Natawista was a Blood Indian born about 1825.
When 15 years of age she travelled with her father
from Canada to Fort Union now near the North
Dakota--Montana border, on a trade mission. This
developed into an Indian marriage ceremony to Major
Alexander Culbertson who was head of Fort Union
and Fort Benton, Montana.

She became a diplomat, a hostess, an interpreter
and helped maintain peaceful relations between
the white traders, and the Blackfoot, Blood and
Piegan Indians.

The Culbertsons and their five children lived in
Peoria, Illinois for ten years but when their
investment money was finished they returned to
upper Missouri country as traders and interpreters.

In 1870 Natawista left Culbertson and returned to
the Blood lands in Alberta where she lived until her
death in 1895.

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