Yosemite Indian Museum and the Yosemite Indian Basket Makers: Indians of Yosemite Basketmakers

There are some “BIG” problems inside Yosemite.

Yosemite-Mono Lake Paiute Indian basket by Carrie Bethel. All the baskets in the Yosemite National Park Museum are done by Yosemite-Mono Lake Paiutes and Yokuts. Not one is done by a Miwok.

The original meaning of “Yosemite” was “The Killers” or “The Grizzlies”. That name was given to Chief Tenaya and his band of Ahwahneechees by Chief Bautista of the Poyotanees.

Chief Bautista gave Tenaya and his people this name because Bautista and his band were afraid of the Ahwahneechees.

Later in 1978 a Yosemite employee changed the meaning to explain why the Southern Sierra Miwoks were afraid of Tenaya’s people.

http://thehive.modbee.com/?q=node/259

In the 1970s the Southern Sierra Miwoks applied for federal recognition. They were mainly made up of descendents of Indians who went to work for Yosemite during the summer, but returned to their tribal areas in winter time.

They were mainly from three different tribal groups Paiutes from Yosemite and Mono Lake, Central Miwoks from Merced Falls, Merced County, Southern Miwoks from lower Mariposa County and Yokuts from Madera County. There were also Washoes, Maidus, and even Mission Indians. Each group had its own chiefs and leaders. They all had different languages, dress and customs.

The original child bearing Ahwahneechees had been absorbed into the Mono Lake Paiutes around 1853 after the death of Chief Tenaya. Some had escaped to the Upper Tuolumne and many became Bridgeport Paiutes. They were descendents of Captain Pete Jim, Young Charlie and Captain Sam and Susie Sam.

Some of us Paiutes went to Yosemite. We usually go to our ancestral area to camp, picnic and walk around the place where many of us have the blood of the original Ahwahneechees in our veins. The Ahwahneechees and the Mono Lake Paiutes held out unlike the band of Indians in the western sierra foothills who signed treaties. In 1854, after Chief Tenaya's death, the remaining Ahwahneechees were absorbed into the Mono Lake Paiute population.

We visited the Yosemite Cemetery to pay respect to our ancestors and went inside the Yosemite Indian Museum and found a small Yosemite Cemetery guide book being sold there. To our unpleasant surprise the majority of the Indian people in the booklet had been changed from Paiute and Washo to Miwok. Here is the site talking about the Yosemite Indian Cemetery guide:

http://thehive.modbee.com/?q=node/150

Here is what we saw inside the Yosemite Indian Museum.

The Yosemite Indian Museum is a small one, but very telling.

First of all the story of Chief Tenaya was absent. The most important story of the Founder of the Paiute Colony of Ahwahni was now gone.

 http://thehive.modbee.com/?q=node/355

Then when you enter the Yosemite Indian Museum you see Chief Lemee or Chris Brown.

Lena Rube Paiute/Washo/Yokut and her son Chris Brown as a baby in a PAIUTE cradleboard.

Chris Brown was from Johnny Brown, whose father was "Mono" Brown. Mono means he was Mono Paiute. His name was not Mewu Brown. Chris Brown stated that he was the last of the Nutchus.

If you read the story of the Nutchus they helped track down Chief Tenaya.

Chris Brown's mother was Lena Rube-Brown-Wilson. Lena Rube was from Old Rube who was Paiute and Washo on her father's side. Her mother was Annie Jim daughter of Captain Jim. Captain Jim was one of the leaders of Paiutes in Upper Tuolumne/Hetch Hetchy and Yosemite. Chris Brown was not a real Chief, but an entertainer and performer for the white tourists. 

Not if you read this in Yosemite Museum:

* it states above that Chris Brown was "descended from Miwok leaders". Which ones were those? His ancestors were Paiute, Washo and Yokut. He was descended from Mono Brown, Captian Jim, Old Rube, and Yokut women. Chris Brown stated that he was the last of Nutchu or Nootchoo. The same tribe that helped hunt down Chief Tenaya.

Here is Francisco Georgely:

Francisco Georgely

Francisco Georgely was a Chowchilla Indian and not a Yosemite Miwok. Also which Miwok chief was that? What was his name?

Here it states Francisco Georgely is a Chowchilla Indian and not a Yosemite Indian. He, like others, went to work in Yosemite.

Then let's look at Leanna Tom

Yosemite-Mono Lake Paiute Indian basket by Leanna Tom.

