Cogewea, the Half Blood: A Depiction of the Great Montana Cattle Range

by Mourning Dove

Co-ge-we-a, The A Depiction of the Great Montana Cattle Range is a 1927 Western romance novel by Mourning Dove, also known as Hum-Ishu-Ma, or Christine Quintasket (Okanogan and Arrow Lakes). It is one of the earliest novels written by an indigenous woman from the Plateau region. The novel includes the first example of Native American literary criticism.
Cogewea, the eponymous protagonist, is a woman of mixed-race ancestry, both Indigenous and Euro-American, who feels caught between her two worlds. She works on the ranch of her sister and white brother-in-law in Montana, where she is respected for her talents and skills. A European American from the East, Alfred Densmore, joins the ranch as an inexperienced ranch-hand. Cogewea is torn between the world of her white father and that of her Okanagan (spelled "Okanogan" in the novel) grandmother, Stemteema.
Her work was supported by editor Lucullus Virgil McWhorter, an American anthropologist and activist for Native Americans. He threatened the publishing company, Four Seas Press, in order to get the novel published.
Controversy has developed over McWhorter's influence over and changes in the novel. While some scholars believe his edits were typical for the genre and his time, others consider McWhorter to be a second author of the novel. McWhorter denied having that large a role.
When the book was first published, audiences found the novel's style awkward. Mourning Dove was accused by one US Indian agent of falsely claiming that she written the novel. After receiving McWhorter wrote to him strongly supporting Mourning Dove's authorship, the agent recanted his statements. Over her lifetime, Mourning Dove gained both notoriety and respect as an author. It was not until the late 20th century that Cogewea gained scholarly attention, following a revival of interest in women's and indigenous people's works.
Since that time, scholarship has focused on the infusion in Cogewea of Western tropes with Native American storytelling. In the novel, Alfred Densmore attempts to steal land and money he believes Cogewea possesses (she doesn't), and ends up abusing her when he finds out she is poor. Scholars agree that this plot line is a re-writing of the Silyx Okanagan oral story of Chipmunk and Owl Woman, where Owl Woman is the devourer and Chipmunk barely survives her encounter. Chipmunk is the meaning of Cogewea's name (Okanagan). Jeannette Armstrong, a First Nations woman who claims to be a grand-niece of Mourning Dove, says that the author had a "masterful knowledge of what Okanagan oral story is and how it works".
Recent scholarship has also recognized the novel as a work of Indigenous empowerment. (wikipedia.org)

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Indigenous, Classics, School, Native American

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1927

About the author

Mourning Dove was the pen name of Christine Quintasket also known as Hum-Ishu-Ma.

Reviews

[Tara Lynn Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun vintage book full of cowboys, indians, romance, and action. Written in 1927 by Mourning Dove, it was the first novel published by a Native American woman, and she did it as a migrant farm worker typing on her rickety old typewriter at night. It is definitely pulp fiction, but there is also some depth if you read closely.

[Jeannette · Rating 2 out of 5]

At page 76 I choose not to finish reading this book. I was eager to read the first novel published by a native American woman but found the narrative voice hard to consistently identify as hers for the many insertions and edits and influence of her collaborator, Lulus Virgil McWhorter.

Fiction can shine light on dark times and places, reveal human circumstances otherwise opaque and hidden but in this story the characters often disappear to make room for scolding didactic arguments that would be better delivered either by one clear narrative voice or the characters themselves.

Still, the book exists and probably would not have without these two helping each other. I will pop it on my bookshelf and see if I revisit it in another season.

[Kit Perriman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cogewea is a "breed" or "half-blood," a young woman stuck in the liminal world between two cultures.  Her grandmother gave her the tales of her Native American heritage, but she lives on her white bother-in-law's ranch on the Flathead Indian Reservation. The book a romantic pulp fiction, yet the narrator offers some unique observations from the author's own first-hand experiences, highlighting the emotional and psychological pressures of finding a comfortable place in an ever-changing world.
Cogewea is one of the first novels to be written by a First Nations female author.  Mourning Dove (Hum-Ishu-Ma) toiled for ten hours each day out in the fields, then typed her manuscript at night in her tent.  It was later edited by Lucullus Virgil McWhorter.  And although there are few surprises for the modern reader, it is hard not to admire the writer's drive and dedication.  Mourning Dove had a limited education, no role models, and the hardships of poverty to overcome.  The language she uses is flowery and antiquated yet her insights into a vanished era are invaluable.  This is an important book from a historical perspective.  I would, however, only recommend it to readers with an academic interest in women writers or Native American literature.

[KV · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would give a three for the parts I could tell were hers, and I would give very little to the parts I know the editor meddled with. I'm incredibly offended by his presence in the novel, which is egregious and obvious. Why can't we simply have our own voices? Why can't we write whatever stories we feel? Why did he feel the need to assert his knowledge of a different nation as she tried to tell a fictional story about someone from her own?

From a historical perspective I find this valuable, but also depressing. It shows similar problems that still exist. It shows a startling similarity even to today.

