Christine Quintasket

Christine

The 5th grade does a project each year called My Hero. My hero is Christine Quintasket. Christine was a Native American. Her tribe was the Salishan Indians. Her father was a member of the Okanogan Indians but he left his wife and family. Christine Quintasket is my hero because she was a responsible woman and she was the first Native American Woman to write and publish novels. Someday I hope to be like Christine and be a novelist.

Did you know that Christine's pen names were Christine, Chital, Christina, and Catherine? Christine Quintasket was born in 1888 and died in 1936. Her mother was from the Salishan Tribe and her father was from the Okanogan Indians. She was taught at the Sacred Heart School in Washington for six years but had to leave the school after her mother died to take care of her brothers and sisters. Christine suffered from a chronic illness that lead to heart failure. Christine had three sisters and one brother, but her two older sisters died, also, from a chronic illness. One of Christine's interests was to write books.

Christine Quintasket is my role model because she was the first Native American Woman to write novels, and she took responsibilty for taking care of her family. She accomplished writing three novels and many other books. Christine shows pillars of character like responsiblilty for taking care of her family when they were in need, and trustworthiness for being loyal to people.

If I were to make a connection between Christine and me, it would be that we both like to write stories and we both take responsibility for taking care of our families. If I could ask Christine Quintasket any question, it would be, "At what age did you have an interest in writing?"

Christine Quintasket has a famous quote: "Everything on the Earth has a purpose, every disease a herb to cure it. This is the Indian Theory of existence." That quote means that people have something that they have to accomplish. This quote shows that Christine Quintasket thinks that everything has a reason to be on the Earth and that everything can be corrected or healed.

Children were encouraged to develop strict discipline and a high regard for sharing. When a girl picked her first berries and dug her first roots, they were given away to an elder so she would share her future success. When a child carried water for the home, an elder would give compliments, pretending to taste meat in water carried by a boy or berries in that of a girl. The child was encouraged not to be lazy and to grow straight like a sapling.
— Mourning Dove (Christine Quintasket), Salish