Sapphistries: A Global History of Love between Women
by Leila J. Rupp
Queer Places:
Kootenae House National Historic Site is located at 2 KM North of Invermere, Athalmer, BC V0A 1K5, Canada
Spokane House Interpretive Center, N Nine Mile Rd, Spokane, WA 99208, USA
Kaúxuma Núpika (c. 1780s – 1837), also widely known by the name "Gone to the Spirits," was a prominent Ktunaxa (Kutenai) prophet, warrior, healer, and diplomat. Their life is a well-documented example of the "two-spirit" or alternative-gender traditions within indigenous cultures of the Columbia Plateau.
Born as Qúqunok Pátke ("One Standing Lodgepole Woman"), Kaúxuma Núpika was originally raised as a female. Early in the 19th century, they married a white fur trader, Augustin Boisvert, a relationship later described as a form of servitude.
Kaúxuma Núpika and Boisvert lived together at Kootenae House: Located near Athalmer, British Columbia, at the north end of Lake Windermere, for approximately one year around 1808.
Spokane House and Fort Estakatadene are associated with their travels in 1811.
Upon returning to the Ktunaxa community, Kaúxuma Núpika announced that their husband had used supernatural powers to transform them into a man. They adopted the name "Kaúxuma Núpika" (Gone to the Spirits) and began wearing men’s clothing—including shirts, leggings, and breechcloths—while carrying traditional male weaponry like a bow and a gun.
Kaúxuma Núpika carved out a unique and powerful space in the region, bridging cultural divides between indigenous nations and European traders:
Prophet and Healer: They gained significant influence as a visionary, famously prophesying the arrival of devastating diseases (such as smallpox) and urging tribal resistance to colonial expansion.
Warrior and Guide: They engaged in traditionally masculine activities, including raiding and hunting. Their skills as a guide and interpreter made them a valuable figure to the Hudson’s Bay Company and other traders.
Diplomat: In their later years, Kaúxuma Núpika became a dedicated peace mediator. They famously traveled between warring groups, such as the Ktunaxa, Blackfoot, and Salish (Flathead), attempting to prevent bloodshed.
After an incident during a horse-raiding expedition where their physical sex was observed by a brother, Kaúxuma Núpika adopted the additional name Qánqon Kámek Klaúla ("Sitting in the Water Grizzly"), a name referencing the location where they crouched in a stream to hide their anatomy.
In 1837, Kaúxuma Núpika was killed by Blackfoot warriors while attempting to negotiate a peace treaty that would allow a trapped group of Flathead people to escape. Ktunaxa oral tradition remembers them as a powerful, spiritual figure who sacrificed their life for the safety of others. Historical scholars often point to Kaúxuma Núpika as a significant figure in the history of gender and sexuality in North America, highlighting how indigenous societies historically recognized and integrated individuals who moved between gender roles.
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Sapphistries: A Global History of Love between Women by Leila J. Rupp |
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