Colestah
Yakama woman
About Colestah
Lived 1800 – 1865.
Colestah (died 1865), was one of the five wives of Chief Kamiakin (1800–1877) of the Yakama Native American tribe. She is described as being a medicine woman (twati), a psychic, and a "warrior woman".
Early life Colestah was the youngest daughter of Chief Tenax (Klickitat). Her older sisters were Kem-ee-yowah, Why-luts-pum and Hos-ke-la-pum. She bore two children with Kamiakin: Tomeo and Tomomolow (Tomolio). against Colonel George Wright, When Kamiakin was seriously wounded by a branch dislodged by a howitzer shell, Colestah carried him back to the family camp located at the Spokane River and used her skills as an "Indian doctor"
Colestah and Kamiakin moved to the Palouse River camp, between today's St. John and Endicott in 1860, where his family followed its "seasonal rounds of root-digging, berry-gathering and salmon fishing." Colestah had a new son, Tomolow, with Kamiakin in 1864, but then she became sick, and died in 1865.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
Family & relationships
People in Colestah's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Colestah's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Colestah?
Yakama woman
When was Colestah born?
Colestah was born in 1800.
When did Colestah die?
Colestah died in 1865.
What was Colestah known for?
Colestah was known for Battle of Four Lakes and Yakama.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Colestah. https://biography.guide/colestah/
MLA: "Colestah." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/colestah/.
Chicago: "Colestah." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/colestah/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:20 UTC