Gouyen, (seated in the center) was born in 1857, into the Chihenne band of Chiricahua Apache. Her Indian name was [1] Góyą́ń meaning the one who is wise. She too was captured at the end of Geronimo’s campaign and transported to Florida, but not before accomplishing a few impressive feats of her own.
When her first husband was killed in a Comanche raid, she is said to have tracked down the man who did it and returned home with his scalp.
She did this entirely alone.
In October 14, 1880, when [6]Victorio's band was evading U.S. and Mexican troops along the U.S. Mexican border. [7]The Chiricahua Apache, had stopped at Tres Castillos, New Mexico, for a rest, they were attacked by Mexicans. After the attack, Victorio and seventy eight Apaches had been murdered, among them Gouyen's baby daughter. Only Gouyen, her young son Kaywaykla, and seventeen others had escaped.
Gouyen did marry again to Kaytennae, who was an Apache warrior. Kaytennae was one of the Apaches that had escaped during the Battle of Tres Castillos. [8] Kaytennae and Gouyen joined [9]Nana and [10]Geronimo's band, and helped with their escape from the San Carlos Reservation in 1883. While on the run trying to evade capture, Gouyen saved Kaytennae's life by killing a man trying to ambush him. In 1886 Geronimo and his followers were taken prisoner by the U.S. Army and among them was Gouyen, and her family. They were taken to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Gouyen [11]died at Fort Sill in 1903.
