During our evening prayers each night my husband and I have been
studying the lives of women saints. We use a resource that tells the story of a
female saint for every day of the year (Women
Saints: 365 Daily Readings, by Madonna Sophia Compton). This book includes the lives of famous and
not so famous women in history who have made a difference in this world.
Recently we read about Maria Solares, who was born in 1842 in southern
California. Both of her parents were
Native Americans from different tribes.
She was raised in a Catholic mission school but always cherished the
language and culture of her people.
Maria assisted an anthropologist, John P. Harrington, in recording much
of the language and customs of the Samala Chumash people. She was able to get training in the field of
medicine, and she spent her life working tirelessly for her people, who were
pushed off of their land and suffered from great poverty.
When she died in 1923 she was remembered as “Maria of the
Refugees.” Thanks to the early language
work she did with Dr. Harrington and other scholars, the language of the
Chumash people is being taught once again to the descendants of this
tribe. Maria’s legacy lives on
linguistically and her language of love will endure forever.
I celebrate this un-sung hero during Women’s History Month. What women
of history do you celebrate, especially during this month of tribute?
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