Huijung Kang, ENG 324, Section 01, Short Paper#1

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Cogeweas Racial Struggle
It is often through mistakes by which lessons are best engraved in ones life; These
mistakes cost time and emotional balance but inevitably lead to a more tenacious grounding in
life. In Humishumas, Cogewea, The Half Blood, our protagonist, Cogewea, struggles to identify
with both her Native American and Caucasian blood. It is apparent that she is almost more
completely familiar with the Native American teachings and customs, and quite frankly averse to
the White culture. However, Humishuma reveals Cogeweas desire to embrace the Caucasian
blood flowing through her veins -- manifested in Densmores character -- by describing her
struggles of unwittingly pursuing relations with the White society.
Cogewea assuredly explains her reason for identifying with her Injun blood when she
muses, [W]e are between two fires, the Red and the White. Our Caucasian brothers criticize us
as a shiftless class, while the Indians disown us as abandoning our own race. . . . If permitted, I
would prefer living the white mans way to that of the reservation Indian, but he hampers me. I
appreciate my meagre education, but I will never disown my mothers blood. Why should I do
so? Though my skin is of the tawny hue, I am not ashamed. The Great Spirit willed it so, and His
ways are immutable, and not to be censured. The trail has been laid for me, the rough, stony path
of life. May I do my duty well in the sight of the Deity of my ancestors.1 She aptly
acknowledges the faults for which breeds, such as herself, are eschewed by both ethnicities
and this shows her understanding from both point of views and her ability to fairly weigh her
standing in both societies. She says that she would like to live a White lifestyle and is even
grateful for the education received through them, but through everything, she would never
abandon her Native American customs, and that the only reason why she doesnt live the White
1 Mourning Dove (2014-11-01). Cogewea, The Half Blood: A Depiction of the Great Montana Cattle Range (Kindle
Locations 992-997). UNP - Nebraska. Kindle Edition.

mans life is only because she cant because the White race hampers her. She speaks as if she had
no choice, but to choose her Indian life because it is the only path available to her. Furthermore,
when she introduces herself to Densmore, she refrains from offering her last name: I never
mentioned any second name. All my friends call me Cogewea, and that is what you will call me
if you want to be a pal of mine. It means chipmunk in our language. 2 Her intentional forgoing
of her surname, which is inherited from her White father, proves that she does not care to be
recognized as Caucasian. This explains why Cogewea becomes irritated when Jim nicknames her
as little squaw. Her irritation is apparent when she responds with, And Jim, she continued
warningly, you want to quit calling me a squaw; especially before strangers. Do you hear! Some
of these days I will murder you with a good heart! If you were not a half-breed yourself, you
would never dare call me such names.3 4 The Oxford English dictionary supplies two
significant definitions of the term squaw: A North American Indian woman or wife; Applied by
Indians to White women. It is interesting that the first definition implies that to be a squaw you
must be Indian; The second definition implies that to be a squaw you must be White.
Humishuma deftly manipulates Cogeweas reaction to the term squaw to delineate Cogeweas
character by incorporating all of Cogeweas sensitivities regarding her mixed blood into that one
word. It is clear that Cogewea experiences struggles with both her parent races.
However, in several instances, it is established that Cogewea blames the White race for her
burdens: My beautiful Eden! I love you! My valley and mountains! It is too bad that you be
redeemed from the wild, once the home of my vanishing race and where the buffalo roamed at
2 Mourning Dove (2014-11-01). Cogewea, The Half Blood: A Depiction of the Great Montana Cattle Range (Kindle
Locations 1116-1118). UNP - Nebraska. Kindle Edition.

3 Mourning Dove (2014-11-01). Cogewea, The Half Blood: A Depiction of the Great Montana Cattle Range (Kindle
Locations 791-792). UNP - Nebraska. Kindle Edition.

