Big Pine Band of Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Indians of the Big Pine Reservation
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The Big Pine Band of Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Indians of the Big Pine Reservation are a federally recognized tribe of Mono
and Timbisha
Indians in California.
The Big Pine Reservation is located 18 miles (29 km) from Bishop
, at the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada. The tribal headquarters is in Big Pine, California
.
The tribe has 462 enrolled members.
, which is part of the Western Numic
branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family. While there are extremely few speakers left, the language is still living today. Their name for themselves in their own language is Numa or "People." The so-called Shoshone in the community spoke the Timbisha language
, which is part of the Central Numic
branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family.
The tribe participated in round dances and held annual harvest festivals. Girls had elaborately puberty ceremonies. Mourning was expressed through a ceremony called, "The Cry." It was Yuman
in origin and included ritual face washing after a year of mourning. The tribe had both medicine man and women. Hereditary chiefs lead the tribe's communal activities. Irrigator was an elected tribal position.
Indian ricegrass
and pine nuts were important crops. Hunting supplemented farming, and the tribe hunted rabbits, quail and deer, especially in the summer. The tribe fished for suckers, minnows, and pupfish, as well as brine shrimp. Caterpillar larvae was eaten after being baked and dried. Wild foods were gathered, such as acorns, cattails, and berries.
Popular traditional games include shinny, the four-stick game, hoop and pole, dice games, and handgame
, the last of which is still very popular today.
was built in 1862, and the non-Indians fought with the tribes, destroyed their crops, and were able to seize the best lands.
In the early 19th century, the Paiutes numbered 7,500, with about 1,500 to 2,000 Owens Valley Paiutes. In the 1990s an estimated 2,500 Owens Valley Paiutes lived on reservations.
Meanwhile, the Timbisha
(Panamint or Death Valley Shoshone) Native Americans
relocated from ancestral homelands to be with the Owens Valley Northern Paiute
. A reservation was not established until 1912.
In order to provide water needs for the growing City of Los Angeles
, water was diverted from the Owens River
into the Los Angeles Aqueduct
in 1913. The Owens River Valley cultures and environments changed substantially. From the 1910s to 1930s the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
purchased much of the valley for water rights and control, effectively destroying the local economy. In the 1940s the US federal government developed the Indian lands with housing and water systems.
. Much of the area houses were built by the Indian Housing Authority. The reservation has a school, with classes from kindergarten to 12th grade. The 1,500-volume public library is located within the school. Tribal members raise horses on the reservation lands.
Mono tribe
The Mono are a Native American people who traditionally live in the central Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Eastern Sierra , the Mono Basin, and adjacent areas of the Great Basin.-Culture and geography:...
and Timbisha
Timbisha
The Timbisha are a Native American tribe federally recognized as the Death Valley Timbisha Shoshone Band of California. They are known as the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe and are located in south central California, near the Nevada border.-History:The Timbisha have lived in the Death Valley region of...
Indians in California.
The Big Pine Reservation is located 18 miles (29 km) from Bishop
Bishop, California
Bishop is a city in Inyo County, California, United States. Though Bishop is the only city and the largest populated place in Inyo County, the county seat is Independence. Bishop is located near the northern end of the Owens Valley, at an elevation of 4147 feet . The population was 3,879 at the...
, at the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada. The tribal headquarters is in Big Pine, California
Big Pine, California
Big Pine is a census-designated place in Inyo County, California, United States. Big Pine is located south-southeast of Bishop, at an elevation of 3990 feet . The population was 1,756 at the 2010 census, up from 1,350 at the 2000 census...
.
The tribe has 462 enrolled members.
Language
The Owen Valley Paiutes traditionally spoke a dialect of the Mono languageMono language (Native American)
Mono is a Native American language of the Numic group of Uto-Aztecan languages, the ancestral language of the Mono people. Mono consists of two dialects, Eastern and Western. The name "Monachi" is commonly used in reference to Western Mono and "Owens Valley Paiute" in reference to Eastern Mono....
, which is part of the Western Numic
Numic languages
Numic is a branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family. It includes seven languages spoken by Native American peoples traditionally living in the Great Basin, Colorado River basin, and southern Great Plains. The word Numic comes from the cognate word in all Numic languages for "person." For...
branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family. While there are extremely few speakers left, the language is still living today. Their name for themselves in their own language is Numa or "People." The so-called Shoshone in the community spoke the Timbisha language
Timbisha language
The Timbisha language is the language of the Native American people who have inhabited the region in and around Death Valley, California and the southern Owens Valley since late prehistoric times...
, which is part of the Central Numic
Numic languages
Numic is a branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family. It includes seven languages spoken by Native American peoples traditionally living in the Great Basin, Colorado River basin, and southern Great Plains. The word Numic comes from the cognate word in all Numic languages for "person." For...
branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family.
