Born a slave in Tennessee in 1832, this tall, powerfully built woman was ambitious, daring and liked a good fight. With no formal education, she forged her way to Ohio and on to the Montana Territory. Declaring herself the protector of the Ursuline nuns at St. Peter's Catholic Mission near Cascade,Montana, Mary defended those she loved from predators on two legs as well as four. She delivered the mail by stagecoach, never missing a day until she was almost 80 years old. She died in Cascade in 1914.

• Imagine the journey that Mary took from Ohio to Montana. Draw a map showing the states that Mary would have traveled through and write a story about what that trip might have been like.
• What additional information can you discover about the Black Feet Indians on the Internet?
• Go to the library and get a copy of the article in Ebony magazine (October 1977 issue) about Mary Fields and share that with your class.