The Southern Sierra Miwok Language (1964), by Sylvia M. Broadbent

- Title, publication, and dedication pages

- Table of Contents

- Introduction

- Bibliography

- Signs and Symbols

- Chapter 1: Phonology (pages 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)

- Table 1: Consonantal Allophony (page 22)

- Table 2: Vocalic Allophony (page 23)

- Table 3: Distribution of Consonants (pages 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)

- Table 4: Consonants before Vowels (pages 28, 29, 30)

- Table 5: Consonants after Vowels (pages 30, 31, 32)

- Chapter 2: Morphemics (pages 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)

- Chapter 3: Final Suffixes (pages 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)

- Chapter 4: Verbal Themes (pages 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)

- Chapter 5: Verbal Suffixes (pages 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88)

- Chapter 6: Nominal Themes (pages 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95)

- Chapter 7: Nominal Suffixes (pages 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124)

- Chapter 8: Postfixes (pages 125, 126, 127, 128, 129)

- Chapter 9: Syntax (pages 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139)

- Texts

- 1. Collecting Basketry Materials (Pages 142-145)

- 2. Gathering Wild Foods (Pages 146-151)

- 3. Wild Foods (Pages 152-159)

- 4. Measuring Worm (Pages 160-161)

- 5. The Magic Cane (Pages 162-167)

- 6. How Coyote Stole the Sun (Pages 168-171)

- 7. ?ywel•in [man-eating giant] (Pages 172-175)

- 8-9. Stealing Horses & Two Little Bears and Two Little Deer (Pages 176-177)

- 10. Chasing Wild Horses and Mules (Pages 178-179)

- 11. Horse, Ox, and Alligator (Pages 180-181)

- 12. Talking Ghosts (Pages 182-185)

- 13. The Black Horse (Pages 186-187)

- 14. Coyote and Water Ouzel (Pages 188-195)

- 15. Coyote, Duck, and Mole (Pages 196-207)

- 16. Chief Tenaya (Pages 208-209)

- Plates

- Southern Sierra Miwok-English Dictionary

- Abbreviations and Alphabetic Order (page 221)

- A (page 221)

- B (page 221)

- C (pages 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226)

- E (page 226)

- F (page 226)

- H (pages 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, 238)

- I (page 238)

- J (pages 238, 239, 240, 241)

- K (pages 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249)

- L (pages 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254)

- M (pages 254, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259)

- N (pages 259, 260, 261)

- Ŋ (page 261)

- P (pages 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267)

- R (page 267)

- S (pages 267, 268, 269, 270, 271)

- Š (page 271)

- T (pages 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277)

- T. (pages 277, 278, 279, 280, 281)

- W (pages 281, 282, 283, 284, 285)

- ? (pages 285, 286, 287, 288, 289, 290, 291, 292, 293, 294, 295, 296, 297)

- • (page 297)

- H (page 297)

- X (page 297)

- Ø (page 297)

- Canonical Forms (page 298)

- English-Southern Sierra Miwok Dictionary

- A (pages 299, 300, 301)

- B (pages 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306)

- C (pages 306, 307, 308, 309, 310)

- D (pages 310, 311, 312, 313)

- E (pages 313, 314)

- F (pages 314, 315, 316, 317)

- G (pages 317, 318, 319)

- H (pages 319, 320, 321, 322)

- I (page 322)

- J (pages 322, 323)

- K (page 323)

- L (pages 324, 325, 326)

- M (pages 326, 327, 328)

- N (pages 328, 329, 330)

- O (pages 330, 331)

- P (pages 331, 332, 333, 334, 335)

- Q (page 335)

- R (pages 335, 336, 337, 338)

- S (pages 338, 339, 340, 341, 342, 343, 344, 345, 346, 347)

- T (pages 347, 348, 349, 350, 351)

- U (page 351)

- V (pages 351, 352)

- W (pages 352, 353, 354, 355)

- Y (page 355)

- Z (page 355)

- Numerals (page 355)

About the Author

Castro Johnson, Charlie Rohan, and
Sylvia M. Broadbent. (p. 214)

Dr. Sylvia M. Broadbent prepared this grammar and dictionary based on her research and her Ph.D. dissertation, A Grammar of Southern Sierra Miwok, at the Department of Linguistics, University of California, Berkeley. She also wrote Central Sierra Miwok Dictionary in 1960. She received a B.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology from Berkeley in 1952 and 1960. Dr. Broadbent is Professor Emerita at University of California Riverside. Her areas of interest are archaeology and ethnohistory of the Andean area, especially the Chibcha of Columbia; and North American Indians, especially California and the Desert West. She has also undertaken studies in descriptive and historical linguistics, especially American Indian languages and in language and culture, including relationships between linguistic findings and other kinds of anthropological research, and symbolism.

Dr. Broadbent lives in Carmel, California.

The Southern Sierra Miwok lived in Yosemite Valley, Mariposa, and the surrounding foothills. [Map.]

Bibliographical Information

Sylvia Marguerite Broadbent (circa 1930 - ), The Southern Sierra Miwok Language, University of California Publications in Linguistics, v. 38 (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1964). 355pp. 26cm. LCCN 65-063429. Library of Congress Call Number P25 .C25 vol. 38. Short citation: UCPL 38. Based on her Ph.D. dissertation, A Grammar of Southern Sierra Miwok (1960). SIL Ethnologue language code: SKD.

Reviews:

- Hamp, Eric P., “On Two Californian Grammars,” International Journal of American Linguistics (IJAL) 32:176-88 (1966).

- Hamp, Eric P., “Studies in Sierra Miwok,” IJAL 32:236-41 (1966).

- Rigsby, Bruce, “Review of The Southern Sierra Miwok Language by S. M. Broadbent,” American Anthropologist 67:1596-7. by

- Hill, Jane H., “Review of The Southern Sierra Miwok Language, by Sylvia Broadbent.” Language 44:181-185 (1968).

An additional glossary with Southern Sierra Miwok texts is available in Howard Berman ed. Freeland’s Central Sierra Miwok Myths, Report #3 Survey of California and Other Indian Languages (Berkeley: UC press, 1982). See also Craig D. Bates The Miwok in Yosemite - Southern Miwok Life, History, and Language in the Yosemite (Yosemite Association, 1996) for more Southern Sierra Miwok texts.

Partially converted to HTML by Dan Anderson, January 2005, from a copy at the UCSD Library.
—Dan Anderson, www.yosemite.ca.us

THE
SOUTHERN SIERRA MIWOK
LANGUAGE

BY
SYLVIA M. BROADBENT

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
BERKELEY AND LOS ANGELES
1964

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PUBLICATIONS IN LINGUISTICS

Advisory Editors: W. E. Bull, C. D. Chrétien, M. B. Emeneau, M. R. Haas,
Harry Hoijer, D. L. Olmsted, R. P. Stockwell

Volume 38

Approved for publication July 12, 1963
Issued December 7, 1964
Price, $6.00

University of California Press
Berkeley and Los Angeles
California

Cambridge University Press
London, England

Manufactured in the United States of America

To
Mary R. Haas

with affection,
esteem, and gratitude

CONTENTS

Introduction

1

Bibliography

6

Signs and symbols

8

GRAMMAR

Chapter 1: Phonology

11

110. Consonantal system

11

120. Vocalic system

15

130. Distribution

15

140. Syllable canon and stress

16

150. Intonation and juncture

17

160. Phonological definition of the word

18

170. Morphophonemics

18

180. Consonantal alternation

20

Chapter 2: Introduction to Morphemics

33

210. Morphemic definition of the word

33

220. Root and suffix

33

230. Root, stem, base, and theme

34

240. Final suffixes

36

250. Nominal and verbal themes

36

260. Stem forms

37

270. Suffix classes

39

280. Postfixes

40

290. Particles

40

Chapter 3: Final Suffixes

42

300. Introduction

42

310. Personal pronominal suffixes

42

320. Case suffixes

48

321. Nominative

49

322. Accusative

49

323. Temporal

50

324. Vocative

50

325. Genitive

50

326. Ablative

51

327. Allative

52

328. Locative

53

329. Instrumental

53

Chapter 4: Verbal Themes

55

400. Introduction

55

410. Present imperfect verbal themes

55

420. Present perfect verbal themes

56

430. Present imperative verbal themes

57

440. Irregular verbal bases

61

450. Transitive verbal bases

62

Chapter 5: Verbal Suffixes

64

500. Introduction

64

501-547. Verbal suffixes

66

Chapter 6: Nominal Themes

89

600. Introduction

89

610. Classes of nominal themes

90

620. Monomorphemic nominal themes

91

630. Polymorphemic nominal themes

92

640. Independent personal pronouns

92

650. Demonstrative roots

94

Chapter 7: Nominal Suffixes

96

700. Introduction

96

701-772. Nominal suffixes

97

Chapter 8: Postfixes

125

800. Introduction

125

801-816. Postfixes

125

Chapter 9: Syntax

130

900. Introduction

130

910. Syntactic substitution classes

130

920. Immediate constituency

136

930. Sentence types

138

TEXTS

1. Collecting Basketry Materials

142

2. Gathering Wild Foods

146

3. Wild Foods

152

4. Measuring Worm

160

5. The Magic Cane

162

6. How Coyote Stole the Sun

168

7. ?ywel•in

172

8. Stealing Horses

176

9. Two Little Bears and Two Little Deer

176

10. Chasing Wild Horses and Mules

178

11. Horse, Ox, and Alligator

180

12 Talking Ghosts

182

13. The Black Horse

186

14. Coyote and Water Ouzel

188

15. Coyote, Duck, and Mole

196

16. Chief Tenaya

208

Plates

211

DICTIONARY

Southern Sierra Miwok-English

221

English-Southern Sierra Miwok

299

INTRODUCTION

Southern Sierra Miwok is a member of the Miwok family of languages of Central California. It belongs to the Eastern division of Miwok, together with Central Sierra, Northern Sierra, Plains, and Saclan. The three Sierra languages are more closely related to each other than to either Plains or Saclan. The internal relationships of the Miwok family can perhaps be most clearly stated in a chart, as follows (Broadbent and Callaghan, 1960):

A. Eastern Division
1. Sierra
la. Southern Sierra
lb. Central Sierra
lc. Northern Sierra
2. Plains
3. Saclan
B. Western Division
1. Coast
la. Bodega
lb. Marin
2. Lake

Except for Saclan, added by Beeler (1955, 1959), the Eastern languages were named and geographically defined by Barrett (1908). Previous suggestions on similar lines had been made by Kroeber (1906) and Merriam (1907).

