"Hithoj'a-", what does that word mean?
I bet that word is one of the least known words in the English langauge. In fact in all the whole world.
Yet it means something. Something most people in Modesto, California and yes even the whole world has never heard.
Yet if I were to tell anyone the meaning of that word many people living in Modesto, no the whole world, would know the other word.
The other word is recognized with one of the most beautiful places in the world. Yet they mean the same thing.
You see "Hihto-j'a-" or "Hitoj'a-" means YOSEMITE people.
The word Yosemite means "The Killers". That is the true definition of Yosemite.
You see that is what the Southern Sierra Miwoks - Miwuks called the people of Yosemite.
Which is the same translation in Central Sierra Miwok dictionary.
Yosemite was the name that the early Southern Sierra Miwoks called Chief Tenaya and his band because they were afraid of them.
The early Southern Sierra Miwoks gave the name of the people who lived in the valley east of them.
In the earliest written accounts Chief Bautista also known as Vow-chester, states;
"The other tribes dare not make war upon them, for they are lawless like the grizzlies, and as strong. We are afraid to go to this valley, for there are many witches there."
Chief Bautista, along with Russio, were the ones who termed the word "Yosemite" to Major Savage and that is where they got that name. Later the park was given that fearsome name.
Chief Tenaya relished the name Yosemite because it brought fear in the hearts of his enemies.
Tenaya refused to sign the treaties unlike the other chiefs of the Central California Plains and foothills.
Since the word "Yosemite" means the people of Yosemite in olden times then the newer meaning of Yosemite people was revealed to be "Hihtoj'a-". The newer word was done by the last speakers of the Southern Sierra dialect. It can be found on the net written by Syliva Broadbent who interviewed some of the last Southern Sierra Miwok speakers.
Now in the Southern Sierra Miwok dictionary there are translations for the surrounding tribes. They have a translation for the Washoes, They have a translation for their neighbors to the south the Yokuts. They are called Yokuts "Cymtej'a-" which means "Southerners". Because under the Yokut translation it says to see under "cymetant" which I checked and it was 'south'.
They had a name for Mono Lake Paiutes, but they also had another name "Hihtoj'a-". Which means "easterners" or "People of the High Sierras and the Great Basin".
People of the high Sierras and Great Basin are PAIUTES.
Paiutes colonies are in the high Sierras and Great Basin around Bridgeport, Lone Pine, and other colonies.
That would indicate that the Yokuts/Miwoks called the easterners aka Yosemite People aka People of the Great Basin Hihtoja or Hehtoya.
Below is the one of the earliest maps done by noted California enthnologist C. Hart Merriam.
Now who do you think is east of the Miwoks? Plus this map was done around 1901 to 1910 when people were moving eastward. Later in 1930 C. Hart Merriam conceded to Frank Latta that he was incorrect that most of the area that he had as Miwok was really Yokut. In Frank Latta's Handbook of the Yokuts. Also that the Miwok Legends were really Yokut legends and NOT Miwok.
cc: National Park Service