What does it take to build a home? These women lived and breathed hard work, building their homes in difficult circumstances. Several were settlers who benefitted from stolen Indigenous lands. Some shared their knowledge of the land. They all had pride in their work. They all put their hands in the soil to claim resources and build homes. Whether wielding a kapa beater to create cloth or planting a tree to sustain a family for generations, these women created futures for their communities.
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Haleakalā National Park
Article 1: Iʻe kuku and Kapa Making Workshop
For centuries, the Hawaiian islands were filled with the echoing pulse of the i?e kuku (wooden kapa beater) as women struck wauke (paper mulberry) on wooden anvils to make kapa (barkcloth). In reclaiming the lost art, Native Hawaiians are restoring a soundscape that had been obliterated by western colonization. The return of the rhythmic beating is a meaningful way to connect with the women of their ancient homeland, while invoking a sense of home in the present. Read more
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Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Article 2: Alice Ballard Homestead Site
In the late 1800s, as a young, unmarried Black woman, Alice Ballard homesteaded in the isolated Santa Monica Mountains on a plot that adjoined her father’s. For over twelve years she improved the rugged terrain and raised crops in the face of racial animus. Archeological fragments from the site provide tangible evidence of the diversity of people who made the Santa Monica Mountains home long before it became a national park. Read more
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Pinnacles National Park
Article 3: The Elizabeth Bacon Family House
"Homesteading" conjures up images of solo families making do in difficult times, but it was also about building community. Elizabeth Quigley Shell Bacon certainly faced hardship before settling in California’s Bear Valley. Over decades, her family grew along with a thriving rural farm community. Known for her hospitality, she welcomed outdoor enthusiasts who came to visit the fantastical rock spires in what would become Pinnacles National Park Read more
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Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park
Article 4: Sarah Winters’ Sleeping Bag
In the 1890s, Sarah Winters watched gold seekers pour into Seattle. They were headed to the Klondike region and were stocking up on necessary goods to survive arctic conditions. Capitalizing on these events, Sarah patented a sleeping bag especially designed for the cold Alaska weather - an impressive feat considering how few patents were issued to women. The Arctic Down Sleeping Bag would become a makeshift home for gold seekers pursuing their dreams. Read more
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Article 5: Celiast Smith
In 1840, Celiast Smith, a Clatsop woman, returned to her homeland at the mouth of the Columbia River after two decades. It was a moment of immense joy, as people rushed into the river to bring her ashore. Today, Celiast’s long and eventful life can be traced through three different objects: a shellfish basket speaks to her youth and homeland; a thimble represents her defiance against colonial structures; and a family plate captures her ongoing legacy among her descendants. Read more
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Olympic National Park
Article 6: Siti·yak Splitter
The siti·yak splitter appears to be a simple, functional tool of the Makah people of the northwestern Olympic Peninsula. Makah women used it to split fibers from their rich forest homeland into strips for weaving baskets. When examined closer, you see that the siti·yak is carved into the shape of a seal, capturing the Makah’s profound connection to the sea. It carries with it women’s specialized knowledge, embodying Makah women’s defiant persistence of cultural expression. Read more
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San Juan Island National Historical Park
Article 7: Anna Pike Rosler Homestead
Anna Pike Rosler, a Tsimshian woman, and her German immigrant husband built a farmhouse on San Juan Island in the 1890s. The farmhouse, and a stunning elm tree that Rosler planted next to it, have stood for over five generations, a testament to the enduring legacy created by the combination of two cultures and the love between Anna and Christopher. Anna’s unbending will kept the home and encompassing lands in the family. Read more
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Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site
Article 8: Young’s Homestead and Hale of Kaʻōanaʻeha
Pu'ukohola Heiau NHS contains the remains of one of the first western-style houses on the Hawaiian islands: the John Young Homestead. The park also contains the traditional style home of Ka?oana?eha, Young’s wife. These radically different homes co-existed in a multiethnic and multicultural family. They were built during a time of cross-cultural exchange in Hawai'i and represent the power and autonomy between the chiefly class of Native Hawaiians and missionary women. Read more
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City Of Rocks National Reserve
Article 9: Clara Campbell’s Perfume Bottle
In popular imagination, women homesteaders are either passively following their husband westward or are breaking boundaries and gaining independence. Clara Campbell does not fit neatly into these archetypes. As a divorced mother, Clara moved to Idaho to try her hand at homesteading in dry, difficult conditions. The image of Clara in her log cabin applying perfume from a glass bottle captures the complexity women faced when making homes in the West. Read more