The historic territory of Southern Sierra was roughly equivalent to modern Mariposa County. Kroeber (1923, facing p. 446) shows it as more or less triangular in shape. He places the boundary with Central Sierra between the Merced and Tuolumne Rivers. To the south, he draws the Yokuts-Mono boundary along the Fresno River, continuing the line northeastwards between the watersheds of the Merced and San Joaquin Rivers up to the crest of the Sierra Nevada, the eastern limit of all the Sierra Miwok groups. He places the western boundary, with Yokuts groups, at the beginning of the foothills.

Informants living today know very little about the ancient boundaries of their language. One informant placed the western limit on a line running through Merced Falls, Hornitos, Toledo, and Indian Gulch, a few miles east of Kroeber's boundary. He gave Ahwahnee as the southeast limit. All informants were more or less sure that the village of /?apa•ša?/ or /?apa•šaw/ near Oakhurst was Yokuts, in agreement with Kroeber (1923, p. 482: "Hapasau"). However, one individual spoke of a village called /hicwe•ta?/. about three miles west of Oakhurst, as having both Yokuts and Miwok inhabitants, and said that there were some Miwok at Coarsegold, which is assigned by Kroeber to Yokuts territory. Since the Miwok do not appear to have recognized any political entities larger than the village or local group, a certain haziness about boundaries is understandable. Moreover, they seem to have been on good terms with their Chuckchansi (Yokuts) neighbors at least, and there was probably considerable intermarriage between villages near the limits of their respective linguistic groups. Such villages would naturally contain speakers of both languages.

Kroeber (1923, p. 445) suggests 9,000 as a liberal estimate for the population of the Sierra and Plains groups combined, allowing slightly more than 2,000 for each group. He states, however, that there is no specific information on aboriginal population figures. He lists 109 locateable Eastern Miwok villages. A total population of 9,000 would give an average population of only 82.5 persons for the villages listed, and his village list is obviously incomplete, since it includes only those which he could locate. The addition of more villages, while accepting his total estimate, would lower the average village population still further. It seems likely, then, that 9,000 is none too generous an estimate.

There are now only about twenty more or less fluent speakers of Southern Sierra, none below middle age. Only four individuals are known to use the language commonly in daily conversation. It seems probable that by 1980 the language will be extinct, except for stray words remembered by people who never spoke the language fluently.

The three Sierra Miwok languages are structurally very similar. The principal differences between them are phonetic, especially in the spirant series, and lexical. Speakers of Southern Sierra claim that they cannot understand Central or Northern. As Barrett suggested in 1908, there are some dialect differences within Southern Sierra. At this late date, very little can be determined as to the nature of these differences, since so few speakers remain. However, there was clearly some divergence between the speech of individuals from Yosemite, those from the vicinity of Mariposa, and those from the extreme southern limit of Miwok territory. Occasional lexical items are different, and Yosemite speech may have had an additional spirant phoneme, /s./, which is lacking in the others. Spanish loan-words sometimes occur in differing forms in these three areas. Speakers from Mariposa say that they can hardly understand those from Yosemite, only forty miles away.

The best previous work on these languages is Freeland's grammar (1951). It is based primarily on Central Sierra, but includes references to structural differences between Central, Northern, and Southern. It is a good and reasonably complete grammar; in fact, it is one of the best in print on any California language. However, it was written fifteen year: before it was published, and is somewhat outdated in certain respects, especially with regard to phonology. Some sample texts were included, but there was no dictionary; for Central Sierra, this deficiency has since been filled, with the addition of more texts (Freeland and Broadbent, 1960). Although these works provide adequate coverage of Central Sierra, separate treatment of the other Sierra languages is still highly desirable the more so in view of the advances in techniques of linguistic analysis that have taken place since Freeland's grammar was written.

No exhaustive ethnography of the Miwok has ever appeared. Perhaps the most useful single work is Barrett and Gifford's study of Miwok material culture (1933). Kroeber (1923, pp. 442-461) gives a good genera summary of Miwok culture. It was among the Sierra Miwok that the exogamous moiety system was first discovered in California (Gifford, 1916). In addition, some studies of Miwok mythology have appeared (Barrett, 1919; de Angulo and Freeland, 1928; Gifford, 1917).

The fieldwork on which the present study is based was conducted under the auspices of the Survey of California Indian Languages (Department of Linguistics, University of California, Berkeley) during the following periods: August 24 to September 14, 1955; June 26 to September 10, 1956; June 28 to September 4, 1957; July 2 to September 7, 1958; and July 7 to July 28, 1961. My informants were as follows:

Chris Brown (Chief Leeme), of Bootjack (CB, deceased November 1956)
Alvis Brown, of Bootjack (AB)
John Lawrence, of Tiptop (JL, deceased 1957)
Bill Bolton, of Bootjack (BB)
Castro Johnson, of Mariposa (CJ)
Rose Watt, of Usona (RW)
Emma Lord, of Usona (EL)
Benjamin (Banjo) Graham, of Ahwahnee (BG)
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Graham, of Ahwahnee (LG)
Charlie Bohan, of Ahwahnee (CR)

Chief Leeme (/limi•/, 'ripples on the water') was my principal informant during 1955 and 1956, and the phonemic analysis is based largely on his idiolect. His mother, Lena Brown (nee Rube), was one of Freeland's informants. He was born in Yosemite, and claimed the title of chief of the Yosemite band through inheritance from his father, John Brown or Brandon. He and his brother Alvis claimed to be the only surviving speakers of the Yosemite dialect. While working with me, he made some effort to give me forms as used around Bootjack, a few miles south of Mariposa, where the work was being done, because more speakers of that dialect remain. Sometimes, however, he said specifically that a particular form or pronunciation belonged to the Yosemite dialect, and the features hereafter mentioned as possibly characteristic of Yosemite are based on his comments. However, Chief Leeme was a "professional Indian" in a quite literal sense: he was employed by the U. S. National Park Service to put on Indian dances for the edification of visitors to Yosemite National Park. He clearly regarded such work as his true vocation, although he was no longer so employed when I worked with him. He had a well-developed sense of showmanship, and did not feel constrained to restrict himself to Yosemite or even Miwok features if he felt that the addition of something else would improve his performance. Other informants claimed that in speaking Miwok he assumed a "northern accent" ("he spoke it more like they do up Tuolumne way") in order to make Yosemite speech sound different from that of Mariposa, and that he "belonged around El Portal" rather than to the Yosemite band proper. These considerations throw some doubt on the authenticity of his "Yosemite dialect." After his death, the material in question could not be checked or expanded; even his brother Alvis, the last survivor of his family, then ceased to be available for informant work. However, speakers of the Mariposa dialect recognized certain items as being different in Yosemite speech, and it is clear that some differences did exist.

From 1957 on, my principal informants were Castro Johnson, Rose Watt, and Emma Lord. Mr. Johnson's family always lived in Mariposa. His mother, who died in 1942, is said to have been a monolingual. He has not spoken the language much since his mother died, and consequently feels a little rusty, so that he is hesitant about starting to tell a long story in Miwok. Once started, however, he is fully capable of carrying on an animated conversation or reciting a long text in the language. Mrs. Watt and Mrs. Lord are sisters, and live together near Usona. Their father was Miwok, their mother Chuckchansi (Yokuts); they are both fluent trilinguals. Between themselves they normally speak Miwok. They were born on the ranch where they now live, and say that their father was from right there. The place where they live has an Indian name, /piliwni?/. Less than a hundred yards from their ranch house there is a large archaeological site (4-Mrp-249). Brief surface reconnaisances of this site yielded one historic artifact (a glazed potsherd, probably of Chinese origin), and several projectile points of the most recent type known for the area. The owners report finding glass beads there. The surface of the site is therefore presumably historic, and it seems reasonable to assume that it represents the Miwok village of /piliwni?/, and that Mrs. Watt's and Mrs. Lord's father's family lived there. It is less than 20 miles from Yokuts territory.

Lizzie and Banjo Graham also provided information during 1957 and 1958. Mr. Graham is Mrs. Watt's and Mrs. Lord's mother's brother, and hence is Chuckchansi; Mrs. Graham is Miwok, being related to Mrs. Watt's and Mrs. Lord's father. However, both Mr. and Mrs. Graham speak fluent Miwok as well as Chuckchansi and English, and when visiting their nieces, which they did frequently in 1957, they speak Miwok most of the time. Other informants listed above recorded short texts or provided other information on an informal basis.

Besides my informants, to whom I am indebted for generous hospitality and the warmest and most rewarding friendship as well as for information, I wish to thank Donald and Eleanor Loomis, of Mariposa, who made my stays in the field easy and enjoyable by their many kindnesses. I also owe a profound debt to Mary R. Haas, Murray B. Emeneau, George M. Foster, and David L. Olmsted, who have read various drafts of the manuscript. I have profited greatly from their helpful and constructive criticism. While final responsibility for any errors or omissions in the present work is mine alone, it is my sincere hope that it will reflect the wisdom of their guidance, not only in connection with this project, but throughout my years of graduate study.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Barrett, S. A.

1908 The geography and dialects of the Miwok Indians. University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 333-368.

1919 The myths of the Southern Sierra Miwok. University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 1-28.

Barrett, S. A., and Gifford, E. W.

1933 Miwok material culture. Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee, Vol. 2, pp. 117-376.

Beeler, Madison S.

1955 Saclan. International Journal of American Linguistics, Vol. 21, pp. 201-209.

1959 Saclan once more. International Journal of American Linguistics, Vol. 25, pp. 67-68.

Broadbent, Sylvia M., and Callaghan, Catherine A.

1960 Comparative Miwok: a preliminary survey. International Journal of American Linguistics, Vol. 26, pp. 301-316.

de Angulo, Jaime, and Freeland, I. S.

1928 Miwok and Pomo myths. Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 41, pp. 232-252.

Freeland, L. S.

1951 Language of the Sierra Miwok. Indiana University Publications in Anthropology and Linguistics, International Journal of American Linguistics Memoir 6.

Freeland, L. S., and Broadbent, Sylvia M.

1960 Central Sierra Miwok dictionary (with texts). University of California Publications in Linguistics, Vol. 23, pp. 1-71.

Gifford, E. W.

1916 Miwok moieties. University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology, Vol. 12, No. 4, pp. 139-194.

1917 Miwok myths. University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology, Vol. 12, No. 8, pp. 283-338.

Kroeber, A. L.

