussen, and turn in circles until her palms tingled, revealing enemy direction and distance. Victorio called her his right hand.
Reservation Life Was Killing Them
The 1870s brought forced removal to reservations. San Carlos in Arizona was so bad soldiers called it “Hell’s Forty Acres.”
Disease spread through overcrowded camps while officials banned hunting and provided starvation rations. Children died from hunger and sickness.
Victorio’s band escaped twice but soldiers always dragged them back to face slow death.
The Band Escaped For Good
In 1877, Victorio led three hundred people away from San Carlos permanently. Lozen guided women and children across desert back to Ojo Caliente.
When authorities planned to arrest Victorio, the band fled to mountains and began raiding military patrols.
Lozen’s enemy-sensing powers helped them stay ahead of thousands of pursuing soldiers during what became known as Victorio’s War.
She Led Terrified Families Across
At the flooded Rio Grande, women and children froze with fear as cavalry charged behind them. Lozen rode her horse into the torrent, rifle held high, and began swimming upstream.
Her courage inspired others to follow her across the dangerous current.
After reaching safety, she immediately rode back through the flood to rejoin Victorio’s warriors fighting their rearguard action.
Desert Mission Saved Two Lives
In early 1880, Lozen left the band to escort a pregnant woman across the Chihuahuan Desert to Mescalero Reservation.
Carrying only rifle, knife, and three days of food, she helped deliver the baby while hiding from patrols.
She killed cattle with her knife to avoid gunshot noise and stole Mexican cavalry horses while escaping through rifle fire to complete her mission.
Tres Castillos Ended Everything
At Mescalero, Lozen learned that Mexican forces had surrounded Victorio’s camp at Tres Castillos on October 14-15, 1880.
With ammunition exhausted, seventy-eight Apaches died including Victorio, who chose suicide over capture.
Mexicans scalped bodies for bounty and enslaved one hundred women and children. Lozen immediately rode alone across desert to find survivors in Mexico’s mountains.
Old Nana Led Perfect Revenge
The decimated band now followed seventy-four-year-old Nana, who launched a brilliant two-month campaign in 1881.
With just fifteen to forty warriors, he rode three thousand miles across a thousand miles of territory, fought cavalry seven times without capture, and killed dozens of enemies.
Lozen participated in this masterpiece of guerrilla warfare before they retreated to Sierra Madre mountains.
Her Final Campaign Ended
After joining Geronimo’s 1885 breakout from San Carlos, Lozen used her powers to track pursuing cavalry as the last free Apaches fought for survival.
She and Dahteste negotiated with American officials for surrender terms.
When Geronimo gave up on September 3, 1886, Lozen boarded prison trains to Florida, then Alabama. She died of tuberculosis at Mount Vernon Barracks on June 17, 1889, buried in an unmarked grave.
Visiting Mescalero Apache Cultural Center & Museum
The Mescalero Apache Cultural Center & Museum at 181 Chiricahua Plaza preserves the history of Lozen’s people and the Chiricahua Apaches who joined the reservation after 1886.
You’ll find traditional Apache weapons, clothing, and beautiful basketry that connect to Lozen’s warrior culture.
The museum displays artifacts from the three Apache bands – Mescalero, Chiricahua, and Lipan – who live together on this reservation today, including descendants of Lozen’s family.
This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.
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