Matilda Coxe Stevenson (1849-1915)

Much of what she learned at Zuni came through We'wha, a lhamana, who from childhood took on the work and ceremonial roles of Zuni women; she met We'wha in 1879 and called We'wha the most intelligent person in the pueblo. From December 1885 to June 1886 We'wha lived with the Stevensons in Washington, wove on the National Mall for her camera, and met President Cleveland, asking him to send an agent who would protect Zuni interests. She also forced her way into closed ceremonies. She was at We'wha's death in 1896 and published her long Zuni report in 1904.

What the plaque says

Official Scenic Historic Marker Matilda Coxe Stevenson (1849-1915) Matilda Coxe Stevenson was the first female anthropologist to study the Native Americans of New Mexico. Her research focused on the religious practices of indigenous peoples, particularly of the Zuni, and on the lives of native women and children. In 1885, she founded the Woman's Anthropological Society of America, a national organization, in part to address the inequality of the sexes in the field of Anthropology. New Mexico Historic Women Marker Initiative The New Mexico Historic Women Marker Initiative was founded in 2005 by members of the New Mexico Women's Forum in a statewide effort to recognize women's contributions to New Mexico history on the state's Official Scenic Historic Markers. The Initiative ensures that women's diverse histories will be remembered and told, and will inspire and provide a guide for future generations. The 2006 Legislature funded the project.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• El Morro National Monument — 2.1 mi
  A sandstone headland with a pool at its foot, where Puebloan people, Spanish governors and American soldiers all left their marks, until carving became illegal in 1906.
• El Malpais National Monument — 20 mi
  The badlands south of Grants: lava 3,900 years old from McCartys Crater, a tube system at least seventeen miles long, and an old trail across four lava flows between Zuni and Acoma.

More markers nearby

• El Morro National Monument Inscription Rock — 2.6 mi
• Zuni Olla Maidens — 22 mi
• Pueblo of Zuni — 24 mi
• Bluewater Village — 27 mi