f visitors to the Yosemite Valley. They have evinced a great desire to see them in their rudely constructed summer c

r original tribal relations were ruthlessly broken up by the sudden advent of the white population of gold miners a

THE YOSEMI

him in his book on the "Discovery of the Yosemite", the original Indian name of the Valley was Ah-wah′-nee, which has been transl

ounded, and the principal accent on the penult, as in Ah-wah′-nee, or the antepenult, as in Yo-sem′-i

are, in the present edition, moved into the line of text and ar

rful tribe, but by reason of wars and a fatal black sickness, nearly all had been d

raph b

S (CHO′-LACK)

Ah-wah′-nee, the Indian capital and residence of Chief

and claimed it as the birthright of his people. He then became the founder of a new tribe or band, which received the name "Yo-sem′-i-te." This word signifies a full-grown grizzly bear, and Teneiya said that the name had been given to his band because they

y among them, and indulging in few controversies. In fact, these Indians in general were less belligerent and warlike than any others on the Pacific Coast. When difficulti

R TR

and on the South Fork of the Merced′ River in winter, about twelve miles below Wawo′na; the Po-to-en′-cies, who lived on the Merced River; Wil-tuc-um′-nees, Tuol′-un

ir general characteristics and customs. They were all called by the early California settlers, "Digger Indians," as a term of deris

WAR O

ent of the grievances on the part of the Indians, which caused the uniting of all the different tribes in the mining region adjacent to Yosemite,

BY THE WHI

hese tribes,-and the mining for gold was watched with great interest. They soon learned the value of the gold dust, and some of them engaged in mining, and exchang

Y HI

howchilla, and Fresno Rivers, soon spread, and miners by thousands came and took possessi

This offer was not listened to by the miners, and a large majority of the white invaders treated the natives as though they had no rights whatever to be respected. In some

oduced the acorns-one of their staple articles of food,-were being cut down and burned by miners and others in clearin

Photograph

DIAN

dian in full wa

mmigrants from the slave-holding States took Indians and made slaves of them in working their mining claims. It was no uncommon event for the

LIAT

hts of domain and property, and their native customs, the Indians stole horses and mules from the white sett

l, and resolved to combine their warrior forces in one great effort to drive all th

G OF HOS

those in charge, took all the blankets, clothing and provisions they could carry away, and fled to the mountains, where they were

r of the State for a military force to meet the emergency, and protect the settlers-a force strong enough to thoroughly subdue

ly urging a more humane and just policy, averring that the Indians had real cause for complaint, that they had been "more sinned against than sinning" since the settlin

oys being sent out to assure them of fair treatment and personal safety. Many of the Indians accepted these offers, and, as the different tribes surrendered, they were taken to th

and these they soon found nearly useless in defending themselves at long range against soldiers armed wi

OF YOSEM

y the State authorities to follow them, and either capture or exterminate all the tribes involved. For this purpose a body of State volunteers, known as the Mariposa Battalion, was organized, under the command of Major James D.

lley, about the 21st of March, 1851, while in pursuit of the Yosemites, under old Ch

raph b

(WAW-HAW′-KEE

commemorate the capture of three sons of Teneiya nea