Woman Walking Ahead: In Search of Catherine Weldon and Sitting Bull: New and Updated Edition

by Eileen Pollack

This book restores a little-known advocate of Indian rights to her place in history. In June 1889, a widowed Brooklyn artist named Catherine Weldon traveled to the Standing Rock Reservation in Dakota Territory to help Sitting Bull hold onto land that the government was trying to wrest from his people. Since the Sioux chieftain could neither read nor write English, he welcomed the white woman’'s offer to act as his secretary and lobbyist. Her efforts were counterproductive; she was ordered to leave the reservation, and the Standing Rock Sioux were bullied into signing away their land. But she returned with her teen-age son, settling at Sitting Bull’'s camp on the Grand River. In recognition of her unusual qualities, Sitting Bull'’s people called her Toka heya mani win, Woman Walking Ahead.
Predictably, the press vilified Weldon, calling her “"Sitting Bull’'s white squaw”" and accusing her of inciting Sitting Bull to join the Ghost Dance religion then sweeping the West. In fact, Weldon opposed the movement, arguing that the army would use the Ghost dance as an excuse to jail or kill Sitting Bull. Unfortunately she was right.

Up to now, history has distorted and largely overlooked Weldon'’s story. In retracing Weldon’'s steps, Eileen Pollack recovers Weldon's life and compares her world to our own. Weldon'’s moving struggle is a classic example of the misunderstandings that can occur when a white woman attempts to build friendships across cultural lines and assist the members of an oppressed minority fighting for their rights.

This is a new and updated version, with an epilogue in which Pollack presents information about Weldon's real name and her ancestry, her early life as a young Swiss immigrant to the United States, her disastrous marriage and the scandal of her divorce, as well as her life in Brooklyn after her return from Standing Rock.

"“A wonderful poignance, a bitter sweetness, the haunting loneliness of the plains hangs over this '‘search'’ . . . a fascinating project.”" --Peter Nabokov

“"A fascinating story, well told and engaging. It will be eagerly embraced in the area of women'’s studies and will find interested readers in history and anthropology, as well as a large general audience.”" --Raymond DeMallie

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Native American, Biography

449 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 14, 2002

About the author

Eileen Pollack grew up in Liberty, New York. She has received fellowships from the Michener Foundation and the MacDowell Colony, and her stories have appeared in Ploughshares, Prairie Schooner, the Literary Review, the AGNI Review, Playgirl, and the New Generation. She lives in Belmont, Massachusetts, and teaches at Tufts University. She won the Pushcart Prize for her story “Past, Future, Elsewhere.”

Reviews

[Rouchswalwe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Altogether a superbly realized study. Engaged as I am with researching my family history, this book was right up my alley. Not only did I learn about Catherine Weldon, a determined woman ahead of her time, I felt as though I were being taken on a journey of discovery together with the author (another determined woman). Eileen Pollack does a magnificent job of immersing her reader in two time periods. She asks the questions, digs up primary sources, talks to people, provides important context, follows up on clues and hunches, and what comes of it is amazing. As a girl growing up in Germany, I was fascinated by the Sioux, so in addition, this volume reacquainted me with my past passions. I learned so much about Sitting Bull and his people at Standing Rock. Very happy to have stumbled upon this book!

[Ralph Maughan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legacy Deserved

As hard as this book is to read, personally I must remember that Sitting Bull and Weldon's bravery did have results: more land and respect for the Sioux as a people, the icon of Indian courage. If Weldon and her group had not taken up the cause of the Sioux, if Sitting Bull had not been such a wise and resilient leader, the Sioux would not have the standing they do among all native peoples worldwide.
The fight goes on with the Dakota pipeline. When will the big money figure out that these are men and women who fight back?
Good work, Eileen Pollack. You carefully document every word and inference you put on the page.

