Belle Highwalking facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Belle Highwalking
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Floyd and Belle Highwalking - undated and anonymous
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| Born | 1892 prob. Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation |
| Died | October 30, 1971 (aged 78–79) |
| Genre | Autobiography |
| Notable works | “Belle Highwalking: The Narrative of a Northern Cheyenne Woman. |
Belle Highwalking (1892 – 1971) was an important Native American writer. She lived on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana. She is famous for her life story, which was written down in both English and Cheyenne. This book was published after she passed away in 1979.
Her Life Story
Early Years
Belle Highwalking was born in 1892. Her father was Charles Teeth. Sadly, her mother died when Belle was born. Her grandmother took care of her. She found other mothers to feed Belle until she was old enough to eat solid food.
Belle's uncle taught her at the school in Busby. She grew up on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana.
Family and Traditions
In 1912, Belle married Floyd Highwalking in a Catholic church. She became interested in the church for a short time. She took lessons that helped her learn to read the Bible, which was available in Cheyenne.
Floyd's parents adopted Belle. They felt sorry for her because she had grown up without her own mother. Her mother-in-law would cut up her food and feed it to her as a special gift. Her father-in-law told his family never to criticize Belle.
Floyd Highwalking did not go to school. However, he was known for raising cattle, which was not common in their area. Belle had inherited horses from her mother.
Belle was known for giving gifts, which was a tradition in her culture. In the 1920s, she visited the Crow reservation. There, she learned about a "giveaway" ceremony. During this event, people celebrate special occasions by giving away valuable items.
Her Legacy
Floyd Highwalking died in 1964. Following her tradition, Belle gave away many gifts. These gifts covered seven tables.
Around 1970, Belle told her life story to Kiene M. Weist. She spoke in both English and Cheyenne. She shared details about her childhood and Native American ceremonies. Her niece translated the Cheyenne recordings. This allowed her biography to be published in 1979. The book was called "Belle Highwalking, the narrative of a North Cheyenne woman."
Belle Highwalking passed away on October 30, 1971. She was living with her oldest son, George Hiwalker, at the time. She had one marriage and a large family with many children over fifteen years.
