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366:
248:, Colorado). With him were Snake Woman, their sons, and daughters Mary and Matilda. Subject to prejudice and hatred of miners and white settlers, the family was attacked at least once. Snake Woman was attacked by two drunken white men, and John Poisal risked his life saving her from sexual assault. Margaret's brother John was educated and worked as a trader, speaking English, Arapaho, and Spanish. Margaret's father died in 1861 in a cabin on Cherry Creek. Snake Woman and the remaining children who lived at home joined the Arapaho at
269:
343:, and to cease warfare with other tribes. The government agreed to provide annuities for 50 years. After the treaty was signed, it was never officially recognized by the federal government and the United States Senate reduced the amount and length of the term of the annuities without consulting with the parties that formed the treaty. The treaty was also violated by both Native Americans and European Americans. Fitzpatrick was a key party to the
283:(Broken Hand) in November 1849. He was a fur trader, scout, and Indian agent to the Southern Arapaho and Cheyenne people. Their children were Andrew Jackson (Jack) Fitzpatrick who was born in 1850 and Virginia Tomasine Fitzpatrick born in 1854. The Fitzpatricks worked together for "peaceful and mutually beneficial relationships" between Arapaho and white Americans.
226:
303:. Wilmot was a trader in Denver. The couple divorced after Wilmot mishandled their finances, which had resulted in the loss of most of Poisal's inheritance from Thomas Fitzpatrick. By 1865, Poisal and her children lived in Leavenworth with her sister Mary (Poisal) Keith and brother-in-law B.F. Keith. She and her children retained the Wilmot surname.
358:, Indian lands were encroached upon by white miners and settlers, many of whom did not want to form relationships with native peoples. Therefore, there was an increase in hostilities with or by the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho until 1875. Poisal's uncle, Chief Left Hand, was killed in November 1864 during the
154:
and other trails. American pioneers migrated west to
California and Oregon beginning in 1842, which resulted in reduction of buffalo herds and the destruction of the range. Lakota Sioux moved into the North Platte area, which reduced available resources. Due to the loss in game, the Arapaho and other
338:
of 1851. Poisal attended the meetings, having women attend the meetings meant as a sign of trust for a peaceful outcome by Native
Americans. Eight tribes with around 10,000 Native Americans attended the council. The natives agreed to stop attacking travelers on trails that passed through traditional
408:
Poisal was the interpreter for the
Arapaho delegation to Washington, D.C., in 1883. It was her last known appearance. She did not appear to be employed as an interpreter again, likely due to alcohol abuse or because it was easier to hire interpreters after a generation of Arapaho children had been
213:
on the Santa Fe Trail in
Colorado). The Poisals had five children who lived in the European-American and Arapaho societies: Margaret (b. 1834), Mary (b. 1838), Robert (b. 1838), Mathilda (b. 1845) and John, Jr. Margaret was one of the first Arapaho girls to receive a formal American education. She
290:
and from there traveled periodically to Native
American villages on the Great Plains and along the Santa Fe Trail. The Fitzpatricks traveled to Washington, D.C., with a delegation of Southern Arapaho and Southern Cheyenne tribal leaders in the fall of 1853. At the time, Margaret was pregnant with
350:
Following
Fitzpatrick's death, Poisal represented the interests of the Southern Arapahos in treaty councils and other meetings held along or near the Santa Fe Trail. An interpreter, witness, and consultant, she was the only woman engaged in these activities at that time in the United States.
135:
166:(1848–1855)). Buffalo hunters and gold prospectors headed westward, followed by homesteaders and railroad builders. European Americans traveled through Native American hunting and ceremonial lands as they crossed the plains and mountains to the west on the
412:
She may have lived with her daughter
Virginia Tomasine "Jennie" Fitzpatrick Meager in Indian Territory in her later years. Jennie was a public school teacher in Oklahoma, which prevented the need to send children to "off reservation" boarding schools.
243:
Her father raised cattle and horses at the mouth of Cherry Creek in 1857. By 1860, John Poisal was a trader living at the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River in Cherry Creek, Colorado (now part of
377:
and other chiefs. She was the
Arapahos’ interpreter at the 1865 treaty council. The participants are smoking a pipe to sanctify the proceedings. Sketch by Theodore R. Davis, "Medicine Lodge Creek Treaty of 1867",
442:
Lucious J. Wilmot's surname is spelled
Wilmott in Thompson's article, but in Fowler's book and public records it is Wilmot. He is often called L. J. Wilmot and in his marriage record his name is spelled Lewis J.
294:
Poisal inherited an estate of two lots and houses in
Westport, Missouri and more than $ 10,000 (equivalent to $ 339,111 in 2023). She married Lucious J. Wilmot, a gardener, on February 2, 1856. They lived in
155:
Native Americans had to find other ways to get food: by bartering with traders, negotiating with Indian agents for food and goods, and assessing tolls of food to allow pioneers to cross their land, or stealing.
