My next novel will include scenes with Winema Riddle, a Native American woman who lived in Oregon in the 19th century. She served as an interpreter between the Army and the Modoc tribe during the Modoc War in 1872-73. Although best known as Winema Riddle, this Modoc woman took many names during her life, and she displayed a remarkable ability to work between the Native American and white cultures.
I’ve seen two versions of her birth name. One name allegedly given to her at birth was “Kaitchkona.” But another story says she was named “Nannookdoowah” or “Nonooktowa” at birth, which in the Modoc language means “strange child.” And I’ve seen two reasons behind the name “Nannookdoowah”—first, that the name was given because she was born with red-tinted hair which made her a “strange child”, and the other that the name “strange child” was given to her as a girl because she enjoyed boyish exploits such as hunting and fighting.
Later, she took the name “Winema,” meaning “woman chief.” Again, I’ve seen two stories as to how she received that name. One version is that her tribe gave her the name while she was still a girl after she rescued some playmates from drowning in a canoe as they passed through rapids on the Link River.
The other version is that the name was taken from Joaquin Miller’s popular 1871 poem about an indigenous woman named Winema who sacrificed herself for a white hero. This version seems unlikely to me, and was probably a fabrication in Alfred Meacham’s book many years later (see below).
Winema defied her family, who wanted her to marry a Modoc man, and instead she married Frank Riddle, a white settler who came West during the Gold Rush. At this time, she took the name “Toby” Riddle, and was called Toby by both whites and Native Americans. Frank later made peace with her family when he followed the Modoc traditions to claim her as his wife by giving several horses to her father.
Winema learned English from Frank, and Frank also learned the Modoc language. They both served as interpreters during the conflicts between the Modoc tribe, the Klamath tribe, and the U.S. Army over the creation of the Klamath Indian Reservation in southern Oregon. The Modoc and the Klamath were traditional enemies. Yet after the Army established the Klamath Reservation, the Army moved the Modoc tribe into the same land as the Klamath.
As a woman, Winema was viewed as peaceable by all factions. Therefore, she could carry messages when men could not. When Winema learned of a plot by the Modoc to assassinate General Edwary Canby, she warned Canby. Unfortunately, Canby ignored the warning, and he was killed when the Modoc attacked. Other Army personnel were also killed or wounded in this battle.
Alfred Meacham, a Methodist minister and the Superintendent of Indian Affairs in Oregon, was shot during the attack. Winema saved Meacham from death by shouting that the Army was about to attack, which caused the Modoc to flee. Meacham remained grateful to her for the rest of his life, and he later published a book dedicated to Winema.
I am not sure how educated Winema was. I want to research her further to determine whether she could read and write. Regardless of her education, she was a remarkable character in Oregon history. Not only did she have many names, but she showed bravery, adaptability, ingenuity, and diplomacy throughout her life.
Even the U.S. government—not known for its favorable treatment of Native Americans in the 19th century—recognized Winema’s talents. In 1891, she was one of the few Native American women to be awarded a military pension by the United States Congress. The pension was because of her heroic actions during the Modoc peace negotiations in 1873.
Which historical female characters have impressed you when you’ve read about them?
I’m impressed by this woman. Never heard of her. Thanks for sharing.