1906 The dialect divisions of the Moquelumnan family in relation to the internal differentiation of the other linguistic families of California. American Anthropologist, Vol. 8, pp. 652-663.

1923 Handbook of the Indians of California. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 78 (reprinted by California Book Co., Berkeley, 1953).

Merriam, C. Hart

1907 Distribution and classification of the Mewan stock of California. American Anthropologist, Vol. 9, pp. 338-357.

SIGNS AND SYMBOLS

[ ]

Phonetic brackets, enclosing all forms written
phonetically

/ /

Phonemic brackets, enclosing all forms written
phonemically

|| ||

Morphophoemic brackets, enclosing forms written
morphophoemically; hypens also indicate
morphophonemic writing

{ }

Morphemic brackets, enclosing forms symbolic
of morphemes having several allomorphs

~

"In phonologically determined allomorphy with"

oo

"In morphologically determined allomorphy with"

f
~

"In free variation with"

d
~

"In dialetal variation with"

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TEXTS

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1. Collecting Basketry Materials
(Conversation between Rose Watt and Lizzie Graham)

RW: (1) Long ago, how did the Indians gather roots? Do you know what they did?
LG: (2) Yes, I know. (3) They would dig in the hard ground with a digging stick. (4) It was difficult, but they did it, they kept at it and got the roots out.
RW: (5) With a digging stick.
LG: (6) With a digging stick.
RW: (7) They dug the ground.
LG: (8) They dug the ground.
RW: (9) What kind of roots would that be? They chose good long ones, long ago.
LG: (10) Long ago they chose good roots, they chose long ones. (11) They would be very white inside.
RW: (12) Then next, gathering roots—how did they do it? (13) They would break them off.
LG: (14) They would break them off; they would dig them out, following them with the digging stick, then they would stop there and break them off.
RW: (15) Then next they would gather them together when they were finished.
LG: (16) They would gather them together, and go to dig out another one. (17) They would gather up the roots and tie them up.
RW: (18) Then there would be a lot.
LG: (19) There would be a lot.
RW: (20) Maybe it would take a little while.
LG: (21) It would take quite a while for there to be many; in this way, they prepared long ones.
RW: (22) Then next, when they were finished, they would eat lunch.
LG: (23) They'd eat their lunch, when they got hungry.
RW: (24) And they would do the same thing after lunch, next.
LG: (25) After lunch, they'd do it fast, right away, because they would walk a long way going home.

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RW: (26) Then next, they'd go home, having finished.
LG: (27) Yes.
RW: (28) Next, what would they do with those roots, (29) to make a cooking-basket?
LG: (30) Next, they would skin the roots with a stick, they would skin them at night. (31) All next day they would dry in the sun. (32) White (outside?), when it was skinned. (33) They would do that with a stick.
RW: (34) Yes.
LG: (35) They would pull it across a stick.
RW: (36) Then next, what did they do? (37) Next .
LG: (38) Then they dry it.
RW: (39) Then they dry it.
LG: (40) After they dry it, next, after a while it gets dry; after it sat for a day, then it's dry, the next day they would coil it up.
RW: (41) Then, next, they fix it so they can make it.
LG: (42) A bit later.
RW: (43) Another day.
LG: (44) Another day.
RW: (45) Next, what is done here, the roots, they get quartered in being prepared.
LG: (46) Some quarter them, some split them in two (47) to make bigger baskets. (48) I split them in three to make small baskets, I do.
RW: (49) Then it turns out just right.
LG: (50) That's it, they go evenly.
RW: (51) Next you start out small, with an awl.
LG: (52) It's started, small, with an awl.
RW: (53) You're weaving.
LG: (54) I'm weaving.
RW: (55) Next, every day it will grow.
LG: (56) In a day, one round; I go around once.
RW: (57) The next day.
LG: (58) The next day again.
RW: (59) Until it gets big.
LG: (60) Until it gets big. (61) I've got to pull it; (62) my roots I have to pull, everything, my fern I have to pull. (63) Sometimes my bone awl gets broken.
RW: (64) Then, there's our bunch-grass, it's not . . .
LG: (65) That too, bunch-grass.
RW: (66) That gets prepared too.
LG: (67) It's scraped on a stick (to make it smooth).

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RW: (68) All that is prepared to make a basket.
LG: (69) That basket she makes with bunch-grass.
RW: (70) Then what will she do, designs will have to be put on, won't they, to make it pretty.
LG: (71) I put designs thus far from the edge, other people put designs from the bottom.
RW: (72) With black.
LG: (73) With black.
RW: (74) What's that black one's name?
LG: (75) Maidenhair fern.
RW: (76) Maidenhair fern.
LG: (77) Yes. (78) Others use the red along with it.
RW: (79) Finally, she’ll finish that basket.
LG: (80) Later.
RW: (81) Next, what will she do with the top, to finish it?
LG: (82) She’ll sew it, when she breaks off the bunch-grass.
RW: (83) With another one.
LG: (84) She breaks the bunch-grass, then finishes it, really gets it done, and she sews it on top.
RW: (85) With that same root, isn't it.
LG: (86) With that same root.

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2. Gathering Wild Foods
(Conversation between Rose Watt and Emma Lord)

RW: (1) How did they collect this, that the white people call mushroom? Do you know?
EL: (2) Yes, we used to eat it, we used to gather it, my boss and I, we used to gather it a long time ago, long ago, (3) three years passed; (4) that was tasty for us to eat, those on the ground that were for gathering this way, that little kind, little short small mushrooms, little bitty ones, we used to wash them and boil them.
RW: (5) Those fungi called /haha•ja?/, I guess. That was really tasty, it seems.
EL: (6) That was tasty.
RW: (7) And these that we used to call "little cry-babies."
EL: (8) Those "cry-babies" are different too, they taste good too.
RW: (9) What's that kind that comes out by the creek?

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EL:

} (10) They call it /lapŋa?/.

RW:

EL: (11) Yes, that fungus is very good, yes, all of them are edible.
RW: (12) And then what about the little white ones, what are they, /put•us/ maybe.
EL: (13) Those fungi are little round things, they're nice to eat too, all those things.
RW: (14) And this, it belongs in the mountains, what is it, in the Ponderosa pines, what is the name of that one?
EL: (15) What is it . . .
RW: (16) Long ago we used to gather it, it seems to me.
EL: (17) Little /hel•i?/ mushrooms.
RW: (18) Maybe that's it.
EL: (19) Those mushrooms are good too, cut up and boiled, very tasty, you eat them with acorn mush.
RW: (20) One ate that, long ago, one used to eat it.
EL: (21) It was the Indians' food, long ago.
RW: (22) Nowadays one doesn't do that very much, gather things.
EL: (23) Not very much now, the young people have changed.
RW: (24) It's been forgotten.
EL: (25) All forgotten, they got too lazy to bother.
RW: (26) We used to eat all these things, long ago; our old folks used to gather all this. Sour clover.
EL: (27) Yes, all this is very tasty, one rubbed it between one's hands and then ate it with acorn mush, it tastes good.
RW: (28) And all these sourberries.
EL: (29) Yes, sourberries too.
RW: (30) Seems like they aren't eaten any more.
EL: (31) Ha! They've got scared of the sourness of them.
RW: (32) They're really ripe now, aren't they, they make you want to pick them.
EL: (33) Very good, you pound them; hey, that really tastes good, (34) you make it juicy and drink it.
RW: (35) It's nice and sour.
EL: (36) Yes, it's a bit sour, it's good for the heart.
RW: (37) And then this, the bush of that same sourberry is also good for making cradle-baskets, isn't it.
EL: (38) That's very good for making cradles, you make the sunshade with that.
RW: (39) How is that done, gathering it, to begin with? Young [limbs] are picked.

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EL: (40) Young [limbs] are picked, I don't know what month they pick them, in the wintertime when there aren't any leaves.
RW: (41) Then what is done next, it's peeled?
EL: (42) Yes, it's peeled with a small knife, it's skinned, this thing-umibob; ts skin, that's what I mean, it comes off, just the white part is saved, the little ones, little tree shoots, that's made into the main part of the cradle, the shade part, everything; you make the sunshade with that.
RW: (43) First the big ones are picked, to make this little bed, this cradle, isn't that right.
EL: (44) Yes, it's all one size. And then, and this, it can be made if desired, and it can be made of this thingummy, whatever it is cooking—baskets are made of—of roots, and then, and this, and you skin the what's it, something or other, little white oak sprouts.
RW: (45) That's another kind of tree, that the Indians used for making [baskets] long ago.
EL: (46) Yes.
RW: (47) And then, and then it is made into the little bed, it's twined, isn't it.
EL: (48) It's twined with that.
RW: (49) It's done first.
EL: (50) With that.
RW: (51) And then, they used to make it, lengthening it, making the sunshade last.
EL: (52) It was made last.
RW: (53) From its little foot.
EL: (54) It's started from its little foot.
RW: (55) Its shade is made.
EL: (56) The shade, right here, its sunshade.
RW: (57) Then it will be decorated, it will be made pretty.
EL: (58) One will decorate it with that, with little things, with little pretty things, with little colored things, this something, with fine yarn.
RW: (59) They are different, it seems like, for a little boy, the design for the sunshade, isn't it.
EL: (60) Yes, there are several different kinds.
RW: (61) But a different kind for girls.
EL: (62) Yes, it's different too; that's how the makers do it.
RW: (63) Now not at all any more, they don't do that, it isn't done that way for babies now, it seems like they quit using this cradle basket.
EL: (64) Yes, everybody threw it away recently, maybe soon nobody will make them any more, it's forgotten.

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RW: (65) And it's the same thing with making cooking baskets, it's done the same way almost.
EL: (66) And that, it's disappearing, not very many make them now, the young girls have forgotten it.
RW: (67) That's what you make it with, isn't it, with bunch-grass.
EL: (68) One makes it with bunch-grass, you go around with bunchgrass, around and around, you sort of sew it with that root, first piercing it with this thingummy, with the awl.
RW: (69) You weave it.
EL: (70) You weave it with that, with a deer-bone, after you make it narrow.
RW: (71) That awl.
EL: (72) Her awl, that's her needle.
RW: (73) It's started very tiny.
EL: (74) It's started very small, you keep on going, going, going, until it's to where it's wanted, then you quit.
RW: (75) A very long time until it will be finished.
EL: (76) Very long.
RW: (77) After a long time?
EL: (78) After a long time, don't know how many years, taking a month to finish.

