Running Eagle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pi'tamaka, Pita Omarkan (Running Eagle)
Otaki
Piegan Blackfoot leader
Personal details
Born	Southern Alberta, Canada
Died	After 1878
Cause of death	Killed by Flathead tribe while stealing horses for a battle
Known for	Rescued her father after an enemy tribe shot his horse
Nickname	Brown Weasel Woman

Running Eagle (Pi'tamaka) was a brave Native American woman and a respected war chief of the Blackfeet Tribe. She was known for her amazing courage and success in battles. She broke many traditions to become a powerful leader.

Running Eagle's Early Life

Running Eagle, also known as "Brown Weasel Woman," grew up in Southern Alberta, Canada. She was the oldest of her siblings in the Piikáni Piegan Tribe, part of the Blackfeet Nation. She had two sisters and two brothers.

How Running Eagle Grew Up

From a young age, Running Eagle preferred playing with boys. She enjoyed activities usually done by boys. By age 12, she even started wearing boys' clothing. Her father, an important warrior, taught her how to hunt and fight. This was against her mother's wishes, but her father believed in her. Soon, Running Eagle joined hunting trips to catch buffalo.

A Heroic Rescue

One day, while hunting, her group was attacked by the Assiniboine, an enemy tribe. As everyone fled, her father's horse was shot. Without hesitation, Running Eagle rode straight into the danger. She dropped the meat she was carrying and pulled her father onto her own horse. She saved his life!

After this brave act, her tribe celebrated her with a special Victory Song. However, some people worried. They feared other women might follow her example and leave their traditional duties.

Family Challenges

Later, Running Eagle faced more challenges. Her mother became very ill. Then, her father died in a battle against the Crow tribe. When her mother heard this sad news, she also passed away. This left Running Eagle, as the oldest, in charge of her younger siblings. She found caring for the home difficult. After a while, she invited a widow to live with them. This widow helped care for her siblings and managed the housework.

Running Eagle's Successes in Battle

Running Eagle was determined to be a warrior. One day, a group of her tribe's warriors set out to raid a Crow camp. Their goal was to take back stolen horses. Running Eagle, carrying her father's rifle, followed them.

Leading a Horse Raid

The leader of the war party saw her and tried to make her go home. But Running Eagle refused. He even threatened to cancel the raid if she didn't leave. She bravely replied that she would go to the Crow camp alone. Her strong will won, and she joined the raid.

During the raid, she successfully captured 11 horses for her tribe. On the way back, she kept watch while the men rested. She spotted two enemy Crow men trying to get their horses back. Running Eagle took them down herself! Once again, she was celebrated for her heroic actions. Still, some people in the tribe did not approve of her warrior path.

The Vision Quest and New Name

Because of this disapproval, her elders suggested she go on a vision quest. This was a special journey where a person went to a quiet place for four days. They would fast and wait for spirits to show them their future in a vision. Vision quests were usually for male warriors. This made it a big challenge for Running Eagle to prove her worth.

Running Eagle agreed. When she returned, she shared that she had a vision of the sun. The sun promised her great power in battle. After her vision, she was invited to join another war party. She also got to participate in the Medicine Lodge Ceremony, where she shared her stories. This ceremony was usually only for men.

The tribe's Chief, Lone Walker, gave her the name "Running Eagle" because of her greatness. This was a name given only to the greatest warriors, and it was the first time a woman had ever received it. She was also asked to join the Braves Society of Young Warriors.

A Respected War Chief

After gaining the full respect of her tribe, Running Eagle continued to lead many successful war parties and hunting trips. She never married. Even though she led war parties and wore men's clothes, she also cooked for the men and repaired their moccasins. These were tasks typically done by women, and the men likely hadn't learned how to do them.

Running Eagle's Legacy

Running Eagle's life ended sometime after 1878. She was killed in a battle against Flathead warriors. The Flathead warrior who killed her was named Zamalya. The Flathead warriors had heard that a woman was leading the enemy, so they targeted her right away. She died as a successful warrior and a hero, doing what she loved.

Today, Pitamakan Lake in Glacier National Park, Montana, is named after her. Many of her Blackfeet descendants still live on a reservation in Montana today.

It's important not to confuse her with another person named Running Eagle, an Oglala Sioux man who fought in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.