Distinctly Montana Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.distinctlymontana.com/i/275938
D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A S P R I N G | 2 0 1 4 1 3 Gal native american women warriors Kelly had no inclination that she would trade her Montana lifestyle for a more arduous one. On the Rez, she knew her role: she was the "mean one" who would take care of the kids while the others went out to drink. But at 20, she wanted a better life for herself. "I went to my recruiter." This spirited desire to protect one's own holds deep meaning for many Native American women. Oral tradition tells of the women who were left to defend camp while the men were out to hunt. The women didn't wait around, however, if something seemed awry; the Battle of the Rosebud became known as, "The Battle of the Girl Who Saved Her Brother," in remembrance of a Cheyenne girl who risked her life. Veronica Maday, a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, who served in the Army and holds a Masters in Native Ameri- can Studies, says that early Native Americans had less defined roles –– women could fight, men could be caretakers. Today, in their own culture, women such as Kelly, BigMan, and Maday are regarded as warriors –– proving this to the outside world though, has been more complicated. Each woman experi- enced moments in which they were called to warrior status. Once, in Iraq, the guys in Kelly's unit were upset when they learned she had volunteered to go out on patrol. She knew that they would be entering a home, one in which an individual on the wanted list was last seen. She and her crew dressed in full gear and departed for the location. Entering the alley-like street of the home on foot, Kelly felt trapped. The unit began to take fire. It was uncertain where the shots were coming from, so they took safety in doorways. Kelly remembers the hyper-vigilance that consumed her, as all her training and teachings came back in the moment –– the warrior within her. As they made their way to the home, shots followed. Kelly vowed to protect the soldiers just she would her own children. CSM Julia Kelly Veronica Maday