Dear TahoeJack
Starting from Captain Sam 100 percent, full blooded, Paiute. Born at Mono Lake, with his wife, Susie Sam, who was deceased and he verifies, with thumb print, under oath, that Susie was also a 4/4 full blooded Mono Lake Paiute.
Photo of Captain Sam at June Lake located in Mono County where he spent the majority of his life. Full blooded Paiute Captain Sam spent half year in Yosemite and the rest of the year in Mono County. He was a famous guide and fisherman for the local Yosemite hotels.
Above is Captain Sam's 1928 California Indian Application,
This is the second page of Captain Sam's application
stating he is full blooded Paiute and so is his wife Susie Sam.I didn't put up all the pages because it would be too many, but his daughter, sister of George Sam, helped Captain Sam fill his application out.
Also the majority of the family said that Captain Sam and Suzie were both full blooded Yosemite-Mono Lake Paiutes and NOT Miwoks. Only a couple of people said that Suzie Sam was a Miwok or Digger to get a free house in Yosemite, the rest of the family said they were 4/4 Paiute. George tried to get a house in Yosemite and work there, but he was turned down because at the time he was single. No single men was allowed to live in Yosemite. So to live in Yosemite you had to claim to be Miwok or part Miwok.
Captain Sam was a part of the Sam family around Yosemite-Mono Lake. He had a brother named Kosano Sam, who had a daughter named Maggie "Taboose" Howard, and Captain Sam had a sister named Lucy, not to be confused with Lucy Toney-Sam, wife of George Sam. They were from Yosemite, Brigdgeport and Mono Lake. Captain Sam's niece, Taboose, is very famous and you can see her photos everywhere in the Park and in books. Something Yosemite does not tell people.
Miwoks were the scouts for the white militia, the Mariposa Battalion, and NOT original Indians of Yosemite. If you claim you are a Miwok....you are NOT an original Yosemite Indian, but from the workers of James Savage and the white miners. The Miwoks were the ones who helped find Tenaya and his band and were NOT part of Tenaya's band. They were afraid to enter Yosemite Valley. Miwoks worked withe whites BEFORE Yosemite was discovered. The Miwoks dug their gold as a work force. In search of riches James Savage and his Indian (Miwok) miners got to close to the mouth of the Yosemite Valley and the Paiutes came out and attacked Savage's trading post along the Merced River. Today the Southern Sierra Miwuks are claiming to be Tenaya's band and they are NOT a federally recognized tribe.
Now I believe the Hogan family is from Sarah Priest. I don't have that right in front of me, but George married Lucy Toney, daughter of Charley and Mary Toney. George and Lucy had Clyde and Eva. Now Eva married Clancy Hogan and had a daughter. I believe by then the Hogans were mainly Tibo about 1/4 Indian. They were a large family. Sarah Priest was the daughter of Cypriano, an Awal or Walla Indian in the Mariposa/Tuolumne area. Cypriano signed the 1851 Fremont treaty. The Awals were "downriver people" and the Yosemites (Mono Paiutes) lived above in the Mountains. Cypriano wsa described as a tall man for an Indian. Cypriano was the enemy of Chief Tenaya and the Yosemite Indians. Cypriano was given a large piece of land in exchange for his assistant, but whites came and took it away because it had good timber on it. Which upset him considerably.
You have the Wells, Cromwells, the children, grand children, the spouses of the Sam descendents, saying that the Sams were 4/4 Paiutes. I go with the majority, and what Captain Sam said, since he was the patriarch.
If Captain Sam stated that he was from Mono Lake, why would some descendents claim he was from Fort Bidwell, which also had another Captain Sam? For the elders of the Southern Sierra Miwuk to say that Cap. Sam came from Fort Bidwell goes against ALL this families early documentation. I believe that the ethnologist at Yosemite NPS falsely instilled this into the elders mind so thus eradicating Paiute claim for Yosemite. Rightfully as Cap. Sam's descendent you might entertain the thought of approaching YNPS to voice your concern that the Park is ERASING Paiutes from the Park, which was our ancestral home.
As a Sam and a Mono Paiute you are the rightful HEIR to Yosemite. At one time the Park claimed both Captain Sam and Suzie were Miwoks
if that was the case descendents of Captain Sam would NOT qualify for membership of Schurz, Bishop and other Paiute tribes where the majority of their descendents are enrolled. Interestingly the Southern Sierra Miwuk group only recognizes Louisa and Leanna as the only two children of Captain and Suzie Sam. They never mention George Sam or Helen. You would think they would include the other siblings.
If you want after you view this information and if you request to have me edit it out. I will do so.
Remember you come from the earliest people of Yosemite...the Paiute people, strong, and feared by their enemies.
CC:YNPS