Sippia Paul Hull (1852 – February 15, 1937) was a

Chickasaw The Chickasaw ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands, United States. Their traditional territory was in northern Mississippi, northwestern and northern Alabama, western Tennessee and southwestern Kentucky. Their language is ...

woman and early settler of Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, where she managed a large farm and household alongside her husband. She documented her experiences growing up in the

Chickasaw Nation The Chickasaw Nation () is a federally recognized Indigenous nation with headquarters in Ada, Oklahoma, in the United States. The Chickasaw Nation descends from an Indigenous population historically located in the southeastern United States, in ...

and living through significant historical events in

Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...

, with her writings preserved in the Pauls Valley Memorial Library.

Early life and education

Hull, born in 1852 in the

Cross Timbers The term Cross Timbers, also known as Ecoregion 29, Central Oklahoma/Texas Plains, is used to describe a strip of land in the United States that runs from southeastern Kansas across Central Oklahoma to Central Texas. Made up of a mix of prairi ...

region of the

, was the daughter of Smith Paul, and a

woman from

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

. Her early years were marked by the wilderness, where deer, antelope, and buffalo were plentiful. Paul's father served as a government agent for friendly Native American tribes in the region and was a landowner with several acres under cultivation. During her childhood, Hull and her family lived in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, a settlement founded by her father in the area that later bore his name. Due to conflicts with neighboring tribes, her family experienced periods of fear and tension, particularly from raids by warring tribes. Her family and other settlers frequently took refuge in nearby fields and woods. Hull's education began at home, where her father hired teachers to provide instruction for her and her siblings. She also attended a government-established Indian school at

Fort Sill Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (137 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost . The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark a ...

after the Civil War. Hull married Jim Arnold at the age of sixteen. Arnold later disappeared on a trip to

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, and she assumed he had died.

Career

Hull enrolled herself and her daughter at a school in Fort Sill operated by

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestantism, Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally ...

. It was here that she met William Hull, an Englishman working under Indian agent Lawrie Tatum. The two married, and they established a farm on the

Washita River The Washita River () is a river in the U.S. states of Texas and Oklahoma. The river is long and terminates at its confluence with the Red River of the South, Red River, which is now part of Lake Texoma () on the TexasOklahoma border. Geogra ...

near Whitebead, Oklahoma. Hull played a significant role in managing her family's farm and household. Her skills included spinning cotton into thread, weaving cloth, making clothes, and producing food staples like sausage. She also learned to manufacture various household items, such as hats and caps for her family. Hull wrote about her experiences growing up in the Chickasaw Nation. These accounts were later stored in the archives of the Pauls Valley Memorial Library.

Personal life

Hull's personal life was closely intertwined with her family's legacy in Pauls Valley. Her father, Smith Paul, was a well-known figure in the region, and Hull lived through pivotal moments in the early history of

, including interactions with both friendly and hostile Native American groups. She and William Hull had six children. Later in life, Hull and her husband moved to

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, where they settled after William's health deteriorated. William eventually died in California, and Hull remained there with her children. Hull died at her daughter's home on February 15, 1937, in

Gorman, California Gorman is an unincorporated community in northwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located in Peace Valley south of the Tejon Pass, which links Southern California with the San Joaquin Valley and Northern California. D ...

from flu complications and old age. Her great-nephew Homer Paul was a member of the

Oklahoma Legislature The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate are the two houses that make up the bicameral state legislature. There are 101 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hull, Sippia Paul 1852 births 1937 deaths Chickasaw Nation people Chickasaw women 19th-century Native American women 20th-century Native American women People from Pauls Valley, Oklahoma Deaths from influenza in the United States