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3. Wild Foods
(Conversation between John Lawrence and Chris Brown)

JL: (1) Say that I'm eating angleworms with acorn mush, I'm eating angleworms with biscuits, say that.
CB: (2) You do the talking. Where can I get angleworms when I go fishing?
JL: (3) Right in front here, in the flat ground.
CB: (4) I want to get some angleworms.
JL: (5) I can eat angleworms with biscuits, you'd better say that.
CB: (6) I can eat angleworms with biscuits, sir. (7) Tell me if you ever ate any.
JL: (8) No.
CB: (9) When is it that edible cocoons will come out, sir?
JL: (10) What's that?
CB: (11) Cocoons.

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JL: (12) Oh, there aren't any of those cocoons around this time.
CB: (13) Are they coming out now?
JL: (14) No, they won't come out.
CB: (15) They went, isn't that it.
JL: (16) Oh, a long time ago they used to come out twice [a year].
CB: (17) A long time ago the Indians used to eat those cocoons.
JL: (18) Yes.
CB: (19) And these grasshoppers, isn't that right.
JL: (20) In a soup, those.
CB: (21) And some things they call /?oko•met/.
JL: (22) /?oko•met/.
CB: (23) We used to eat any old thing, sir.
JL: (24) Pandora moth caterpillars.
CB: (25) But Pandora moth caterpillars are from higher up [in the mountains].
JL: (26) We used to eat that just the same.
CB: (27) Yellowjackets, too, isn't that right.
JL: (28) Yellowjackets, I guess so.
CB: (29) Those used to be the Indians' food, long ago.
JL: (30) Uh-huh.
CB: (31) They used to be smoked out, to get them . . .
JL: (32) They used to chase them.
CB: (33) We used to chase them when we were children, a long time ago, that's what the shaman [JL] means.
JL: (laughter [at being called a shaman]).
CB: (34) Hey, I, one time—(er, er)—I dug him up, he stung me all over. I yelled and yelled for sure.
JL: (35) I yelled loud, say.
CB: (36) Hey, I really hollered, sir.
JL: (37) His feet were pretty hot, you would say.
CB: (38) Yes.

JL:

} (laughter)

CB:

* * *

CB: (39) This is my older brother,' he came out from the east; we are people from the mountains, Yosemite Valley people. We are the only ones left alive, isn't that right, sir.

———
1Although John Lawrence and Chief Leeme may have been related, they were not literally brothers; this statement probably refers to membership in the same moiety. John Lawrence did not otherwise claim to belong to the Yosemite Valley band; even here, his agreement with Chief Leeme is a little reluctant.

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JL: (40) That's right.
CB: (41) There's nobody else.
JL: (42) No.
CB: (43) Nobody left.
JL: (44) (uh-huh).
CB: (45) Maybe there isn't anyone now who could keep up with us.
JL: (46) Nobody.
CB: (47) That can call himself that.
JL: (48) Surely not, nobody.
CB: (49) Playing that, what did we used to do?
JL: (50) (uh-huh), yes.
CB: (51) They want to listen to this one that the Indian women used to play.
JL: (52) Oh, those things.
CB: (53) How did they do those things?
JL: (54) They used to shake dice in their hands.
CB: (55) They used to shake them [in a box], these dice.
JL: (56) All of it, playing dice, playing football, all sorts of things they used to play. Long ago, that was what the women used to play.
CB: (57) The women used to play that.
JL: (58) (uh-huh); they used to play handgame at night.
CB: (59) Just the women.
JL: (60) Just the women, that's the way I saw it.
CB: (61) We've all seen that.
JL: (62) (uh-huh).
CB: (63) The women used to play this on something, too, on bone awls, isn't it.
JL: (64) They used to play that too, on those little awls or something, yes.
CB: (65) Yes, and this too, weaving.
JL: (66) They used to weave baskets.
CB: (67) That's it, sir, their baskets.
JL: (68) They used to make baskets.
CB: (69) Yes.
JL: (70) They used to do basketry, cooking baskets, carrying baskets, hey:
CB: (71) Hey, that's it, that what the Indians did, lots of them. Where are they now? There aren't any, they're all dead.
JL: (72) They're all gone that could do that kind of work.
CB: (73) They used to like this, cracking these, to eat this . . . that . . .

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JL: (74) (an unidentified seed)
CB: (75) Their seeds.
JL: (76) Redmaids.
CB: (77) Redmaids.
JL: (78) And something else, manzanita berries.
CB: (79) Yes.
JL: (80) And here's another—sourberries.
CB: (81) Sourberries too.
JL: (82) Gooseberries.
CB: (83) Gooseberries.
JL: (84) Hey, strawberries.
CB: (85) The strawberries are now all gone everywhere.
JL: (86) Blackberries.
CB: (87) Blackberries there are still below here.
JL:. (88) Yes, all those things the Indians used to eat, long ago.
CB: (89) They probably lived pretty well.
JL: (90) (an unidentified plant)
CB: (91) /hak•ahi?/, maybe; what's that, sir?
JL: (92) Here in the valley near the bridge, it has white flowers.
CB: (93) So that's /hak•ahi?/.
JL: (94) Yes.
CB: (95) I'm forgetting all these things.
JL: (96) Yes, I know that. Grass nuts.
CB: (97) Grass nuts.
JL: (98) The Indians used to eat that, long ago.
CB: (99) And this, also, that they call /?o•luju?/, isn't that right.
JL: (100) Yes, that's right.
CB: (101) What's that /?o•luju?/?
JL: (102) Something or other, what's it, what is its name, they used to say "niggertoes."
CB: (103) Is it /?o•lu•ci?/? /?o•luju?/?
JL: (104) It's /?o•lawci?/, yes.
CB: (105) I know, then, lots of things, also brodeia bulbs, the Indians used to eat that.
JL: (106) Brodeia bulbs, (107) that's another kind of meat to the Indians.
CB: (108) Hey, they used to enjoy eating that.
JL: (109) Yes.
CB: (110) Think of some other things.
JL: (111) I'm [trying to think of] other things. Here's one, they used to eat clover.

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CB: (112) Clover, that's it.
JL: (113) Sour clover.
CB: (114) We eat that sour clover.
JL: (115) Grass nuts [another kind].
CB: (116) That's a different kind of grass nuts, I don't know them.
JL: (117) (an unidentified seed)
CB: (118) I know those.
JL: (119) All that. A kind of grass.
CB: (120) Grass. (121) Our people used to eat that.
JL: (122) Yes, the Indians used to eat it.
CB: (123) Hey, it's a long time since the people used to eat that kind. Now we're nothing but hungry.
JL: (laugh) (124) That's the truth, that's what the Indians used to eat
long ago. (125) Now there's nothing.
CB: (126) Now there's nothing.
JL: (127) Everybody now is looking for bread, the Indians.
CB: (128) Now everybody's thinking about bread.
JL: (129) That's all they think about.
CB: (130) Yes.
JL: (131) But these old-timers, the old women, hey, they'd put on a pack basket and go out to gather sour clover.
CB: (132) Hey, they'd put on a pack basket.

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4. Measuring Worm
(Told by John Lawrence)

(1) This is really a story of the country; this one is the story of the land. (2) Long ago, maybe when there were no people, he swam, the Green one, as they say, maybe; his something, his older brother, (3) Green One's older brother, that's it. (4) El Capitan grew up and carried him up, that Green One's older brother.

(5) "Green One, tell me, where are you?" he said, crying out. (6) "Where are you, Green One?" he said, crying out again. (7) Then Coyote came along. (8) Then he told Coyote all about it. "My older brother got carried up here by that high rock," he said. (9) He went. "I'm going to hire [people to help]." He hired everybody.

(10) They jumped, they kept on jumping up, they couldn't reach him, (11) they fell down. (12) Then he fetched Mountain Lion. (13) He surpassed

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all of them when he jumped up, (14) he hit it with his body, and he was too low too.

(15) And then there's the other one, the old bear, the big old hole, that's the old bear's hole, where he landed he left a hole, close to the tree. (16) That's the place where the bear landed. (17) Then he called him [to] El Capitan, what the Indians call a fly, yes, that's it, next, the Measuring Worm. (18) "Now I'm going, I say, climbing," Measuring Worm said. (19) "I'm going to climb that cliff," Measuring Worm said.

(20) He went higher. (21) There, near Pohono, away from the rock. (22) From there, he bent over to the other side there on top of El Capitan. (23) He found nothing left but bones, of Green One's older brother. (24) So he tied them up and threw them down from there.

(25) Then he became a person when he got to the ground. (26) They praised him. He outdid everybody, Mouse, Wood Rat, everything, Squirrel [and] all of them tried and failed to get him, (27) they couldn't make it. But that Measuring Worm beat them all. (28) He made a bridge across to there. (29) So! That's all.

(30) That's all I can tell. (31) That's the way it is: Measuring Worm.

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5. The Magic Cane
(Told by Castro Johnson)

(1) This man, long ago he asked his son a question. (2) His two sons, that is. (3) He asked the older one first. (4) "What are you thinking about?" he said.

(5) "Yes," said his son. (6) "I'm thinking about this kind of thing. (7) I'm thinking that everything ought to mate and have offspring, (8) so that there would be lots of all of us," he said, (9) "Living all over this world."

(10) His father then [said] "No. Stop. (11) I don't like what you say," he said. (12) "Sit down there, I’ll take care of you later when I'm finished with your brother," he said. (13) Then he asked his younger brother, "What are you thinking about?" he said. (14) "Oh, planting things, potatoes, beans, tomatoes, cabbages, all that kind, onions, everything good to eat, peaches, apples, plums, pears, all that kind, figs," he said.

(15) "Yes, your thoughts are good. (16) It's better than your older brother's thinking," he said. (17) Then, he made a coffin for the older brother. (18) He made his coffin. (19) When he finished, he put it inside seven boxes.

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(20) "Come here," he said. (21) He came, his older son. (22) Then he drove the nails, he put nails in, (23) he put in all the nails and finished. (24) When he was finished he took him into remote country where nobody could hear him.

(25) Then he yelled and cried, (26) "Father, father, I won't do that again," he said. (27) After they put him in the wilds they went, they went back home. (28) Then, from the north, this Coyote came and heard him. (29) "What is this yelling down here?" he said. (30) He came listening. (31) Little by little, he got closer and closer. (32) He was yelling this way: "Father, father, please, please let me go, get me out! I’ll never do that again." (33) "What's that talking so much?" said Coyote. (34) Gradually he got to the top of the mountain, the talking became clearer.