[Santa Fean · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a superbly written book about a historic figure whose true identity and background remain virtually unknown to the general public. Eileen Pollack, in a narrative way, walks us through the life of Catherine (Caroline) Weldon detailing her experiences while researching this very difficult subject and still conveying an intimate picture of this remarkable woman. To-date this is the only biography ever written about Catherine Weldon. Anyone studying the events that lead up to Sitting Bull's murder and consecutive massacre at Wounded Knee ought to read this book. It is revealing and gives a different perspective of these events.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worthwhile for anyone seeking info on Weldon, particularly as she appears in Walcott's Omeros.

[Cecelia Hightower · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bill just finished reading a very interesting book, "Woman Walking Ahead, in search of Catherine Weldon and Sitting Bull" by Eileen Pollack written in 2002. It is about E. Pollack following up on one of graduate school professors suggesting she write a book about a mysterious woman who lived with Sitting Bull during the last years of his life.

What started out as a book about Catherine Weldon became a book both Catherine Weldon and Eileen Pollack's newly acquired self awareness that came about during her research, attendance at a Ghost Dance (by invitation), and how history is really fluid the way it is reported.

I would put the book in the classification of a history book, self-awareness book, and a motivational book.

To be honest, I had started reading this book last year. It was the one of the two or three books I keep by the recumbent bike to read while I am doing my daily exercise routine.

I must warn three of you ladies, my sister is reader that puts me to shame and the heck of it she can give a much better review than this lone member of the "Fearsome Foursome Plus One"

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eileen Pollack explodes the mythic romance that informed the movie of the same name. Unfortunately her rigor at research was not matched in her presentation. Particularly at the beginning and end she lapses into her own story and some late 20th century gossip.

[Irena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing work of research and emotional journey to the heart of America.
You not always agree with an author conclusions and musings but will appreciate her doggedly inquisitive following though the murky American past. This book helped me to make a peace with a tragic heart breaking really history of native Americans by drawing realistic no nonsense journey of woman outsider who stood up to injustice against them and against of what odds made her place in history now.

[Lynne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really would give it 1 1/2 stars. Enjoyed learning these bits of history of which I wasn’t familiar, but author jumps around time so often it’s hard to keep in story. Also so much info added vaguely tied to this story.

[Brian Andersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. I enjoyed reading about her research. Much of Weldon is unknown or lost so there is a lot of hypotheses but I feel she did a great job piecing it all together.

[Shannon Courington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well done! I just wish I could get my hands on a printed copy!

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suspect that Pollack has done us a solid by bringing this story to our attention, although perhaps not quite to the degree which the publisher's blurb would have us believe. We do know that the Standing Rock Sioux have been thoroughly mistreated by history (along with the US government), but telling the Catherine Weldon story yet again is unlikely to make any huge inroads in changing that. I sensed that Pollack's passion was likely more important to the story than was her scholarship. A final vignette on the importance that one photo of Weldon in her later years holds in shaping Pollack's outlook on the history of the events was quite telling. There really are important features of the written word in bringing our history into the present that outweigh any verbal records that have little to support their veracity.

[Nicola Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book about a fascinating story. Swiss-born Catherine (Caroline) Weldon was no ordinary woman. From the midst of a loveless marriage in Brooklyn, she developed a great passion for the Native American Indian and, one divorce and one failed love affair later, in 1889, decides to move herself and illegitimate son to the camp of the great Chief Sitting Bull, to paint his portrait. Utterly fearless in her commitment to Sitting Bull and the Dakotas, she does her utmost to prevent Sitting Bull from getting involved with the revived Ghost Dance because she knows that it may result in the death of him. They part ways over this controversial subject with tragic consequences. Pollack's writing is vibrant and honest and she brings us on two incredible journeys, that is, the life of Caroline Weldon and her research for this book. I absolutely loved it!

[Ladyfilosopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is truly an intricate weave of fact and conjecture. Towards the end I realised I have no qualms watching films about historical figures which inevitably carry much imagination regarding emotions and motivation of characters we desire to become familiar with, so be it for this book. I can agree with the author or not. The author inudes much detail about white people's behaviour and despicable misdeeds regarding land, law and livelihood in their dealings with Native Americans, particularly Sitting Bull and his tribe. The book was a page turner til the very end. The author figures strongly in the narrative, which took a bit of getting used to. I came away from this experience all the richer by far.