310:
by 1866. Jennie married John Meagher, an Irish immigrant. Poisal lived with her daughter in 1877. She married for a third time to a man with the surname of Adams by 1883 when she was an interpreter at the
887:
197:. The Arapaho treated men and women as equal partners when managing their family affairs, leading sacred ceremonies, and determining the extent to which their family implemented tribal policies.
170:
and other trails. Trying to find a way for native and non-native people to coexist, treaties were negotiated and re-negotiated between the United States government and Native Americans.
110:(c. 1834–between 1883 and 1892) was "the only woman who was an official witness, interpreter, and consultant at many meetings and treaty councils held along or in close proximity to the
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She worked as a negotiator and peacemaker over several years. As a result, uprisings in Colorado and Kansas were averted. In the end, Native Americans were moved to
873:
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In mid October 1865, she attended the Little Arkansas Treaty Council. She acted as a translator and negotiated for restitution for the Sand Creek massacre.
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362:. Snake Woman and her daughter Mary were at the encampment during the massacre. Many of the Arapaho men were on a hunting trip at the time.
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and she was living on lands she received from the Arapaho (or that she received in 1865 as reparation due to the Sand Creek massacre).
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with Margaret's children by 1860. That year they lived with Snake Woman and her family in Denver for a time, to take advantage of the
150:. The Arapaho and Cheyenne developed partnerships with trappers and trading companies who exchanged good for buffalo pelts along the
114:." The daughter of French Canadian trapper John Poisal and Arapaho Snake Woman, Poisal was educated at a convent school. She married
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205:
Margaret Poisal (Walking Woman) was born in 1834 to John Poisal, a French Canadian hunter and trapper, and Snake Woman, niece of
850:
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their second child. Thomas died in early February 1854. Their daughter, Virginia (Jennie) Tomasine, was born after his death.
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and the United States government. After Fitzpatrick died, Poisal continued to work as an interpreter and peacemaker.
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According to the United States Federal Census, Poisal was born at Cherry Creek in 1834, when it was part of the
393:, present at the treaty council, described her as a "the creature of many loves, the subject of many sorrows."
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educated in English-speaking schools. She died by 1892, according to her brother John's estate papers.
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and to the Boulder Valley. The Arapaho people's territory extended from the foothills of the
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400:(present-day Oklahoma), giving up their hunter-gatherer tradition and to become farmers.
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Washita Memories: Eyewitness Views of Custer's Attack on Black Kettle's Village
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Poisal grew up during a period where Arapaho and Cheyenne ranched across the
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678:"Margaret Fitzpatrick and Lewis (Lucious) J. Wilmot, Westport, Missouri",
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146:. In the early 19th century, fur trappers and traders crossed into the
528:, Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1860
682:, Jefferson City, Missouri: Missouri State Archives, February 2, 1856
433:/ unorganized territory. Her mother was also known as Shoshone Woman.
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237:
949:
322:
267:
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869:
798:
Wives and Husbands: Gender and Age in Southern Arapaho History
194:
851:"Margaret Poisal "Walking Woman" Fitzpatrick/Wilmott/McAdams"
818:"Arapaho and Cheyenne Perspectives: From the 1851 - ProQuest"
373:, 1867. Margaret (1834 to ca. 1884) was the interpreter for
193:. They bartered with goods, including guns, in exchange for
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209:(Left Hand). Her father worked for the Bent brothers (of
861:: 1 – via University of Mexico digital repository.
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256:. They received compensation of 640 acres each from the
712:, Topeka, Kansas: Kansas State Historical Society, 1865
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524:"Margaret Poisel (Poisal), Denver, Kansas Territory",
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Thomas Fitzpatrick was an organizer and leader of the
122:, and they worked together negotiating peace between
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382:, June 2, 1867, National Anthropological Archives,
189:. They came to know white men who traded along the
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68:
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36:
29:
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671:
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369:Margaret Poisal Adams with Arapaho chiefs at the
1223:History of Native Americans in the United States
339:ceremonial and hunting grounds, including the
252:in Colorado. The Poisal children survived the
1280:French-Canadian diaspora in the United States
881:
562:. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 283.
519:
517:
515:
513:
8:
801:. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 35.
158:Many more white people came west during the
138:1845 Santa Fe Trail and native tribal lands
1142:Sitting Bull Crystal Cavern Dance Pavilion
962:
888:
874:
866:
551:
549:
547:
26:
1121:Black Hills War (Great Sioux War of 1876)
1174:United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians
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492:
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327:Arapaho and Cheyenne territory from the
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456:
422:
751:
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695:
633:
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589:
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347:of 1853 in present southwest Kansas.
173:The Arapaho, who were allied with the
849:Thompson, Alice Ann (November 2019).
7:
275:(1799-1854) trapper and Indian Agent
371:Medicine Lodge Creek treaty council
1265:19th-century Native American women
25:
101:(Chief Left Hand), maternal uncle
41:Margaret (Walking Woman) Poisal
1168:The Journey Museum and Gardens
795:Fowler, Loretta (2012-10-01).
177:, lived on lands north of the
1:
1270:19th-century Native Americans
1116:Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868)
1111:Treaty of Fort Laramie (1851)
816:Fowler, Loretta (Fall 2015).