(35) Little by little, he got closer. (36) "It seems that something is talking," he said. (37) He went on. (38) "Oh, he is in the coffin," he said when he got closer. (39) When he got there, he knocked on it.

(40) "What's the matter with you?" (41) "Oh, I said something that my father didn't like," he said. (42) "All right, where is your house?" [Coyote] said. (43) "South of here," he said, (44) "the first house south of here, maybe about five miles," he said.

(45) "Do you know where the axe is?" [Coyote] said. (46) "There in the woodshed," he said. (47) "All right, I'm going to get it, I’ll come back soon." (48) Then he got that axe and went back, that's the way he went. (49) When he got there, he chopped up the outside boxes until he got to the one underneath, where he was, (50) and set him free.

(51) "From here on, don't ever go back to your house. (52) Go north, east, or anywhere, but don't ever go to your house there. (53) I'm going south. (54) I give you this cane; (55) you will ask this cane for everything you want," [Coyote] said.

(56) "All right." (57) Coyote went south, (58) and he went north, until he saw a house. (59) "Oh, maybe I should try out my cane," he said. (60) So he tried it.

(61) "I want to be an old man," he said to his cane. (62) He became old. (63) He went on to the house and knocked, (64) and a woman came out. (65) "Can you give me something to eat?" he said.

(66) "Yes, sit down there." (67) Then he sat down there on the porch. (68) Then the woman finished bringing him food (69) and he ate. (70) When he finished eating he went on (71) to the road.

(72) He went on northwards. (73) When he got out of sight he turned young again. (74) He went on this way until it got dark. (75) When it got dark, he saw a house again, so he became an old man and went to

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lie down in the barn. (76) When he got up the next day, he went and asked for something to eat. (77) "All right, wait there," she said then. (78) So he waited again. (79) When he had eaten, he went on again. "Where is there a house around here?" [he asked someone].

(80) "Oh, maybe in the evening, about then you’ll get to one house," he said. (81) Then he went on and on till it was evening, (82) when he got to one house. (83) He got a job there. (84) "Yes, you can take care of these ducks," he said.

(85) So he went to sleep. (86) When he got up in the morning, (87) he was given a shotgun, (88) and he went over on the other side of a little hill like this to a valley, and watched over those ducks. (89) In the evening he took them back and put them in the corral. (90) He used to go to sleep, have supper, then go to sleep. (91) Then he went back and did the same thing, (92) every day he watched over them in the valley. (93) Then one time their daughter watched him from upstairs, from the upper part of the house, (94) the pretty horse, with spurs, bridle, saddle, everything become elegant, the man become young and riding his horse around, she saw from upstairs there.

(95) When he came home at night, he became old; (96) that's what he did all the time. (97) Then one day the girl asked her mother, "Can I marry this man?" she said. (98) "What do you want to marry such an old man for?" said her mother. (99) Then, "Come, then, tomorrow, come to the upper part of the house where I live, you should see if he's an old man," she said.

(100) Then next day he went again and took the ducks to the same place in the valley. (101) Then her mother came upstairs and watched him. (102) "Can that be the same man?" she said. (103) "It's the same, the only one; he does that every day," [the daughter said]. (104) "Well, you'd better ask your father," she said.

(105) So she asked her father. (106) "Father, can I marry this man?" she said. (107) "What do you want to marry such an old man for?" said her father. (108) "You should see him, you should come tomorrow and see and watch that man. He's nothing like an old man," she said. (109) Then next day he watched him take out the horse, a pretty one, he took him out and rode him around.

(110) "It can't be the same man," he said. (111) "It doesn't look like it, but there's only the one man living there, staying there," said their daughter. (112) "If you want to, you can marry him," he said. (113) So they got married the coming week. (114) He became young and never got old again.

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(115) Then all the nations were invited. (116) His father came, (117) he went there, to their king [lit., "to their big one"]. (118) "The king's daughter is getting married," they said. (119) Everyone gathered there, (120) they arrived on that day.

(121) Then this one, his son, [said], "I don't like your coming here," he said. (122) Then he recognized him. (123) "I don't like your locking me up at all. I don't want you to come," he said. (124) Then his father went home, (125) and he married the king's daughter. (126) That's all.

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6. How Coyote Stole The Sun
(Told by Castro Johnson)

(1) Here's another different one that we are telling. (2) Long ago, the people used to live in the dark, without the sun. (3) They couldn't see anything; (4) everything used to be dark. (5) This Coyote went far off to the east from here; he stayed who knows how long, and then came back.

(6) "Uncle! Uncle! You ought to see [how it is] far off in the east. They have sunshine over there in the east, east of here," he said to his uncle.

(7) His uncle did not believe him. (8) Then, he stayed there at the house. The wife of this uncle of his, Wood Rat, she gathered all kinds of things, here and there, redmaids, she used to pile up things to eat. (9) Then Coyote went again to the east, somewhere far from here is where he went. (10) He stayed who knows how long, maybe a month, maybe a year. (11) Then he came back and said the same thing.

(12) "Uncle! You ought to see it," he said. His uncle didn't believe him.

(13) Another time he goes again, east of here, he does the same thing. (14) "This time I’ll take a flower," he said. (15) He took this flower, shooting-stars, which was coming out there in the east. (16) Then he came back; he took it from there and came back here. (17) He showed it to his uncle.

(18) "Look here, uncle! They have flowers far off in the east," he said. (19) Then [his uncle] said, "Yes." (20). Then he stayed there again; oh, a long time again. (21) "I'm going," he said to his uncle. (22) "This time I'm going to steal their sun," he said. (23) "Then we will have the sun here in our country," he said. (24) "It's not good that

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we stay here in the dark all the time and can't see anything," he said.

(25) Then he said, "Goodbye"

(26) He went far off east of here. He watched these people going about, a bunch of young fellows, there in the mountains.

(27) "Maybe I'd better turn into a log," he said.

(28) He went under a tree where they were walking and turned into a log. (29) Then, when these hunters came back, "Let's carry this one," two of them said to each other. (30) "Yes, let's take it and put it on the fire," he said.

(31) Then they carried him on their backs and took him to this dance-house where they all lived, Mountain Lion, that Bear, all of them fast runners except Turtle. (32) Then they put him on the fire. But what he did was wriggle around and around, when they put him in the fire.

(33) Then, "Oh, we’ll put it on the fire later, when we go to sleep," they said. (34) "Yes," they said to each other.

(35) Then they went to sleep. Later they took him and put him closer, and he lay there. (36) When they went to sleep, he wriggled around and then listened. (37) They were all snoring, so he got up and picked up a big basket. (38) Then he goes and gets this sun, (39) and runs with it to the west.

(40) "Let's run! Let's run!" said the Turtle. (41) "I scratched him, I scratched him," he said. (42) He ran with it and outdistanced them all. (43) Then he came and released that sun there.

(44) "Uncle!" he says, arriving at the house. (45) "I stole it," he said. (46) "In a while we’ll have sunshine, you should see it," he said. (47) He kept on coming out and coming out to look at that sun. (48) Finally, it seemed to be getting light. "Come on, uncle! Come and see it! It's getting light," he said.

(49) His uncle came out. "Oh, you're really telling the truth," he said. (50) "You're telling the truth, that's the way they do it back in the east."

(51) "Yes, but they haven't got the sun now over in the east. (52) I took it all," he said.

(53) Then the sun rose up and came out, and they saw everything. (54) Then that Eagle's wife was astonished at what she had gathered up, everything piled up here, there, and everywhere. She was always working, this wife of Eagle, Wood Rat. (55) Then the sun shone on us, and to this very day does. It never went back. (56) That's all.

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7. ?ywel•in
(Told by Castro Johnson)

(1) And now we are telling a different story; this girl is sitting listening. (2) Long ago, this ?ywel•in was finishing off the people. He carried them off all the time, he used to kill them all and finish them off. (3) Then he raised two little children, he brought them up. (4) Then those children used to play with the skulls of their mother and their relatives, they used to roll them. (5) They would roll them to the bottom from on top over a flat, sloping rock, then they would get them and take them back on top. (6) They used to do that every day, the two little ones kept on playing. (7) Then one Coyote went to visit them and saw them. He stayed there who knows how long. (8) He watched which way [?ywel•in] went, where he came out. (9) "Goodbye," he said. (10) "Yes," he said; "I’ll take care of the children here," he said. (11) He asked the children, "Where does your grandfather come out?" (12) "Right there he’ll always come out; he comes out there all the time," said the children. (13) In the evening, then he came, (14) and they ate supper. But [Coyote] cooked this meat that he had put in the bottom of the pack basket and ate it himself, he ate this jackrabbit hidden here in his pack basket. (15) Then it was night, and they went to sleep. When [?ywel•in] was snoring hard, [Coyote] looked for where his heart was. (16) Then he found it in the middle of his foot. (17) Then he stretched his feet out. When he stretched out his legs, this is the way he went when [Coyote] touched him in the middle of his foot: "Grunt, grunt, grunt," he said. (18) Then, "Oh, it's right there, your heart," [Coyote] said. (19) He went to sleep again. (20) He did the same thing again, he stretched out, stretched himself out. Right in the middle of his foot, in the middle of it, he did the same thing that way. "Grunt, grunt, grunt," he said. (21) "Oh, it's right there," said this Coyote. (22) He went to sleep. They got up the next day, (23) and he went out the next day again. (24) Just the same when he came back he came out in exactly the same place again. (25) [Coyote] was watching carefully whether he would come out in the same or a different place. (26) He didn't come out any other place, only in that very same place. (27) The next day he went again, (28) and the same way he watched where he went. (29) Then he asked the children again, "Will he come out the same place?" he said. (30) "Yes," they said. "Does he always come out in the same place?" (31) "Yes," they said. (32) In the evening for supper he cooked the meat. (33) Then Coyote would hide it in the pack basket and eat his own meat, not what he was given, he

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wouldn't eat that at all. (34) Then they went to sleep at night. (35) Then early in the morning, "I'm going hunting again," he said, and went. (36) He went the same way he always went. (37) Then Old Lady Coyote went out next. (38) "I'm going to get some wood," he said to his grand-children. (39) Then he went on the other side of this high mountain, where he came out. He stuck his bone awls all around. (40) Then when he came back he watched him. (41) "Oh, you just came out, coming back again," he said. (42) He watched him. (43) He stepped on one and sat down to pull it out; [another one] stuck him right there in the butocks. (44) He rolled all around, (45) and got stuck all over then, (46) everywhere he went, where he rolled, (47) then he got stuck all around in his ribs. (48) Then he died. (49) Then [Coyote] told all these nations, "I killed this one, the one who was finishing off us people," he said. (50) Then next they burned up this one that he killed. (51) "All of you watch well, you with good eyes. All watch this one. (52) If we don't find his eyes, he’ll finish us all off again," he said. (53) "Keep looking, watch for his eyes to pop out," he said. (54) So they burned him. (55) Then a little later, when he got cooked, his eyes popped out. (56) Everybody looked up. (57) These two, Spotted Towhee and Brown Towhee, "You had better stay far off, you can't see, you've got too much matter in your eyes," they said to these two. (58) They stayed far off and watched again. (59) Everybody failed to see it pop. (60) So then, "Did you see it?" they asked these two with matter in their eyes. (61) "How could we see it?" they said; (62) "Our eyes are no good. (63) Look for it yourselves, you who have good eyes," they said. (64) "Please," they said. "He’ll finish us all up if you don't tell us; maybe you saw where his eyes landed. (65) But if we don't find them, he’ll eat all of us," they said. (66) "Yes, under that thing, it looks like his eyes, [under] those leaves." (67) Then they got them. (68) "Yes, that's it," they said. (69) They got them, and mashed them all up. Then everything was all right. (70) That's all.