Here is Leanna Tom in this photo below. She is a Mono Lake basket maker. The photo was taken by Edward Curtis in 1924. Meaning that Leanna Tom was living at Mono Lake and not any towns in the "Miwok" territory, just like her parents.

http://www.picture-history.com/indians/Basket-Maker.htm

Leanna Tom was the wife of full blooded Paiute Bridgeport Tom who married two sisters Leanna Sam and Louisa Sam both Paiutes. They were the daughters of full blooded Captain Sam and Susie Sam who was Paiute with some “Digger” blood. Digger was broad based derogatory name given to all California Indians. That included Washo, Yokut, Miwok, Maidu and Paiute. Susie most likely had Washo blood because her family had Washo pine nut hill allotments. Susie was mostly Paiute and in most of her government documentation. Susie Sam was Paiute or “Unknown Digger”. So a government employee would have to go with the known you would think.

Here is what they say about Leanna Tom:

If Leanna Tom is Paiute why is she given the title Miwok/Paiute. Why is that? If anything it should read Paiute.

"Who may have been of Both MIWOK and Paiute ancestry..."

Here is the 1928 California Indian Application for Captain Sam Leanna's father. He is full blooded Paiute.  Leanna Tom spent most of her life between Yosemite and Mono Lake.

Unlike written stories by white anthropologists and ethnologists these 1928 applications were done by the Indian person, who signed an affidavit and witnessed by two Indians who knew them forty to sixty years. The applications have their thumbprint to verify what they are saying is true. The BIA uses these applications all time to prove what tribe and ancestry the Indian person had. Not only that, but IN ALL of Captain Sam's government documents he is PAIUTE.

page 1 of Captain Sam's 1928 California Indian Application. These are public documents:

Line 2 and 3, Captain Sam resides in Mono County NOT Mariposa County.

Line 4, Captain Sam states he was born in Bridgeport (Not Bridgeport, Maripsoa County), but Mono County and so were his children.

Page 2 of Yosemite Mono Lake Paiute Indian Captain Sam'sapplication.

Line 5, Captain Sam and his children resided in Mono County since birth.

Line 8 states that Captain Sam's wife was Susie Sam who died August 1903.

Line 9 states that Susie Sam is 4/4 (Full blooded) Paiute.

Line 11, Captain Sam states "...I resided in Mono County, California and so did ancestors..."

Here is the last page of Yosemite Mono Lake Paiute Indian Captain Sam's application.

Last Page, Captain Sam signs the Affidavit stating that all that he is saying is TRUE. He puts his thumb print to the affidavit. Signs it and it is witnessed by TWO INDIANS who knew Captain Sam. Jake Gilbert and Young Charlie both Paiutes. Not Captain Charlie, the Yokut, but Young Charlie the Paiute.

Last page states:

"Personally appeared before me JAKE GILBERT and YOUNG CHARLIE who being duly sworn, an oath depose and that they are well acquainted with CAPTAIN SAM who makes the foregoing applications and statements, and have known him personally for 60 years and 52 years, respectfully: that they known that he is of California Indian blood of the degree and LINEAGE stated in the above application and that the facts stated with reference to his ancestors, the parentage of his children, thier ages and degree of Indian blood, and their PLACE OF RESIDENCES, ARE TRUE:...."

  Leanna Tom even helped her father fill out the application.

People can't say "Oh the white person put that Paiute there because...".

The reason I state that is because there were several persons in the same group like Jack Lundy who said he was full blooded Miwok. The Moyles states they were 1/2 Miwok and 1/2 Paiute. Sim Lundy said he was 1/2 Miwok and 1/2 Paiute. Johnson Dick stated he was 1/2 Washo and 1/2 Paiute.

So there was no excuse that some at Yosemite Research center can make up to cover this blatant misinformation. They have been busy trying to discredit these governmental applications.

Why is that?

It is not the job of Dept. of the Interior National Park employees to "change" Indians tribal affiliation to match a non-profits group efforts to become federaly recognized.

If the Indian person testified this fact with two Indian witnessess that knew them for decades. They put their thumbprint and signed an affidavit stating such. Also there are more family documents and applications from their children and other family members stating that Captain Sam, Susie Sam, Young Charlie and others were Paiutes. I cannot post them all because of space. These are the Indians themselves and people that knew them during the time they were alive.

Who are we too believe? The Indians themselves or the white ethnologists who are pushing that they are Miwoks and some family members who are going for federal recognition?

Here is Lousia Sam-Tom sister of Leanna Tom.

Page 1, Yosemite Mono Lake Paiute Indian Louisa Tom says her residence half the year is Mono Lake, Mono County and she was born at Mono Lake, Mono County.

Page 2 of Louisa Tom's application.

Line 6, Louisa Sam-Tom state that she and her children reside in Mono County.

Note that Louisa Sam-Tom, wife of Paiute Bridgeport Tom, states on line 10 that she is 4/4 (Which means full blooded) Paiute.

Line 12, Louisa Tom states her parents Captain Sam and Susie Sam are from the Paiute tribe. Also Paiutes were patriarchal so everything was off the males' side and not the wife. So Captain Sam was the leader of the group, not Susie.

Here is Alice (James) Wilson.

