Sophia Alice Callahan

Also found under Novels, Native American Writers

Who Was She?

Sophia Alice Callahan was born in 1868 in Texas to an Anglo-American mother and a Muscogee, or Creek, father. In the 1890s, she taught at schools in Native American territory, including the Wealaka Mission School and the Harrell Institute. In 1891, she began working as an editor for Our Brother in Red, a Methodist periodical published at Muskogee in Native American territory. That same year, she published her novel Wynema, A Child of the Forest, at the age of 23, likely while attending the Wesleyan Female Institute in Virginia. The novel detailed the friendship between a Creek girl and her Anglo teacher, and advocates for the rights of both Native Americans and women. The book was largely forgotten until the 1980s, and in the 1990s, it was republished for modern day readers to enjoy. Today, Callahan is remembered as the first known Native American female novelist.

What Did She Write About?

Native American rights, Women's suffrage, Cross-cultural friendship, Romance

Where Can I Find Her Work?

• Barnes & Noble

• Thriftbooks