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8. Stealing Horses
(Told by Castro Johnson)

(1) And here's a different one. (2) Long ago the Indians used to go to the west to get horses, to steal them. When they came back, they stole them and used to bring the horses of these Mexicans. (3) Then they were chased and tracked up these mountains. (4) Then two old men were reached by these Mexicans, who made war on them and kept on shooting at them. They shot one old man's bowstring. (5) But then he dodged around, it didn't matter that his bowstring was shot off. They kept on shouting for their comrades, yelling. (6) Then their comrades saw them from on top of the mountain. They ran down and chased them. They fought each other back and forth. (7) Then these Mexicans got scared and went west, they went home. (8) Then one man chased them, up the hill and up the hill they went. Way up on top he got to them. (9) But nobody at all got killed. (10) Then they went back, these Mexicans, to their houses there in the west. (11) But they didn't get any of the horses, they didn't take them back. (12) All of their horses were killed and made into meat. (13) So! That's all.

9. Two Little Bears and Two Little Deer
(Told by Castro Johnson)

(1) Two little bears were playing with two little deer. (2) Then, playing that way, the bears said "You go in!" (3) The little deer went in. "We'd better say 'maa-maa-maa,' and you let us out," they said. (4) "All right," said the bears. (5) Then the bear cubs went in. (6) "You'd better say 'maa-maa-maa,'" they said. (7) Then they went in, but they didn't say "maa." They died inside there of this smoke. (8) When they didn't say "maa" for a long time, [the deer] looked in [and found] both of them had died. (9) Then they took them inside and put them on their bed as if they were asleep. (10) Then their mother smelled their burning hair and came running. She couldn't find her children; she looked everywhere. (11) Then she looked in the bed. (12) When she saw them dead in the bed, she looked for the little deer. She tracked the deer, she tracked them until she found them there in the crack. (13) Then this one, their

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grandfather, "Step down, far down," he said. (14) Then she stepped down a long way, stepping as far as she could reach. When she stepped down to the bottom, he hit her with a hot rock, (15) and killed her. (16) That's all.

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10. Chasing Wild Horses and Mules
(Told by Castro Johnson)

(1) And this is a different one, we're telling about cowboys. (2) Every Sunday we used to go from here, from Mariposa, maybe twenty-five [of us]. (3) And at Princeton we got maybe ten or twelve. (4) And then some from Bear Valley used to come, maybe fifteen. (5) Maybe about eight or ten used to come from Hornitos. (6) We all used to meet here. (7) Then all these cowboys here used to chase wild horses. (8) Every Sunday we used to go there to go chasing. (9) Sometimes we didn't get any. (10) Then the last time we got some, maybe fifteen. (11) This mule, then, we all put him there, we brought him to Princeton and put him in the corral. (12) Then we said to one man, a young man, "Ride him!" (13) "All right," he said, "Put up five dollars and I’ll ride him," he said. (14) So five dollars came in. (15) Then he got on that mule. (16) The mule didn't do anything, he didn't jump, just as if he had already been ridden, (17) running back and forth as if he were following his friends around. (18) Then, "Get off that no-good old mule!" they said. (19) He got off and took off his saddle. (20) Then one man from Hornitos bought it for five dollars and took it down there to his ranch. He put him inside, gave him barley to eat, and put water for him. (21) That mule just stood there, (22) I don't know how long he stood there, he didn't eat anything. (23) Little by little he was starving to death. (24) He knelt down on his front feet, he got tired. (25) He stayed that way a long time, who knows how long. (26) Next, gradually, he went down with his hind feet too, and lay there on his stomach. (27) Then after doing that he lay down. (28) He lay down then and stayed who knows how long, a long time. (29) Then, after lying down like that, next he closed his eyes. (30) Then he died. (31) That's all.

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11. Horse, Ox, and Alligator
(Told by Castro Johnson)

(1) And this is a different one that this one and I are telling, the girl sitting here and I. (2) Once the alligator saw this jackrabbit sitting on the other side on the bare ground, there was no grass for him to eat, he was hungry. (3) Then this one told him, "Why don't you go to the other side here? You see they have plenty to eat," he said. (4) "But you know I can't swim," said the jackrabbit. (5) "Oh, climb on my back, let me take you," he said. (6) "Oh, you mean you want to eat me, that's all that is," he said. (7) "Oh, but I don't want to eat you, you poor thin thing." (8) "It doesn't matter if I am thin, just the same in the middle you’ll want to eat me," he said. (9) "Oh, I couldn't do that," he said. (10) "Oh, all right." (11) So he took him to the other side, swimming with him. (12) He stopped close to a willow, a young willow, at maybe three feet or so, so that he couldn't reach to jump across to the ground. (13) There he asked the horse who came. (14) Then he asked the horse, "I see you have plenty to eat here," he said to the horse. (15) "Yes, there's plenty to eat. (16) Long ago when I was young, I used to be fed, I used to have a bed prepared for me, I used to have a blanket put on me at night, I used to be given water, I used to be brushed, I always stayed indoors. The next day I used to be fed again. (17) Now that I've grown old, there's nothing. At night I don't sleep, I'm standing all night long, when it's raining like this there's nowhere, how can you lie down, it's not dry. You have to stand around, just because I'm so old. (18) When I was young they used to shoe me when I needed it, they used to look at the shoes. (19) Now that I'm old I am left outside. (20) Good-bye," he said, (21) and went. (22) Then this bull came. He did the same thing, he asked him again. "You have plenty of food here," he said. (23) "Yes," said [the bull]. (24) He asked him the same thing again. (25) "Yes, when I was young I used to be fed. Now that I'm old they don't want to see me," he said. (26) "I'm standing up all night long, there's nowhere that I can lie down," he said again. (27) Then along came that fox; he was trying to get this jackrabbit to jump. (28) The jackrabbit was afraid to jump, he could not jump onto the ground that way. (29) Then the bull said, "That's all; goodbye," (30) and left. (31) Then the jackrabbit looked and looked, and finally jumped. (32) That's all; he jumped into that willow. (33) He just barely made it. He went; he crossed over. (34) The alligator really wanted to eat him, but he

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could not catch up with him. (35) He crossed over to the other side. (36) He said thank you from the other side. (37) That's all.

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12. Talking Ghosts
(Told by Castro Johnson)

(1) And here's another story. (2) Two little old people went where they had lots of children, they went to baptize them. (3) Then those godparents baptized them [lit., "gave them a bath"] on Sunday. (4) Then at sunset they went back and got home. (5) Then later they often went, the man with his children, to get food. They stayed for about one week. (6) Then his wife also went to get food too, and they stayed for some time again, for three or four days. (7) Then again just the children went, (8) and then they stayed as long as they could. (9) Then again his wife went to get food, from their godfather and godmother. (10) Then again they stayed maybe one week or so. (11) Then the man went and was told about it by his wife. "You'd better tell them about it, whoever is coming now, that this is the last time. We didn't go and baptize them to give them all their food, just to help them out. (12) Now it looks as if we're going to be giving them all their food all their lives. (13) When somebody comes now, tell them that's all, so that they will know that they aren't to come," he said. (14) Then his wife told them, "My husband just said to me that this is the last time," she said. (15) So the man said "All right," and returned from there. He went and reached home, and got angry. (16) Then he told his wife in the evening, "Fix me a lunch, and a shirt, and socks," he said. (17) "What's the matter?" his wife said. (18) "Oh, nothing." "What do you mean by that?" she said. (19) But later when he was asked again he told her, (20) "Oh, they don't want us to go to get food," he said. (21) "Where are you going?" (22) "I don't know where I'm going, (23) but I'm going in the morning, while it's still dark. Maybe I’ll go north somewhere," he said. (24) He went early in the morning. He went there. (25) In the evening he met one cowboy going south. (26) "Hold it: Where is the town, tell me? How far?" (27) "You’ll never get to the town," he said then. (28) "It's

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too far to walk from here to the town on foot. They’ll eat you," he said, "the wild dogs. (29) You see that tree far off. You'd better climb high up in it, and look around below at the ones that these wild dogs ate," he said (30) and went. (31) He looked all around the tree when he got there in the evening, as it was getting dark. (32) "Oh, that's what he meant, about these who got killed." (33) He climbed that tree. (34) After he climbed up and straddled the tree he listened. "Who can have arrived on me here?" he was saying of the talking underneath him. (35) Then they talked. (36) "Yes, we just fixed this up, we dammed it up just now," they were saying to each other. (37) "Yes, after we worked for a long time, it looks as if we dammed up where the water comes out," some of them were saying. (38) "They’ll never open it up," they were saying. (39) "Only by prying it up with a crowbar," they said. (40) Then in the morning he climbed down and looked all around. (41) "Who is walking here around me?" he said. (42) "I don't see anybody's tracks, only these dead people. (43) Maybe they are the ones who were talking," he said. (44) Then he went to the town. (45) He walked and walked, it was nearly lunchtime when he got there. (46) He asked for water to drink, but the woman [said], "What is it? Where is the water for me to give you? The water has dried up," she said. (47) "Oh, maybe I can fix it," said the man; that was what he had been listening to. (48) "All right, then," she said, (44) and the woman took him then to the headquarters. (50) Then the soldiers fetched him and took him, (51) and their boss said, "Do you want anything, any men?" he said. (52) "No, all I need is a crowbar." (53) So they gave him the crowbar (54) and he went. He looked up. (55). "Oh, this is what they were talking about last night," he said. (56) He pried it up little by little. (57) Then he opened it a little, enough that then the water could push it out. (58) Then the water pushed it, and carried this rock down. (59) Then he was carried on their shoulders, (60) and he was given another hat, a new one, and shoes and clothes, he was given everything, his hair was cut. (61) The next day he was taken back, he was taken to his house with a mule packed with all sorts of food. (62) His wife almost didn't know him, she did not recognize him. (63) Then the ones who brought him went back when he got home. (64) Then the one, his godfather [lit., "his father who gave him a bath"], "Where did you get so rich fast?" he said. (65) "Oh, I got angry that you told us 'you can't get any food,' so I went away, I had to do something then, so that we wouldn't starve like that. (66) I went, and met a certain cowboy going south. (67) Then I went north, and I reached and climbed that tree that the cowboy told me about.

