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Iha Wastewin (Good Laughing Woman / Alice Mary Thomson)
1869 - 1949
Iha Wastewin, the daughter of Cetan, was fourteen years old when she married James Thomson. Their first home was an adobe house adjacent to the NWMP Post at Wood Mountain where James Thomson was stationed. Their first child, Hoksila (John) was born in 1884. Eventually they had a family of eleven children, all of whom were given Lakota and English names.
Until 1909 James Thomson worked as a special constable fot the Mounties. He also ran the Post Office, the telegraph station and a school from his home. Hardly a settler stopped by the Post Office without receiving two or three loaves of freshly baked bread from
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Iha Wastewin
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Alice.
James Thomson raised light horses for the NWMP. |
Alice was always very involved with the horses and later with cattle. The brands, an Octagon T for horses and a DN9 for cattle were registered in her name. Alice taught her children to gentle the horses, rather than bucking them out in the cowboy way. All of her children were excellent riders and ropers as was Alice.
In later years Alice drove a team of horses hitched to a democrat. She had one horse tht was very old and lazy. One summer everyone wanted to ride it in the "Slow Race" at the Wood Mountain Stampede. The winner was the last horse to cross the line. Alice's horse won the race.
Until 1919 Alice lived in an adobe house. Then James built a wood frame house. She lived there until James died in 1923 and then she moved back into the adobe.
Alice followed many of Lakota traditions. She talked Lakota to her children. She picked berries, dried meat, tanned hides and made clothing including moccasins. She took part in traditional ceremonies such as pow-wows with the Lakota.
For Alice there was no end of domestic chores - bread to bake, clothes to wash and mend, quilts to make, children to care for but she fulfilled her name - Good Laughing Woman. |
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BIOGRAPHIES
Fort Berthold | Okanagan | Wood Mountain
Introduction | Early Ranching | Ranching Life | Contemporary Ranching Life | Community Stories | Transition to Rodeo
SACRED BEINGS | RANCHING | ENTERTAINMENT | RODEO | ARTS AND INDUSTRIES
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