556:Hardorff, Richard G. (2006).
526:1United States Federal Census
329:Treaty of Fort Laramie (1851)
313:Medicine Lodge treaty council
258:Treaty of the Little Arkansas
47:Cherry Creek, now in Colorado
1185:Republic of Lakotah proposal
345:Fort Atkinson Treaty Council
286:The Fitzpatricks settled in
917:Historic and present tribes
336:Fort Laramie Treaty Council
214:attend a convent school in
187:Central and Southern Plains
90:John Poisal and Snake Woman
1296:
1221:For more information, see
1180:Lakota Nation Invitational
1158:Seizure of the Black Hills
1106:History of the Black Hills
742:, pp. 50–51, 99, 321.
1219:
822:American Indian Quarterly
680:Missouri Marriage Records
308:St. Mary's Mission School
306:Jack and Jennie attended
162:of 1859 (and the earlier
1151:Modern events and places
834:10.1353/aiq.2015.a595116
1275:Native American leaders
1137:Great Sioux Reservation
710:Kansas Territory Census
384:Smithsonian Institution
1083:Traditional narratives
386:
331:
276:
264:Marriages and children
240:
139:
124:Native American tribes
844:– via ProQuest.
404:Later years and death
368:
356:Pike's Peak Gold Rush
326:
301:Pike's Peak Gold Rush
271:
236:in 1859, present-day
228:
160:Pike's Peak Gold Rush
137:
56:between 1883 and 1892
1211:Charmaine White Face
1163:Crazy Horse Memorial
164:California Gold Rush
1201:Charlotte Black Elk
1069:Inyan Kara Mountain
708:"Margaret Wilmot",
360:Sand Creek massacre
297:Leavenworth, Kansas
254:Sand Creek massacre
607:, pp. 35, 50.
431:Missouri Territory
387:
332:
288:Westport, Missouri
281:Thomas Fitzpatrick
277:
273:Thomas Fitzpatrick
241:
234:South Platte River
140:
116:Thomas Fitzpatrick
81:Thomas Fitzpatrick
1242:
1241:
1042:
1041:
808:978-0-8061-8559-0
766:, pp. 12–14.
569:978-0-8061-3759-9
391:Samuel A. Kingman
105:
104:
69:Years active
16:(Redirected from
1287:
1225:. Nearby modern
1074:Six Grandfathers
1047:Spiritual places
978:Sherman Coolidge
963:
959:Historic figures
897:Native Americans
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993:Margaret Poisal
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108:Margaret Poisal
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179:Arkansas River
152:Santa Fe Trail
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781:, p. 14.
780:
779:Thompson 2019
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764:Thompson 2019
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754:, p. 45.
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663:, p. 12.
662:
661:Thompson 2019
657:
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636:, p. 44.
635:
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624:, p. 35.
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1255:1830s births
1227:reservations
1172:
1064:Devils Tower
1034:Spotted Tail
1029:Sitting Bull
992:
905:South Dakota
858:
855:Wagon Tracks
854:
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375:Little Raven
353:
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341:Oregon Trail
333:
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279:She married
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242:
230:Cherry Creek
204:
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144:Great Plains
141:
120:Indian agent
107:
106:
1014:Crazy Horse
901:Black Hills
752:Fowler 2012
740:Fowler 2012
728:Fowler 2012
696:Fowler 2012
634:Fowler 2012
622:Fowler 2012
605:Fowler 2012
590:Fowler 2012
539:Fowler 2015
505:Fowler 2015
211:Bent's Fort
207:Chief Niwot
99:Chief Niwot
64:Interpreter
18:John Poisal
1249:Categories
1231:Pine Ridge
1206:JoAnn Tall
1090:Great Race
1054:Bear Butte
988:Little Owl
973:Black Bear
842:1717290976
451:References
354:After the
250:Sand Creek
201:Early life
130:Background
61:Occupation
1024:Red Cloud
1019:Lone Horn
1009:Black Elk
260:of 1865.
216:St. Louis
195:fur pelts
95:Relatives
87:Parent(s)
72:1851–1883
925:Cheyenne
838:ProQuest
319:Treaties
220:Missouri
175:Cheyenne
1235:Rosebud
966:Arapaho
940:Arikara
935:Arapaho
909:Wyoming
899:in the
789:Sources
443:Wilmot.
185:to the
44:c. 1834
1002:Lakota
983:Friday
930:Lakota
840:
805:
566:
246:Denver
238:Denver
168:Oregon
77:Spouse
950:Kiowa
828:(4).
417:Notes
118:, an
1233:and
1229:are
945:Crow
907:and
803:ISBN
564:ISBN
232:and
53:Died
37:Born
903:of
830:doi
222:.
1251::
859:34
857:.
853:.
836:.
826:39
824:.
820:.
771:^
718:^
688:^
668:^
641:^
612:^
597:^
578:^
546:^
512:^
459:^
218:,
1237:.
889:e
882:t
875:v
832::
811:.
572:.
20:)
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