Warrior Woman: The Exceptional Life Story of Nonhelema, Shawnee Indian Woman Chief

This is a "good read." But I never really engaged with the book.It could be my issue in the sense that I've read James Alexander Thom's books, Allan W. Eckert's, and a host of other authors re the people and historical developments of the late 18th Century Ohio Valley. So maybe I'm just tapped out on the subject.On the other hand, it could be there were not many truly notable highlights about Nonhelema, Shawnee chief, warrior, and peacemaker, or about her life and activities that drew me in. Certainly the story was interesting. How many woman warrior chiefs were there? She was unique in some ways, not the least of which were her reputed six foot five inch height coupled with striking beauty. She was highly intelligent, educated to read and write, and could speak five or six languages fluently. So she functioned most of her life as an interpreter and guide.Nonhelema also worked tirelessly as a peacemaker between the Indians, particularly her people the Shawnee, and the Whites. In this she enjoyed a few successes, but the history overall isn't good, so mostly she knew discouragement, disillusionment, and failure--generally through no direct fault of her own. Ultimately the story is what the novel's physician-historian, Dr. Justin I. Case, said that it was, "We were their ruination, in ways I fear History will not forget, nor God forgive."So this is a sad story and maybe that's why I found the book less than satisfying. If this be the case it's not necessarily the authors' fault. Perhaps they could have written more juiced-up narrative, or maybe they could have included more details about the tapestry of events within which Nonhelema lived her life, but in the end, her story is her story and the times were not kind to Native Americans. This is one reason I believe the title should have been "Peacemaker Woman" not "Warrior Woman." The latter may sell more books, but the former more accurately describes her life's work, even if one with a sad ending.Nonhelema hungered for and sought spiritual direction from Moravian missionaries. She wanted to know God and there's much in this book about her struggle to reconcile her religious understanding with Christianity--or at least the warped hybrid shared with her by missionaries who couldn't separate Christianity from their own culture--or their own self-righteousness. Too often missionaries compelled Native American converts to divorce themselves from nearly all that they were, without any cultural sensitivity, contextualization of the Gospel, or recognition that the Word was written for all times, countries, and cultures, not just the American version of it. Nonhelema's spiritual struggle, therefore, is also a disheartening part of this narrative.If you simply like to read historical novels, particularly ones focused upon early American history--and I do--than this book could be for you. If you want to explore what it may have been like for a woman leader in another culture and time, one who for most of her life commanded the respect of men, than this book will serve you well. If you want to learn more about what ideas motivated Whites, missionaries, militia and military men and leaders, Native American women and men, white captives, and frontiersmen of all stripes, than this book will do the trick. Despite my lack of enthusiastic endorsement, the book is still "a good read."

While the circumstances of this time are heartbreaking, the story of Nonhelema is engaging and adventurous. We need more stories that tell another side of the story to engage our minds as well as our hearts.

This story describes the life of an amazing woman and her people. But, it also covers the ruthlessness, lies, and deceit by the white people. When she and her people signed treaties for peace and friendship, they honored them. They stood true to their word. The white people broke their word and murdered her peaceful family members and members of her tribe, in front of her on several occasions. She kept hoping for peace and friendship at the expense of the her people's respect and trust for her. This story, and others like it, make me ashamed to be white (or mostly so) and leave me wishing that the white people had never made it to this country. What a different place this would have been if the whites had not stayed or had lived by the Indian way of life! This author has written other wonderful accounts of the time period. I love his writing and feel he does an excellent job of telling the way things really happened.

Thom's writings make y on detest some of our historical hero's! It's hard to believe that any man could be as foul and brutal as described in Thom's books! Yet, it is our history! Itg helps me understand why our local tribe truly despise whites!Nonhelemah suffered trying to be a peacemaker and protector of her people!I would have been lied to once, then lived the rest of my life fighting the lying savages who destroyed my people!

I love the balance of history in this book, as Nonhelema said evil men are on both sides as are the peacemakers.

As I read I could see her in my minds eye. She appeared rememberAs I read I could picture her in my minds eye. She appears to be an amaze woman.

I enjoyed the book, but it didn't hold my interest as well as some of the other Thom books I've written. I was also disappointed when Thom said he made up the entire storey. That lead me to believe that the main character nevr existed. Further research, however, revealed that she was a real person and the book was as authentic as the paucity of available facts from the time could make it. It is unfortunate that there is so little historical information regarding her, but no white man at the time would have accepted a woman as an equal, especially an Indian woman.

As always this was a good story if you like Indian culture and the strugles with the Long Knives. Sad for her at the end though. It would make a good mini series for Television if held true to the book.

First, book I have read of Thom's took a few chapter to get into his writing style, But now I am enjoying the book...Really high lights the struggle native Americans had with the white man taking their land. I will read more of his books.