4 "squaw, n. (and adj.)." OED Online. Oxford University Press, September 2015. Web. 26 September 2015.

will. Where hunting was a joy to the tribesmen, who communed with the Great Spirit. I would
that I had lived in those days, that the blood of the white man had not condemned me an
outcast among my own people.5 She blatantly refers to the Injun people as my people and
my vanishing race and although she is not welcomed in either societies, she believes that it is
her White blood that condemns her to be an outcast. She carries the belief that her White blood is
in the negative and responsible for taking away her happiness -- her home.
There is an instance in the novel recalling Humishumas recounted account of the
Okanogan story, Coyote Kills Owl Woman. It is when both Jim and Cogewea hears, [t]he
lonely cry of a night-bird, and the plaintive wailing of a solitary coyote in the distance . . ..6 The
mention of the night-bird -- an owl -- and a coyote reveal a parallel between the actual novel and
the side story. When Densmore curses Stemteem and [s]narling, and coyote-like, he [slinks]
into the blackness of the night,7 He represents the Coyote and the White race is what represents
the Owl-woman. In the side story, Owl-woman is the main antagonist -- the evil character. She is
what chases after Chipmunk (Cogewea) and pushes her to continuously be in hiding -- much like
how openly the Caucasian people chase away Cogewea and alienate her. The coyote is more
cunning in his duplicity. He saves the children from being eaten by the Owl-woman, but that
does not mean he does not eat children as well. To Cogewea, Densmore represents a chance for
her to explore her White blood -- he is seemingly open and accepting of her mixed blood, but is
actually carrying out a more malicious plan to hurt her. In both works, Stemteem does her best
5 Mourning Dove (2014-11-01). Cogewea, The Half Blood: A Depiction of the Great Montana Cattle Range (Kindle
Locations 2081-2083). UNP - Nebraska. Kindle Edition.

6 Mourning Dove (2014-11-01). Cogewea, The Half Blood: A Depiction of the Great Montana Cattle Range (Kindle
Locations 2173-2174). UNP - Nebraska. Kindle Edition.

7 Mourning Dove (2014-11-01). Cogewea, The Half Blood: A Depiction of the Great Montana Cattle Range (Kindle
Location 4360). UNP - Nebraska. Kindle Edition.

to warn Cogewea of the dangers: My grandchild! you talk too much to that pale face. He does
not mean right by you! he is having sport with you. He wants to make a fool of you, that all the
young people may laugh . . .He is blinding you with false words. He is here to cheat you . . . His
eye speaks the lie. You must not be so much with him. If his intentions were good, he would
want to take you to the priest and marry you. All that the pale faces desire of Indian women, is
pleasure and riches. When they get these, they marry back among their own race. I have lived
many snows and I see the right way. You have heard my words.8 This quote only fortifies my
belief that Cogewea is aware of the dangers and taboos of pursuing a White man. She isnt
blindly trailing after Densmore, she really wants a relationship with him, so much that shes
weighing her options between him and her Indian blood. But Cogewea wants to trust Densmore.
She argues, Please, Stemteem . . .Do not be mad at him! He wants to hear stories of long ago,
when you were a child. You will tell him some, wont you? I will translate into his own
language.9 She is ready to translate, to integrate her Native American customs into the White
world. Cogewea, as a representation of the children, heeds Densmore (the coyote) and starts
building trust in him, but when he betrays her in the novel, he is doing the equivalent of killing
off Owl-woman -- killing Cogeweas trust in the White blood. After Owl-woman dies and only
remains as a little night-bird, her imminent potency is eliminated, but her legend still lives on. It
is similar to how any trust or hope Cogewea harbored for the White race is killed off, but she is
still careful of them.
Ultimately, Cogeweas hopes of a relationship with Densmore, or the Caucasian race, is
eradicated. She has made the mistake of disregarding the warnings she received, but it has
8 Mourning Dove (2014-11-01). Cogewea, The Half Blood: A Depiction of the Great Montana Cattle Range (Kindle
Locations 1985-1991). UNP - Nebraska. Kindle Edition.

9 Mourning Dove (2014-11-01). Cogewea, The Half Blood: A Depiction of the Great Montana Cattle Range (Kindle
Locations 2006-2008). UNP - Nebraska. Kindle Edition.

solidified her standing in regards to her identity and bloomed her feelings for Jim. The pain she
has suffered simply opened her heart to the truth that her happiness has been beside her all along,
recognizing her for who she truly is -- a little squaw.
Bibliography
"squaw, n. (and adj.)." OED Online. Oxford University Press, September 2015. Web. 26
September 2015.
Allen, Paula Gunn. "Coyote Kills Owl-Woman." Spider Woman's Granddaughters: Traditional
Tales and Contemporary Writing by Native American Women. Boston: Beacon, 1989. Print.
Dove, Mourning. Cogewea, the Half Blood: A Depiction of the Great Montana Cattle Range.
Lincoln: U of Nebraska, 1981. Kindle Edition.