Wonder Women of the Week

I have been al kinds of Amazonian busy over the last three weeks, so I am treating you all to not one, not two, but THREE Wonder Women this week. I hope you all enjoy.

When Briana Pobiner persued her Bachelor’s degree at Bryn Mawr College, she did what no college student thought was possible; started her own damn major! She received her degree in Evolutionary Studies and received her Master’s and PhD in Anthropology at Rutgers. Her research focuses on the evolution of human diet focusing on the sweet BBQ; meat eating. She’s even written articles on cannibalism in the Cook Islands and chimpanzee carnivory. She’s done field work all across Southern and Eastern Africa as well as Indonesia. She is supported by The Fulbright-Hays program, the Leaky Foundation, the National Geographic Society, the National Science Foundation, Rutgers University, the Society for American Archaeology, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Wenner-Gren Foundation. More impressively, Pobiner is probably who you should thank if you ever used the Smithsonian’s website to study for your anthropology finals. She runs the whole site as well as the Smithsonian’s social media, and educational programs related to human origins and evolution.

http://humanorigins.si.edu/research/hop-team/briana-pobiner

Born in 1840 to the Chiricahua Apache, Lozen was destined for heroism. Lozen was the younger sister of the Apache leader Victorio who taught his sister how to fight, ride, and lead warriors in battle. She was more man than woman as she had no interest in participating in the traditional roles of Apache women. Instead, she fought beside her people’s men and even wrestled and played sports with them in spare time. Lozen quickly gained the respect of her people and especially her brother who described her as “a shield to her people.” She was even a skilled medicine woman with extensive knowledge of medicinal properties of plants and minerals. After her brother died in battle, Lozen joined the even more famous Geronimo. After eluding capture countless times, Lozen’s luck ran out when she and Geronimo were surrounded in 1886 and forced to surrender. Lozen was sent to a prisoner of war camp in Alabama where shie contracted tuberculosis and died at the age of 50, never seeing her lands in New Mexico ever again.

http://www.qualiafolk.com/2011/12/08/lozen-and-dahteste/

Liliuokalani was not born for heroism, glory, or fame. She was an adopted by the granddaughter of the king of a dying royal line- of the Kingdom of Hawaii. Lili however was at the end of the line of succession. None of this stopped her from receiving a royal education. She became fluent in English at a young age and was a member of the first foreign church in Hawaii- Kawaiahao. In 1862, she married an American sea captain. Young Lili was set to have a quiet life. In 1874, Liliuokalai’s brother became King of Hawaii. His first act was to name an heir who ended up dying three years later. Liliuokalani was the only one left to be heir to the new king. In 1891, the USS Charleston showed up off the coast of Hawaii sailing under black sails with the Hawaiian flag at half-staff. While the king was away in San Francisco, he died of illness in his hotel bed, marked by his last words, “Tell my people I tried.” Liliuokalani was now crowned Queen of Hawaii and thrust into a role that would define her life. Hawaii’s Government forced her to sign a constitution ceding most of the monarch’s power. Her legislative body turned down three separate requests to form a cabinet. In 1893, pro-US Hawaiians overthrew the government. Liliuokalani pleaded the US government to be reinstated as queen, and while the White House deemed the overthrow illegal; the new president of Hawaii refused to acknowledge the decision. After a revolt in 1895, Liliuokalani was arrested for inciting rebellion. While being imprisoned in her family’s former palace, Liliuokalani wrote one of the greatest poems of history- and the most important in Hawaii’s history- “Aloha Oe” (“Farewell to Thee”). Liliuokalani was pardoned in 1896 and continued to campaign for a restoration of the Hawaiian Kingdom. She died in 1917 at the age of 79.

http://www.aloha-hawaii.com/hawaii/queen-liliuokalani/