Daughter of Bridgeport Tom and Louisa Sam.

Once again note the big MIWOK/Paiute as the tribal affiliation. Yet she is the daughter of Paiutes Bridgeport Tom and Louisa Tom. They even had an allotment at Paiute Bishop California and an allotment at Paiute-Washo Coleville area. So why the BIG Miwok/Paiute?

Here is what Alice (James) Wilson husband Chukchansi Yokuts Fremont James says about his wife on his 1928 California Indian application:

Line 4 above Fremont writes his children were born in Madera County, which is in a different county then Mariposa.

Page 2, line 8; Fremont writes about Alice Wilson:

Line 6, Fremont spends half the year in Madera County then the other half in Mariposa County, probably Yosemite. So at that time Fremont and Alice made their home in Madera County, which is Yokut country.

Line 9 "What degree of Indian blood is she" 4/4 (Full blooded) "Piute" or Paiute from Mono County.

Line 10, Fremont James is full blooded Chukchansi Yokut from the Fresno/Madera area. Which is not Miwok.

So how is that MIWOK/Paiute? If it states she was a Yosemite Mono Lake Paiute

Then we went to view Jeannie Washington and her work.

Here is what Yosemite National Park Museum has for Jeannie Washington:

What is with the BIG MIWOK/Chukchansi?

Why is her work labeled "Miwok/Chukchansi"?

Still more of her baskets have the big "Southern Miwok/Chukchansi" IMPLYING that Jeannie Washington is Southern Miwok.

"Although her descendents identify her as Southern Miwok..."

Let us see what Jeannie Washington says herself:

Page 2

Line 8 Jeannie Washington's husband is George Washington.

Line 9 he is 4/4 (Full blooded) Casson Yokut band of Madera County.

Line 10 Jeannie states she is 1/2 white and 1/2 Chukchansi Yokut from Madera County.

in other words she is NOT Miwok, but 1/2 Chukchansi Yokut from Madera County. Her husband George Washington is Casson Yokut from Madera County also.

So why are Jeannie Washington's baskets labeled "Southern Miwok/Chukchansi"? That is not correct.

Now lets go to Lucy Telles, Paiute name Pa-ma-has.

Lucy Telles is the daughter of Paiute Bridgeport Tom and Louisa Sam. Lucy first married Jack Parker a full blooded Paiute who died. Lucy and Jack had a son named Lloyd Parker. Later Lucy married a Latino named John Telles.

Here is what they have at the Yosemite Museum:

There is the famous MIWOK/Paiute name for her tribal affiliation.

They write as you can see above "Born at Paiute Mono Lake (which the Sams and Toms spent their winters at. Sometimes at Coleville or Bishop). They write in the museum "...she was the daughter of Louisa Sam-Tom MIWOK/Paiute and Bridgeport Tom (Paiute)."

Well let's see what Lloyd Parker son of Lucy says. Here is Lloyd Parker's, son of Lucy Telles, 1928 California Indian application:

Line 4, Lloyd Parker states he was born in Mono County and his children were born in Mono County and Mariposa County in Yosemite.

Page 2

Line 5, Lloyd Parker states under oath "Where have you and children resided since brith". He replies "Mono County and Mariposa County". Because during the Winter months they spend their time in Paiute area; Mono Lake, then during the summer they spend the rest of the year in Paiute area;Yosemite.

Line 10, 4/4 (Full blooded) "Piute" or Paiute.

Line 12, Lucy Telles, formerly Lucy Parker, Piute, Mono Lake, Mono County.

That means that Lucy Telles was a Yosemite Mono Lake Paiute Indian.

Now we have heard because some of her family are going for federal recognition and they are now claiming that Captain Sam, Susie Sam and all the rest were Miwoks.

In my opinion that is blatantly wrong!

Just like the Yosemite National Park Museum is WRONG!

We Paiutes, Chukchansis, Washoes are a very proud Native People. We were some of the best Basket Makers in west.

To blatantly change our people to Miwoks is literal genocide and discrimination. It also belittles the memory of those of our Indian ancestors who have gone before us.

I guess some Paiutes (They know who they are) are not proud, but this Paiute is VERY proud. We have the blood of the Ahwahneechees in OUR veins and this is documented.

That is why we are making a stand and informing the public to this disgrace.

*By the way, upstairs above the Yosemite Indian Museum, in the Yosemite Research Center Library (which anyone can go into) above the desk of the official Yosemite Indian Ethnologist are the 1928 California Indian Applications on microfilm. Then right next to the desk is a microfilm reader. With all the information which states overwhelmingly on most of the applications that these people are either Mono Lake Paiutes or Yokuts. This is a job he has had for about 30 years.

Since there were only a handful of Indians who went to work in Yosemite National Park it amazes us that he could miss this.

Unless there is something afoot.