Shotaye was a Pueblo medicine woman who resisted Spanish rule and later aided rebels. Though historical, she is honored as a symbol of spiritual resistance. In poetry, Shotaye symbolizes indigenous feminism, healing as rebellion, and the power of women’s knowledge. Poets invoke her to explore themes of cultural preservation, defiance, and the sacred duty to protect community from external threats.

Shotaye is a legendary Pueblo medicine woman and witch from Jemez or Cochiti stories, often portrayed as a powerful but dangerous figure who defies social norms—she embodies the ambiguity of spiritual power—poets can use Shotaye to explore female agency and taboo, but must avoid reinforcing colonial stereotypes of “witches” and instead present her within Pueblo frameworks of balance and consequence.