1155: Ehyophsta
Cheyenne Warrior who Fought in the Battle of Beecher Island
Born: c.1826, Possibly Colorado, United States of America
Died: c.1915, Cheyenne Reservation Lands
Her name meant “Yellow Haired Woman.”
The Americans won the battle, which took place in Colorado in 1868. The battle erupted after American army forces decided to press back against the Cheyenne, who had been raiding white settlements in the area.
Ehyophsta fought in other tribal skirmishes as well, including against the Shoshone.
She was the daughter of Stands in the Timber and niece of Bad Faced Bull. According to one source, Ehyophsta’s husband accidentally shot and killed himself the year before the Battle of Beecher Island.
Very little information about Ehyophsta’s life is readily available online, and the little information provided here has been pieced together from the sources provided below. What is without doubt is that Ehyophsta was a real woman, who fought in battle and was remembered for it.
Sources:
https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner_party/heritage_floor/ehyophsta
https://badassladiesofhistory.wordpress.com/2015/04/24/ehyophsta/
https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/1073491
https://womenarepersons.tumblr.com/post/84260066352/ehyophsta-the-cheyenne-woman-of-great-repute/amp