Honouring Christine Quintasket – Mourning Dove (1884–1936)
June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada — a time to recognize and celebrate the history, culture, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. This month, I want to honour Christine Quintasket, also known as Mourning Dove, a remarkable woman from the Interior Salish peoples, specifically the Syilx/Okanagan, Sinixt (Arrow Lakes), and Colville Nations.
Mourning Dove was one of the first Indigenous women in North America to publish a novel. Her work broke ground in Indigenous literature, documenting not only traditional stories but also the lived experiences of mixed-heritage people — often called “half-breeds,” a term we now understand as deeply harmful and tied to colonial discrimination. She explored this identity with honesty and resistance in her novel Cogewea: The Half-Blood (1927).
A Voice for the People
Born around 1884 in Idaho and raised near Kettle Falls, Washington, Mourning Dove lived through a time of great upheaval. She learned traditional teachings from her grandmother and elders, while also being forced into colonial education systems where speaking her language was punished. Despite these struggles, she found her voice through storytelling and activism.
Her writings, like the 1933 collection Coyote Stories, helped preserve and share Salish oral traditions. In her later years, she helped form the Colville Indian Association to advocate for land rights and fair treatment, and she served on the Colville Tribal Council shortly before her death in 1936. She also led the Wild Sunflower Indian Women's Club in Omak, Washington, working to preserve cultural knowledge and art.
“Everything on the earth has a purpose, every disease an herb to cure it, and every person a mission. This is the Indian theory of existence.”
— Mourning Dove
This quote hits me deeply. So basic yet so true — and we’ve seen how Big Pharma and colonial settlers disrupted and destroyed so much of this natural knowledge and healing. But her words live on, like seeds for the future.
A Life of Courage and Contribution
Mourning Dove lived during a similar time as Emily Carr, and like Carr, she documented a rapidly changing world — but from a vastly different perspective. Her life was hard, her voice was brave, and the legacy she left behind is powerful.
I am grateful for her stamina and courage. She walked a path few dared in those times — standing between worlds, holding her culture close, and creating space for future Indigenous voices. Her life reminds us of the importance of resilience and truth-telling.
May we remember her this June and every month — and continue to listen, learn, and support Indigenous voices today.
#IndigenousHistoryMonth #MourningDove #ChristineQuintasket #Salish #Okanagan #Sinixt #Colville #Cogewea #IndigenousVoices #LandBack #HealingWisdom #ZipolitaReflections
