Nearby History: Whistalks — a warrior woman in eastern Washington

Born circa 1838, Whistalks was the daughter of Spokan chief, Polotkin. By 1857, she had married the young Yakama leader Qualchan, the cousin of Chief Kamiakin — the leader of a sizable alliance of tribes who refused to cede their lands to the Washington Territorial government.

Oral tradition asserts Whistalks fought in several unspecified battles during the Columbia Plateau War (also called the Yakama Wars), which lasted from 1855 to 1858. Qualchan is known to have participated in nine battles/skirmishes, potentially with Whistalks at his side, especially during the last three: the victorious Battle of Tohotonimme (May 1858) near modern Rosalia, and the disastrous battles of Four Lakes and Spokane Plains (early September, 1858).

Within three weeks, the alliance of tribes crumbled, particularly in response to a series of punitive actions by George Wright, the army colonel who had commanded the September battles. Determined to put an end to further “native aggression,” he ordered his men to destroy food caches, burn winter shelters and kill 800 to 1,000 captured horses at Horse Slaughter Meadows near Liberty Lake. Wright then began a campaign to destroy remaining tribal leaders.

On Sept. 24, Whistalks accompanied Qualchan to Wright’s camp on Latah Creek (later called Hangman Creek), in southern Spokane County. According to Qualchan’s sister San-clow (better known as Mary Moses), they were a striking couple. Whistalks was beautiful and courageous, and Qualchan had “a fine physique — broad and deep of chest and muscular of limb, with small hands and feet.”

As they entered the camp, Qualchan — wearing elaborately decorated buckskins and riding his finest horse — carried a white flag of truce and a hidden pistol. His appearance was imposing and he carried himself well, despite a gunshot wound that had not healed well. Whistalks carried a rifle and a heavily beaded medicine staff, and one source claims that she was carrying her infant son. Qualchan’s brother, Lokout, and another man, whose identity is not known for certain, also accompanied them. The party was clearly not intending to attack — but were prepared to defend themselves if necessary.

What was their purpose? Wright claimed that he had sent an ultimatum to Qualchan: meet or he would execute his father, Owhi, whom he was holding captive. Qualchan’s family, however, denied receipt of such a message. He went, they said, to Wright to discuss peace and learned about Owhi’s capture only after arriving. A third source claimed that Qualchan was betrayed by the unidentified man, who led the party into Wright’s camp under false pretenses.

Within minutes of their arrival, Wright ordered the arrests of the brothers. Soldiers then stripped Qualchan, dragged him to a “tree,” and “hanged” him. In a letter reporting the incident, Wright stated, “Qualchan came to see me at 9 o’clock, and at 9:15 he was hung (sic).” No trial occurred.

Later, Whistalks described her husband’s death: “There was no timber close to where they camped, but they planted a large stick in the ground and nailed a cross stick on it, tied my husband’s legs together, his hands behind his back, put a rope around his neck and strangled him to death.”

Eyewitness accounts of the aftermath vary. In one, Lokout managed to escape on Qualchan’s horse; while Whistalks seized a soldier’s sword and “slashed her way to freedom.” In another, she threw a lance at Wright’s tent, then galloped off to her family’s camp on the Spokane River. According to San-clow, however, both Whistalks and Lokout were captured and later released when several Spokans swore they were not related to Qualchan. As she departed, Whistalks supposedly plunged her lance into the ground — where it quivered “in defiance.”

Following Qualchan’s death, Owhi escaped but was shot near Starbuck, in present-day Columbia County. Wright also summarily hanged at least 10 (and perhaps 12) other native warriors for “murder and theft of stock.” At least six had approached Wright carrying flags of truce. Not long after Wright’s men broke camp, Qualchan’s sisters located their brother’s shallow grave and reburied him.

Lokout and Whistalks fled Eastern Washington to Montana and stayed there for months, possibly years or decades.

They eventually married and spent the rest of their lives living near the confluence of the Spokane and Columbia Rivers.

She died in 1909 at the age of 71.

In August of 2021, Fort George Wright Drive in western Spokane was renamed Whistalks Way.

Meyer taught history at Washington State University for 25 years. She has been active in Whitman County Historical Society since 1992.