Book Review: Miwok

Miwok by Barbara A. Gray-Kanatiiosh, ABDO Publishing Company, North Mankato, MN, 2002.

This is a child’s book, and gives an introduction to the Miwok.  However it is even thin for a children’s book.  The part I liked were the creation story as told by the Miwok.  Old Man Coyote wanted to make people but needed land where they could live.  He made lad from some mud he found on Frog’s feet.  He then set sticks into the land, waved his blanket over the sticks and turned them into people. 

The parts where I learned something new is that the Miwok had three basic areas they inhabited, by different groups which spoke the same language.  Coastal Miwok lived in the North Bay area, Lake Miwok in the clear lake area, and Eastern Miwok from Mount Diablo to Yosemite.  Each population had different types of dwellings based on the resources available.  They Lake and Coastal used more tule in their housing.  Acorn was a staple in their diet, along with what they could gather and hunt.  The men and women had tattoo markings on their chins, and sometimes down onto their chests.  They did not wear a lot of clothes, especially in the summer.  Boys fashioned rabbit sticks, which they used to hit small animals.  They also used snares, arrows and nets in hunting.

With the coming of gold, the Miwok were forced off their land.  Chief Tenaya lead a revolt.  He wanted to live in Yosemite valley.  After many Native Americans were killed, Tenaya called for a truce.  However he was killed by ambush. 

The part is disliked is the current condition of the Miwok was very sketchy.  Some live on Rancherias.  There are about 3500 Miwok today. 

Book Review: Yokut: Native Americans by Barbara A. Gray-Kanatiiosh

Book Review: Yokut: Native Americans by Barbara A. Gray-Kanatiiosh, ABDO Publishing, Edina, MN, 2004.

This is a brief description of the Yokut Indians; which I find interesting as these are the native Americans who first inhabited the area where I now live.  In fact most of the San Joaquin Valley from the Mount Diablo Mountains to the Sierra Nevada foothills.  They were originally in 50 bands, but mostly in three distinct groups: Northern Valley, Southern Valley and Foothill Yokut.

They were known for their basketry kills.  They wove baskets so tight they would hold water.  Some were used to cook soup.  A hot rock from the fire would be placed in the basket to cook the soup.  Often they would make acorn soup.  The baskets would also e used to protect their children in times of flood.  They baby would be placed inside so he floated on top of the flood.

During the time the reigned the valley, there were many oak trees in the valley.  There were also tule bushes.  These bushes would be woven together to make a covering for their conical dwellings.  They would also make a ramada (a covered edifice with no walls to provide shade in the summer) with a frame and brush.  The tule would also be used to construct tule canoes with which they could travel on the river. 

After the Spanish came to the area, Cucunuchi went to stay at the missions.  They gave him a new name, Chief Estanislao.  He became disaffected with mission life, and took a group back to their native land.  He defeated two military expeditions sent to bring him back.  General Mariano Vallejo brought cannon to fight the Native Americans.  Vallejo claimed victory, but still the Indian people did not return to the mission.  (This battle took place close to Ripon.  I assume Stanislaus River and county get their names from Chief Estanislao. 

Today there are about 2000 Yokut remaining.  Their numbers were reduced by disease, as well as murder at the hands of white settlers.  They have one reservation and three rancherias in the Lemoore and Fresno areas.  This is an interested, albeit brief look at this group of people.

Book Review: Ute

Native American: Ute, Barbara A. Gray Kanatiiosh, ABDO Publishing Company, Edina, Minnesota, 2004.

 

This is a brief introduction to the Ute people.  The native area for the Ute extended through Utah, Colorado and northern Arizona and New Mexico.  Because they were able to acquire horses, their area of influence expanded and they were able to hung buffalo in season on the great plan.  There are now four Ute reservations, two in Colorado and one in Utah. 

There is much about the Ute culture.  There is a picture of Bear dance.  This is a springtime festival and the dance is a couple’s dance.  There is talk of the creation of the world.  Also a picture of a Ute cradle board.  There are also pictures of people dancing.  The story of Chief Ouray is presented.  It talks of the Ute population losing much of their land and being forced onto reservations. 

I lived on the Ute reservation in Utah for many years, and this is an interesting look at this people.  However it is not a very extensive research, but only scratches the surface.

Book Review: Shoshone by: Barbara A. Gray-Kanatiiosh

Shoshone Barbara A. Gray-Kanatiiosh ABDO publishing Company 2003

This is a short little book, written for a younger age, but gives you an idea of the Shoshone people.  They say is pronounced with two syllables and the last e making the o long.  However I always used three syllables.  The Shoshone people covered a wide area.  The extend all the way into California, Death Valley area, through about half of the state of Nevada, into Idaho, almost to Montana and then into Wyoming and Utah.  There is a map of their traditional area, which I thought was a bit large, as I knew some of the area was Ute territory.  However the book explained that the Shoshone had difficulty getting guns, and therefore their traditional area was greatly reduced.  When the Mormons came to Utah, the Shoshone only extended as far south as Ogden or so, and then the rest was Ute territory.  There was some area which went back and forth, but the Ute Indians dominated the Uintah area. 

Shoshone are a nomadic people.  Tony Baca explained this to me in the Duckwater area where I lived for a couple years.  The traditional people there would live in the valley during the summer, where there was water and grazing land.  However during the summer they would migrate to the mountains where they could keep from the warm sun, and hunt deer and larger animals. 

It talked about gathering nuts, which is something I did with them.  However it did not give a very good explanation.  It said the children would remove the nuts from the cones.  However, the cones often had to be roasted to get the nuts out.  They would place their blankets under a tree.  Then with a long branch with a crook or joint in it at the top, they would shake the tree vigorously so the pine cones would fallout.  I imagine this is something similar to the way the acorns are harvested with the acorn tree shaker.

For food they relied on small animals caught in snares, elk, deer, pronghorn, bighorn sheep.  They also would trap fish in nets, using spears or with hook and line.  Women collected pinon nuts, fruits, seeds, berries wild vegetables and camas roots.  They generally had a permanent community with teepees.  However when they were on the move they would sleep in brush shelters or lean-tos. 

Shoshone are very good at crafts.  They women traditionally used porcupine quills to decorate clothing.  After meeting French trappers they traded for beads which they work with needle and rawhide or quills.  They are also very adept at weaving willows from which they make cradle boards for their babies, as well as baskets.  Some so tight they can hold water. 

It mentions two famous Shoshone, both from the eastern Shoshone (Wyoming) area. 

Sacagawea who lead Lewis and Clark, and Chief Washakie.

This book is short, but it gives an interesting look at the Shoshone.