Traditional culture
The Owens Valley Paiute were several Paiute groups that cooperated and lived together in semipermanent camps. They mediated between Californian and Great Basin culture. They irrigated crops along the Owens Valley, a highly arable and ecologically diverse region in the southern Sierra Nevada. Their name for themselves was Numa or "People."The tribe participated in round dances and held annual harvest festivals. Girls had elaborately puberty ceremonies. Mourning was expressed through a ceremony called, "The Cry." It was Yuman
Quechan
The Quechan are a Native American tribe who live on the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation on the lower Colorado River in Arizona and California just north of the border with Mexico...
in origin and included ritual face washing after a year of mourning. The tribe had both medicine man and women. Hereditary chiefs lead the tribe's communal activities. Irrigator was an elected tribal position.
Indian ricegrass
Indian ricegrass
Oryzopsis hymenoides is a perennial cool-season bunchgrass. It is native to western North America east of the Cascades from British Columbia and Alberta south to southern California, northeastern Mexico, and Texas...
and pine nuts were important crops. Hunting supplemented farming, and the tribe hunted rabbits, quail and deer, especially in the summer. The tribe fished for suckers, minnows, and pupfish, as well as brine shrimp. Caterpillar larvae was eaten after being baked and dried. Wild foods were gathered, such as acorns, cattails, and berries.
Popular traditional games include shinny, the four-stick game, hoop and pole, dice games, and handgame
Handgame
Handgame, also known as stickgame, is a Native American guessing game.-Rules:Stickgame is played with two pairs of 'bones', each pair consisting of one plain and one striped bone. Typically ten sticks are used as counters. The teams agree beforehand which bones they will be guessing - the plain...
, the last of which is still very popular today.
History
In the early 19th century, European-Americans, such as trappers and gold prospectors encountered the Owens Valley Paiute. US military surveyors explored the region in the mid-19th century, planning to establish a reservation for the local Indians. Non-Indians settled in the valley in 1861. Increasing numbers of European-Americans fought with the local tribe for water and farmlands. A military outpost, Camp IndependenceFort Yuma
Fort Yuma is a fort in California that is located in Imperial County, across the Colorado River from Yuma, Arizona. It was on the Butterfield Overland Mail route from 1858 until 1861 and was abandoned May 16, 1883, and transferred to the Department of the Interior. The Fort Yuma Indian School and a...
was built in 1862, and the non-Indians fought with the tribes, destroyed their crops, and were able to seize the best lands.
In the early 19th century, the Paiutes numbered 7,500, with about 1,500 to 2,000 Owens Valley Paiutes. In the 1990s an estimated 2,500 Owens Valley Paiutes lived on reservations.
Meanwhile, the Timbisha
Timbisha
The Timbisha are a Native American tribe federally recognized as the Death Valley Timbisha Shoshone Band of California. They are known as the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe and are located in south central California, near the Nevada border.-History:The Timbisha have lived in the Death Valley region of...
(Panamint or Death Valley Shoshone) Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
relocated from ancestral homelands to be with the Owens Valley Northern Paiute
Paiute
Paiute refers to three closely related groups of Native Americans — the Northern Paiute of California, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon; the Owens Valley Paiute of California and Nevada; and the Southern Paiute of Arizona, southeastern California and Nevada, and Utah.-Origin of name:The origin of...
. A reservation was not established until 1912.
In order to provide water needs for the growing City of Los Angeles
Greater Los Angeles Area
The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the Combined Statistical Area sprawled over five counties in the southern part of California, namely Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County...
, water was diverted from the Owens River
Owens River
The Owens River is a river in southeastern California in the United States, approximately long. It drains into and through the Owens Valley, an arid basin between the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada and the western faces of the Inyo and White Mountains. The river terminates at Owens Lake, but...
into the Los Angeles Aqueduct
Los Angeles Aqueduct
The Los Angeles Aqueduct system comprising the Los Angeles Aqueduct and the Second Los Angeles Aqueduct, is a water conveyance system operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power...
in 1913. The Owens River Valley cultures and environments changed substantially. From the 1910s to 1930s the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is the largest municipal utility in the United States, serving over four million residents. It was founded in 1902 to supply water and electricity to residents and businesses in Los Angeles and surrounding communities...
purchased much of the valley for water rights and control, effectively destroying the local economy. In the 1940s the US federal government developed the Indian lands with housing and water systems.
Big Pine Reservation
The Big Pine Reservation was established in 1912 and is 279 acres (1.1 km²) large, located along US 395 in the high desert town of Big Pine, CaliforniaBig Pine, California
Big Pine is a census-designated place in Inyo County, California, United States. Big Pine is located south-southeast of Bishop, at an elevation of 3990 feet . The population was 1,756 at the 2010 census, up from 1,350 at the 2000 census...
. Much of the area houses were built by the Indian Housing Authority. The reservation has a school, with classes from kindergarten to 12th grade. The 1,500-volume public library is located within the school. Tribal members raise horses on the reservation lands.