I have made the final decision on whom to portray in WOMEN WARRIORS for my grant cycle. My original proposal was to portray six women, but I have decided to portray eight. This allows me better opportunity to depict a wide array of women from different cultures and races from around the world. So, without further adieu I present the 2008 WOMEN WARRIORS!

Over the last week I have been reading several books on Women Warriors, as well as looking up suggestions that have been sent to me, and utilizing the ever-wonderful Wikipedia. I am coming to the conclusion that it is going to be difficult to select just six or eight new women, especially since I want to include a good cross-section of women across the globe.

Many of the women I have discovered don't have much written on them upon first inspection. The entries will say things like, "So-n-so fought in the Battle of Luxembourg" or "Lady X was known to use swords and duel." While that proves women were active in more than the household and church, it doesn't necessarily lend enough information to write a good story, nor help me create a compelling photo. So I have been concentrating on women about whom more information is known. In some cases I am still able to find women who have battled and led interesting lives, but aren't necessarily the most famous for their country. For instance, Jane of Montfort versus Joan of Arc. While Joan may seem a shoe-in for my project, I really would like to shed light on important women who might be as famous, but just aren't as well known.

However, in some cases, I am having trouble finding any information on women at all. This is mostly true in countries where oral history has been the main recorder of events, and is most true for places like South America and for the Native Americans. While folklore and tales of mythical heroines may abound, little is recorded about actual women leaders. In the case of Native Americans it becomes difficult to google names like "Grey Wolf" or "Brown Weasel."

Another obstacle becomes the delineation between countries whose borders have shifted, or no longer exist, or encompass nearly completely different civilizations. For instance, I plan to portray Hatshepsut of Egypt. Do I then ignore the rest of Africa, as I already have a person from that continent? And if I choose to portray Catalina de Erauso of Spain, do I then disregard other Western European women of importance, like Catherina Sforza or Queen Christina of Sweden?

There are some women or groups of women who would be fascinating to portray, such as the Amazons, who truly did exist. But while archaeology and anthropology have proven their existence, there is not one single, named woman on whom to concentrate. Perhaps these women, and the women of folklore who may or may not have existed, could become a spin-off project?

While most of the course of human history has been about conquering foreign lands and dominating other cultures to the advancement of one's own culture, I do take issue with portraying early American settlers. Perhaps this is because I am American, and the subject of Native American genocide is "too close for comfort." While I have no problem portraying Boudicca, who slaughtered Romans as well as her own kins people when they defied, I can't yet bring myself to select a pioneer woman who is known for fighting native tribes.

These are of course all issues I will have to sort through and work out for myself. I do have a good, long list (68 names!) of women from whom to choose, although I have one or two more avenues to investigate before I decide for sure. Some of the names mentioned above are candidates, and here are a few more just to tantalize you!

Candace of Meroe (Africa)
Zinga Mbandi (Africa)
Madeleine de Vercheres (Canada)
Empress Wu Chao (China)
Charlotte Corday (France)
Queen Carcas of Carcassone (France)
Hydna (Greece)
Deborah Sampson Gannet (N. America)
Glory of the Morning (N. America)
Queen Olga of Kiev (Russia)
Manuela Sáenz (S. America)

*If you would like to read more about my project, I have started a dedicated blog at www.ekatieholm.blogspot.com