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(68) I stayed up in that tree, and I heard something talking underneath me, those dead people. (69) Then I followed up what they said, (70) and that way I got rich." (71) Then next this one, that godfather of his, next said to him, (72) "All right." He told his wife, "I'm going too tomorrow, where this one went, to see for myself," he said. (73) He got up early in the morning and went, (74) east and then north from there. (75) "Oh, that far one must be the tree he was talking about," he said. (76) He got there in the evening as it was getting dark. (77) "Oh, this is the tree," he said. (78) He looked all around then at the dead people, (79) and then he climbed up to the fork of the tree and sat down. (80) At about ten [o’clock] or more they started talking, those very ones. (81) Then, "Who can have come here?" he also said. (82) Then he listened to what they were saying. (83) "Who could have told on us? Somebody or other," they were all saying all around. (84) "You didn't meet anybody, did you?" they were saying to each other. (85) "Not I, I never go anywhere," all of them said. (86) "Maybe somebody is listening to us," they said to each other. (87) "Maybe that's what happened, (88) but I never see anybody is what I am saying," they were saying to each other all around. (89) They kept on talking that way. (90) "Don't you ever meet anybody anywhere?" they were saying to each other. (91) "No," they said. (92) "Don't you ever look upwards?" said that one who was doing the talking. (93) "No, we never look anywhere." (94) Then they looked up. (95) "Hey! This must be the man who is up there listening to us. (96) He must be the one who opened what we dammed up," they said to each other. (97) So then they killed that man. (98) Then that man did not get rich. (99) That's all.

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13. The Black Horse
(Told by Castro Johnson)

(1) Some fig-pickers were down below Merced Falls. (2) One white man was saying that he didn't believe in ghosts. All of them, my father too, were there picking figs. (3) Then one man said, "You can't tell me that, because I've seen one with my own eyes. (4) I watched him. (5) I stopped my wagon and from there I watched him go until he was out of sight. (6) Then I went, after I watched him, I went to the fence where

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he went in. (7) I thought it had a gate, but there wasn't any gate. (8) It was a black horse, with a fine young man riding, and he looked as if he had no clothes on. (9) That was where he went. (10) Then after I saw it I went back to the road I was going on. (11) Then I believed in it, because I saw it with my own eyes."

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14. Coyote and Water Ouzel
(Told by Chris Brown)

(1) Long ago Coyote was in the tules. (2) He went to sleep there in the tules. (3) But a certain one called Mosquito came up to him and talked about this sky above him. (4) "Mmmmmm," he said singing, the Mosquito. (5) But that one, Coyote, hit himself on the face when something landed on him, but he hit only himself and bothered himself, (6) so he gave up. "What can I do about this? Maybe if I go to this open country there won't be any mosquitoes there." (7) He came along the rocks and his feet just wore out. His old feet were bleeding. (8) "Ay!" he said, "Ay!" With nothing to eat he grew hungry and thin. (9) "Now, when I see something to eat somewhere, I'm going to kill him and eat him," he said. (10) He went towards the east. For days and days he did not find anything to eat anywhere, and he could not do anything for himself; (11) his foot hurt, he could not chase anything. (12) He looked forward to eating a jack-rabbit, but he could not catch up with it. (13) He cried over his feet and was sad. (14) Then he got to a little creek, as he kept on traveling, and he saw a Crane standing up to his waist in the water, watching for trout to eat. (15) "Hey, now I’ll eat," he said, filled with anticipation when he saw this big one far off. (16) "I’ll keep wandering on," he said. (17) Then he came up to him. (18) "Let me come up to him, let me talk to him, just wait," he said. (19) He got there. (20) "Hey, what are you doing so hard, you very big one here in the water, looking?" he said. (21) "I'm looking at this one under you, so that the sky won't turn over on us. (22) If I don't do this, if I don't watch it, if it falls it will kill all of us, (23) so I'm watching this water here. (24) When it gets worse, I'm going to run around and go and tell the people. 'Move away! The sky is coming down on us,' is what I’ll say." (25) Then, "Maybe that's

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true, you are a heavy man," he said, (26) "And you are standing here. Maybe it's the truth that he said just now. (27) Let me stand here, and you go and find me some food somewhere, I'm hungry." (28) "All right," he said, but the Crane knew what he wanted to eat. (29) He saw some mushrooms, and his old belly was empty. (30) So he kept standing there in the water holding the water down. (31) Then [Coyote] went on and further down he arrived at a tree, and that certain one climbed it, another hunter of fish. He got there, (32) and just watched him. (33) "What are you doing? What is he looking down for?" he said. (34) Then he asked, "What are you people doing in the creek? You are peering at the same thing under you in the water," he said. (35) "This sky is going to fall, and we are here watching for something bad to arrive," he said. (36) "We will tell the people about it before he comes. (37) That's our job. (38) I'm the one who peers over from high up, I can see a long way from here," he said. (39) "But I am very hungry. Can I do something for you while you go and get me something to eat? Maybe if you give me a little food, maybe I can survive, but I ought to help you," (40) and he climbed the tree, that one went, he ran perhaps to get some food. (41) He got up there and fell down. He got to the ground at the bottom and climbed again. (42) "I'm going to try again," he said. (43) He got to the same place halfway up again, it broke and he fell. (44) That Coyote, being hungry, could not hold himself, he could not do anything. (45) "What am I going to do? Maybe I won't come out," he said. (46) [The bird] looked at the water from halfway up the tree. (47) "Maybe they are telling me the truth," he said. "These ripples in the water, maybe that's the truth. (48) I’ll just ask for food." (49) That one went. After he went, after he ran away, after looking and looking, Coyote said, "Maybe he is telling me a lie in what he said to me." (50) He went on quietly. When he heard the leaves talking, (51) he ran back, he went to climb the tree and peep out. "He didn't do anything yet," he said. (52) He went on. The leaves talked. (53) When the leaves talked he ran and returned to them. Little by little he went further and further till he got there, where one was standing in the water. (54) "I'm going to eat that one no matter what happens, I don't care what he does to me, I'm going to eat him. I'm very hungry, I'm getting thin," he said. (55) He got there. "What are you doing here? You are jumping so much on these rocks and bouncing around. What are you going to do there under the water? What are you peering around at from there? There, what is it that you are kicking so much underneath all the time?" (56) "Oh, I have

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a job watching the water, to tell the people when the sky falls, (57) so I'm kicking these rocks down because I don't want it to come out on top. I'm holding it down. Once in a while I go below. I go to bounce all the way to that rock, (58) then I go under the water, going to look to see if everything in the world is all right under the water. (59) Then I come again, kicking these rocks, kicking them down because I don't want them to come up." (60) Then again he was thinking, "Maybe it's true that it's going to fall. I've got to do something. I’ll say that I'm going to look, I'm going to walk around under the water looking at everything. I can't do anything, I am so hungry. I would help you, you are very small and very light to do that, to hold those rocks down. (61) But I am heavy, I am a big person," he said. (62) So then, "If you do that, if you help me, maybe I can go and get some food for the starving ones. Where can I go to find it?" (63) So then, "Yes, please do that, I'm dying of hunger, dying of hunger. I can't do anything." (64) "All right, I'm going. Maybe I’ll have to get food, it's all gone here. I’ll go and get it and bring it, and later let me feed you with it, if you do that, if you take care of these rocks for me. (65) You will jump to this one from here, all the way to the rock, and from that rock to here again, you will dance around again. You will dance all the way over again, talking, saying "Ee! Ee!," you will talk and talk, if you jump on the rocks, if you dance. (66) Then if you stay longer, you will go there under the water, going to look for this thing, if it does that to you, if the earth cracks on you, say." (67) So he went, he flew down below, to look for that food. (68) But this kept on going and told them there below, he told some of them there, "This thing, this big one, he's going to eat us. Maybe he's an ogre," he said as he went. "Look out for yourselves, watch for him to come out, he will come out here. Try hard to be good to him, all of you," he said. (69) Then all the little birds thought, "Maybe that's true, he's getting rid of us, that one, he's going to eat us and get rid of us people here," they said. (70) So he bounced around and looked forward to [getting food]. He was so proud that he put on his flicker-feather headband, and with his costume he arrived there and danced on top of the rocks. Being vain, he tried to keep up, that Coyote bounced around and bounced around. (71) "I'm going to peer at this country, at what's wrong here under the water. Maybe we might fall down," he said. (72) "I'm going anyhow, I'm going now here under the water, I'm going to arrive somewhere, I’ll reach it," he just said. "I'm going a long way. (73) But that one is thinking, that tiny one, the little bird, he's not going far on top of the water, he's going to look," he said. (74) So high on

