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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 19, 2001)
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The state has a rich history that reaches hack to the days of Lewis and Clark. One story concerns a Native American woman who dressed and lived as a man in the early 1800s. She belonged to the Kootenay tribe, which spread from western Montana to parts of Idaho and British Columbia. She appeared in the journals of explorers and traders under a number of names: Ko-come-ne- pe-ca, Madame Boisverd, Manlike Woman or the strange Kootenay woman. The descriptions of her are just as varied: She was a warrior, a prophetess, a guide, a courier, a peacemaker and a bold, adventurous amazon. She was strong, she was frail. She was single, she was married. Each journal entry referred to the same woman, albeit at different times and adventures in her life. British astronomer and explorer David Ko-come-ne-pe-ca joined a group of white Thompson was one of the first to mention her. explorers along the Columbia River In the early 1800s, he was in the Northwest searching for the source of the Columbia River. verd’s wife and told his companions that the Between expeditions he lived on a fur-trading couple were two women, not husband and wife. post, where he had a servant named Boisverd. This revelation apparently did not cause any Boisverd married Ko-come-ne-pe-ca, who negative backlash. was working on the post. A s reported in On a later journey, Thompson wrote: “It is Jonathan Katz’s Gay American History, she was a some regret we proceed past several parties of large woman and unable to find a mate within the Natives, they are all glad to smoke with us, her tribe, so she looked elsewhere. and eager to learn the news; every trifle seemed The marriage did not last long. Within a to he of some importance to them, and the story year, Thompson thought her conduct was so of the Woman that carried a Bow and Arrows “loose” that he asked Boisverd to send her and had a Wife, was to them a romance to away— back to her people. which they paid great attention and my inter When she returned to the tribe, she claimed preter took pleasure in relating it.” her white husband had operated on her and Their reputation was spreading. Explorer changed her into a man. To complete the pic Alexander Ross had this to say about the women: ture, she took a woman as her wife. “In the account of our voyage, I have been silent She later developed her skills as a warrior. She as to the two strangers who came up at Astoria, showed such courage and bravery fighting the and accompanied us from thence; hut have Blackfoots that many noticed already that in young men put themselves stead of being man and under her command. wife, as they at first gave In other adventures, " Instead o f being man and wife, us to understand, they she traveled from tribe to were in fact both wom as they at first gave us tribe with her wife enter en— and bold adventur taining the Native Amer to understand, they were in fact ous amazons they were. icans with prophecies. In accompanying us, they both women— and bold She pretended to have sometimes shot ahead magical powers as she and at other times loi adventurous amazons told stories about giants tered behind, as suited they were " who would cause havoc their plans. The stories throughout the land by — Alexander Ross nonsuspecting they & ve amo" g th,e turning people into stone. and cred Her prophecies claimed ulous natives as they evil would occur— white man would bring small passed were well calculated to astonish as well as to pox and destroy the Native Americans. attract attention...these stories, so agreeable to Such negative predictions caused many the Indian ear, were circulated far and wide.” tribes to hate her. Some even tried to kill her. After all of her adventures, Ko-come-ne-pe- But she was a quick learner and changed her ca sought to bring peace to warring tribes. She stories to reflect only good things. As a result, was trying to mediate between the Flatheads she was rewarded with gifts. and the Blackfoots when she was killed. j n She had been passing as a man for almost three years when she was asked to deliver a let ter from a member of the North West Company ources to a fellow explorer/fur trapper. She traveled • Gay American History by Jonathan Katz. hundreds of miles across unexplored land, • “Two Kootenay Women Masquerading as avoiding warring tribes to deliver the correspon Men? Or Were They One?” Washmgton Histori dence to a vague address. cal Quarterly, 1930. Along the way, she met up with a group of • “Ko-come-ne-pe-ca, the Letter Carrier,” white explorers who were headed to the mouth Washmgton Historical Quarterly, 1929. of the Columbia River. A few days later, Thompson joined the group. P at Y o u n g is a Portland free-lance writer and He recognized Ko-come-ne-pe-ca as Bois- gay and lesbian historian. 001 2 . 9 % a pr * for 60 m o n th s for 60 m o n th s on ALL re m a in in g on ALL re m a in in g 2001 Passenger Cars 2001 Light Duty Cars First Come...First Served. 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