[Sam Motes · Rating 4 out of 5]

First half of the book tells the story of Katherine Weldon and her life in and around Sitting Bull and his people as she tried to save them from the fate that awaited them. It is a tragic story of a proud people struggling to make since of the changing world leaving them behind and Weldon’s admiration for them and a drive to help that in the end may have done more harm then good. The second half details the authors long struggle to find out who Katherine Weldon was.

[Gail GB · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but it is one that you must initially pick up the rhythm of the writing. The author does jump between times and for some readers that might present a challenge. As a non fiction, it is a good representation of a much needed period of time that is seldom written and presented, especially concerning a woman. I didn’t give it a 5 star because some readers might have a difficult time following between periods.

[Earlene Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book from a perspective not often heard

[Ann Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really want to like this book but it's just not doing it for me. Too many good books in the world. Reading for the book club, will try the movie instead.

[Cyvil B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The history make clear many things not known.

[Lynette Ackman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 or 4 stars… overall interesting, though I got a bit lost in the timeline at times.

[Kathleen Woodcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book by a woman who has great fortitude - just like Catherine Weldon. I got interested in reading this book after watching the movie, She Walked Ahead (2018) starring Jessica Chastain. In the beginning you learn about Sitting Bull ‘s character which most attracted CS Weldon who desired to paint his portrait. She gained access to him and they developed a strong bond. It’s only later you discover the elements that gave her the courage to undertake this project. Her past life is slowly revealed and all is quite astonishing for a woman living during that time period. I truly admire the author ‘s tenaciousness in traveling to gather materials. Her own personal story is most interesting and I could relate to her challenges. It’s my favorite book of the year!

[Ape Bleakney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to as audiobook and did not love the reading. Takes you on a historian’s journey of searching for the history of a white woman who lived among Sitting Bull and his people. Skeptical of all her internal pontificating (pontificating left me wondering the historical accuracy of the dialogue throughout the book I assume she is creating in her own mind).

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A weirdly meta cognitive autobiographical account of the authors attempts at researching and writing the stories of Catherine Weldon and Sitting Bull.

For stories written by colonial people about other colonial peoples self reported accounts of and interaction with indigenous people, this story was pretty good (read “good” as also “strange”).

There is far more mystery in the life of Caroline Weldon than I had expected and, in the epilogue, it is revealed even more mystery than the author herself has initially thought. Nevertheless, this book avoids the self indulgence of making that story an epic adventure that could eclipse the picture pursuit of information regarding the person of Sitting Bull.

I definitely learned way more about the person who Sitting Bull was and the history of the land which is now north and South Dakota.

I was surprised by how much I also learned about the social history of the US (and Sweden) at that same time.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a long sorrow-filled tale. The book follows the author on her quest to find the story and write a biography of Catherine Weldon, who painted portraits of Sitting Bull. Weldon lived with Sitting Bull in a time when the Indian's way of life was reaching its demise. The racism and rampant obliteration of the lives of native Americans is a difficult read.
Eileen Pollack shares her journey with us, including her own theories of how Weldon's life played out, through to the final discoveries made of who Catherine really was, where she came from, and how she died.

[Kt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave it a four, not because of the content of history, but because I enjoyed following her journey. Eileen Pollack writes about her journey to discover the mystery (history) of Catherine Weldon, a widowed lady who came to South Dakota to "help" Sitting Bull. She tells her version of what she goes through to discover Catherine and also writes in Catherine's voice about what she thinks actually happened. Overall an enjoyable book.

[Sherri Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good book.

[Marelda Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a woman.

Very interesting. Somewhat contradictory and confusing. Hard to accurately pin down the facts but certainly adds a lot to that turbulent time in American history.