Also, as a complaint, I know the book is very dated, but also the way the dialogue functioned was hard to follow because it too often tried to show accents in a manner that was distracting.

[Kaily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel mesmerized me with multiple layers of history and cultural identity. Cogewea is a character of dual identity, which readers may find a connection with.

[Anna East · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I don’t care for century-old Western romances with a whole bunch of confusing narrative voices (other reviews explain this so I won’t repeat all that). However! I will say it is surprisingly accurate for even 100+ years later regarding everything it says about Indian-white relations on the Flathead Reservation. As in, nothing much has changed except there’s a lot more white people now…Which is a disturbing continuation of racism and everything else that’s shitty. So it got 3 stars for being disgustingly prescient.

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this novel. I felt Mourning Dove's writing shone through even if some of the editing was a bit verbose. Not a very complex romance. Worth a read. I finished it in about a week.

[auti · Rating 3 out of 5]

i preferred the parts that talked about Cogewea’s struggles with identity more than the romantic parts. i read it for class and the version we read was edited, which, i think, took a lot away from the original meaning, it felt very westernized.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

shoutout first native American woman to write a novel but the editing from her white editor ruined it

[✨Emma✨]

Man screw McWhorter. Anywho.

I enjoyed this to a degree, but as well this was read for class so my experience was burdened from that need to analyze. I was surprised that Jim and Cogewea did not truly 'get together' until the actual final page. The romance between them often felt like a secondary point. The brewing tension between Densmore and Cogewea was interesting, and honestly I think the novel potentially should have been left open ended. But all girls must get married at the end of novels, if 2019 Little Women is anything to go by.

I'm really curious on what the 'original' looked like, pre any McWhorter edits and additions. Mourning Dove's voice completely unfiltered.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the dialogue that included various slang/ everyday language and the authors ability to write the different characters. I loved the combination western/romance/tragedy/legend/folk tale aspects of the book. Very definitely a book of it's time but also with insight beyond it.

[Orin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The narration was messy and hard to follow. The book should’ve been written in first person. I have never read something so repetitive and meaningless. Another novel that is only valued because of its historical impact. I have nothing else to say.

[Marie Hurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a fun throwback read.

[Maria do Socorro Baptista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gostei imensamente deste livro, e da oportunidade de aprender mais sobre nações indígenas sobre as quais sabemos tão pouco. Recomendo!

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, with a cute final image.

[Gina Trentacosta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like twilight if it was southern and Bella was Native American and struggling with identity issues in the 1920’s

[Christy · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's not too much to say about this one.

It's a romance with a western setting. Instead of focusing on lovers separated by class or family strife, it focuses on lovers separated by race--and then lovers brought together by race.

It's pretty predictable in its plot and in its criticisms of white people and of the emphasis on pure blood (the protagonist being half white and half Indian), but it is notable for its place as the first novel written by a Native American woman, even if there is some question as to what role Lucullus McWhorter, her collaborator, played in shaping the narrative.

[Andrea Stoeckel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is kind of hard to follow, even with a background in Native history and a love of Harliquin Romances. You know her 'mentor' helped Cogewea "write" her book, and even she acknowledges that she needed him to get it published. However, either a third grade education was a lot more political then or he editorialized a lit, especially the first third of the book. I read this as a favor to my spouse, who also has read it as part of her grad school class. Could Cogewea be as naive as she comes across? There is a reason the author had to guarentee publishing costs, this book might be history,but enjoyable.....not so much

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprised I enjoyed this as Romance novels aren't typically my thing. First, this novel, written by an Indigenous woman, is maddeningly steeped in noble savagism and the myth of the vanishing race. At the same time, it's really fascinating to see this pre-Renaissance critique of settler colonialism and white supremacy. Also a good source for Indigenous liminality, though the differences between white, Indigenous, and "breeds," are almost entirely defined by blood quantum and not cultural identity. Could pair well with pre-Chicano/a lot novels like CABALLERO and SQUATTER AND THE DON, too, for how they navigate a place of women of color, white men, marriage, and progress.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This is a love story and, yes, it is predictable but it is still a great read. I respect and admire Mourning Dove and the fact that she is the first Native American woman to have published a novel. Her writing style is fun and free-spirited and it was a great adventure to read this book. One of my favorites.

[Rachel Cassandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

apparently the book was the first published book of a native american woman author. it's compelling in parts, but not worth wading through unless you're seriously interested in it as a historical examination.

[Dragonfruit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Humm not exacly sure what to say, one I read for school. It's pritty much a typical western just dose a better job of dealing with Indian characters. I'm just not a big western fan.

[Kaylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for a Native American Literature class. While I found the way that it was written to be kind of boring, the story was interesting and the ending, although rushed and cliche, was extremely satisfying!

[Besha]

It’s hard to tell what’s Mourning Dove and what’s McWhorter, but the latter definitely did more harm than good. See my highlighted quote for an example of his prose stylings.