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that rock he climbed and got set. He went high up, and came out on the rock, but the water was shallow and he fell down there and broke his nose and blacked his eyes. (75) "Maybe something did it to you when I landed on it," he said when he came out. He clutched himself, but he danced just the same holding his hand; he danced just the same, singing. He was proud of the costumes and things that he hid and put on, (76) saying, "Maybe he can help me." Then, "I'm going to try again," he said, as his head got better and was not cut. (77) "Maybe I'd better try again, maybe I can go to find it, maybe it can do something," he said. (78) He jumped and went high up again, and came down. (79) Arriving at the bottom, he burrowed under the sand and rocks and everything, starving [?]. "What is he doing, maybe they treat me badly, poor old me," he said. (80) "It seems that I was treated badly, I was treated even worse. I'd better go, I'm only getting more hungry here doing this, I am only keeping on playing with these rocks, and washing my hair in the water. Maybe I'd better not stay very long, maybe I’ll get to something," he said seeing that one, (81) who had not gone far. (82) "I'm going." (83) He went up the hillside. (84) From the hill he jumped in the water again. (85) He landed head first and was more cut up. (86) He went over there again, and hearing something he ran. (87) "Let them be careless, let them die," he said, getting angry with those people. He went west. (88) "I'm going there now just the same, I don't care if I die on the road," he said. (89) "I'm very tired from hunger. (90) Now they aren't going to do that to me, they aren't going to treat me badly. (91) Now if I see any of those birds I eat him, I swallow him, I don't care whether the world comes down or not," he said. (92) He went to the west, he did not see anything, he went a long way. (93) "What can I do? Where can I go?" he said. (94) "I’ll go over the land, but this water looks bad to me," he said. (95) He went over the land. (96) He walked and walked through the rocks. He came upon a certain Water Ouzel, (97) he came upon him there when he was shouting. "It's certainly a very little thing," he said, "but what I'm going to do is eat him just the same. I don't care anyway, let it fall down, all this rock below. (98) When I swallow him I am going to run, I'm going a long way off again," he said. (99) "Maybe they lied to me, it seems," he said. (100) The little one was running around saying "Ee! Ee!" (101) He went in the holes in the rocks and came out the other side again. (102) "What are you doing, you bird who are so small?" he said. (103) "All right, I'm looking at these rocks, if these rocks do that, if they shake down, this

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land will fall down and kill us all," said that little one. (104) "I really ought to help you, but I can't do anything, I'm too big, maybe I can't go through, I can't come out the way you come out." (105) "From here you can only peer over, you can look around over there," he said. (106) ''But wait, closer, closer, come closer, closer, closer, tell me, say it to me louder, make this talk easy for me," he said, (107) that Coyote to the little one. "All right," he said. "From here just look at it, I'm going over there. You can see all the way to there if these rocks are all right," he said. (108) Then this one went, he flew to the other side. (109) "I'm going, or he’ll eat me," this one said. "He’ll eat me." (110) "I'm going to eat, I'm hungry." His eyes changed when he spoke, he only looked up, he couldn't do anything, he just had his mouth open. "Huh, huh, huh, huh," he just kept on saying. (111) He got there, he caught him, he swallowed that little Ouzel, he ate him. (112) "Ah, but now I have eaten! I have eaten now! Oh, my belly feels better," he said. (113) He rubbed his belly. "Oh, but I have eaten now, oh, now I’ll come out of it, I can go far, anywhere," he said. (114) But this old one a little later came out again, outside of him. (115) He shouted in front of him. "How did he do that to me? Where did he come out of me? He came out." (116) He looked at his teeth, his teeth were all right. (117) "I thought I swallowed him," he said. (118) "But now I'm going to fix you." He caught him and swallowed that little bird, holding his rectum. He put his hand over his rectum, but the bird came out through his claws, through his feet. (119) He flew away and landed far off. (120) "You are going to eat me, you want to treat me badly," he said. (121) "But you can't get me," he said. (122) "Hey, I closed it off with this hand of mine," he said, "But he came out of me." (123) Then that old Coyote went away, he went any old way, he went somewhere north, still hungry. (124) That's all of that.

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15. Coyote, Duck, and Mole
(Told by Chris Brown)

(1) Long ago Coyote came walking down the creek in the sand. He got to a place where a certain Duck was pounding. (2) "What are you doing so hard?" he said. (3) She answered, "This is what I'm doing.

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(4) [Song:] What am I doing? I'm pounding, I'm pounding, redmaids seed, redmaids seed!'

(5) "Hey, your little leg looks very, very good to me. Hey, tell me why it is. Put your skirt a little higher, a little higher, more, put it up, that way, that way, that way!"

(6) [Song of Duck:] "What is this? Why do you say this to me? I have a husband, he trusts me. My husband is at home asleep, sleeping."

(7) Then he went. Buzzard was sitting up in a dead tree. (8) "What is he doing? I want to get there, I want that woman too."

(9) [Song:] "Buzzard got burned playing dice [?]"

(10) Coyote came. "What are you doing? What are you doing so hard? What am I to do, I'm shaking all over. What's the matter with you? Lift your leg up higher, higher!"

(11) [Song of Duck:] "Calm down, they give me bad words. My husband will scold me, he will beat me. I love my husband. Don't do that to poor me."

(12) [Song:] "Buzzard got burned playing dice [?]"

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(13) [Song of Mole:] "I'm leaving my wife, I'm looking for a different world!"

(14) Then he went, this Mole or something went, under the ground he went in and went, he went through the country (15) to come out in a different place, coming to all of these. (16) Then the leaves, he went underneath. He went and went and went, (17) till he got to a different place, to his aunt's, to his own people's. (18) "Don't tell where I went. (19) I'm going to a different world. I too will challenge my father's enemy," he said, and he went. (20) His wife, meanwhile, was sleeping with that tree that Mole himself put there. (21) She woke up some time in the night, and heard his song when he went far off, quietly, quietly, quietly.

(22) [Song of Mole: nonsense syllables]

(23) he said, as he went through a different country. (24) He could not tunnel through the rocks, so he had to go on top of the rocks. (25) His wife, saying, "Where did he go?" sang:

(26) [Song:] "Where has my husband gone? He treated me badly, he made me sleep with this old tree. I thought he was asleep. Up above, I am astonished to hear it, dying away, of his people, of his language. Where, oh, where did he go? Let me follow him, let me follow him, I am going, I too am going there, that way, let me follow him, hearing his voice disappear, it is vanishing. Where did he go?"

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(27) Then she pulled out and broke off a grey hair, her feathers, a hair, and sent it, she blew it, "Huh, huh, huh, huh," she said. (28) Her hair went off to catch up with him when he got to a different place on the other side of the sky. (29) It got there and made bad luck for him, it tied him up by wishing, it tied him all up. (30) Being tied up, (31) "What did she do to me? What am I going to do now? (32) I'm in a sorry state," he said, after he was tied up. Somewhere he wriggled all night long and all day. The other came looking for footprints in the ground below, he went on the other side. She got there in the morning, when it got light. She got there and found her husband rolling around there, he was tired. She reached him and took it off. (33) "What are you doing to me? You ran from me, you did that to me. What are you going to do? (34) Don't let him do that to you. (35) You treated me very badly, you made me sleep with this tree. (36) I thought you were lying with me, lying there close to me, and there was your singing, your voice fading away as you went far away, fading, fading. I went to sleep, [snore, snore], that's what I said. (37) I got up, I woke up and felt it. I put my arms around it, that tree, I hugged it hard. (38) 'What am I sleeping with?' I said. (39) I came at once when you stopped talking, I followed you, I went everywhere. You told your people that (40) you didn't want me to hear what I do, (41) what you do. When you got there, you thought you would go somewhere and vanish from me, that you would leave me and run away from me. (42) I know where you are going, to the different sky. (43) Do you think you will ever get there? They will kill you when you get there. (44) You won't do any good staying in that country. (45) You won't stay long, you will die in a different world. (46) It would be better if you take me with you, you ought to have me along. But now let me help you.

(47) [Song:] You are going with me, to your enemy, where he was killed. Now we are going somewhere else, it's your fault, we are going to the other side of the world, we are going to see a different one."

(48) They got to the place where the sky comes together. (49) He jumped across. (50) "Come on, then:" he said to his wife. (51) "What am I going

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to do? Maybe I can't get there.

(52) [Song:] I am going to try, see for yourself, I'm going to show you now"

(53) "Ow! It smashed my feet, it smashed m,, feet!" she said crying there.

(54) [Song:] "My feet are made flat now. Maybe I won't get there. I'm trying to keep up."

(55) They got there, he carried her in his arms. (56) "You see, you wanted to come with me. Do you think I am going to a good place? I'm going to a different world, where I walk is not good. (57) I'm going to my enemy, to where they killed my father. I'm going to challenge him to play football. (58) I want him to play ball and kick his ball the other way, so that he can't kick it away. (59) In the same place I am going to kick him around and kill him, he won't recover. (60) We are going to that different world where my people live, my uncle. (61) You will sleep with my uncle, and I will sleep with my aunt." (62) Then he could not see, he has to listen to everything. At night they talked, they whispered. (63) His uncle told the Duck, "This is what was done to his father. He was kicked to the south, from the south they brought him back north. (64) They went west, he came east. (65) The ball got there and came out this side of the track. (66) He kicked him all around and killed him. (67) In the same place he roasted him, he cremated him, your father-in-law. They cremated him in the same hole." (68) Then also, Mole is sleeping with his aunt, they are whispering to each other. "That's what he did," she said. (69) "He treated your father badly, your enemy. He ill-treated him. He did that after he ill-treated him. (70) He is doing the same thing now to your husband. He will treat him badly," he [?] said. (71) Then they went. In the morning he challenged him. (72) At night, the other, "What's going on? What are they talking about? Hey, who is he talking to?" he said, (73) he was told that one from both sides. The next day he went. "I have come here. (74) I am going to challenge you with this ball that we are kicking. (75) You won all my father's things, his food, everything he had hidden, their abalone shells, his olive shells, his clothes, you won the beads. (76) Here are mine ready." "You are doing the

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same thing, you are going just the same as the way your father went," he was told. (77) "Ready. Let's try it when the sun rises," he said. (78) They ran then. He kicked it south right away. Mole kicked it north and won, (79) then he kicked those enemies all over. He cremated him in the same place in the hole. (80) The fire burned, it burned and went right up. (81) It brought bad luck to Mole. (82) Mole ran under the ground when he was suffering. The ground got hot, the water boiled, the tree burned, the rock got hot and melted. (83) "Where am I to go? What am I to do?" he said. (84) "You see, I told you, they are going to kill us, that's what I told you when we came."

(85) [Song of Duck:] "They are killing us, now, the early riser. Do your best. Let's run, in the water, but the water's getting hot, it's boiling, when they go, when they go. He was right, that one, the sky who did that, he made my feet flat, I can swim, I can swim along this creek."

(86) They got there. (87) All the water was boiling. (88) They ran this way and that way, everything was burning. (89) Then they got to a lake. Duck pulled out her arrow and pointed it there, and there, and there, around this whatever, the lake, the water, with the arrow. "Keep still there! Don't burn any more! Don't let the water boil!" she said. (90) She carried her husband on her back. (91) "You see, I saved your life, you were dead.

(92) [Song:] You were dead, if I had not come, obviously. Let the water and the land get cold."

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16. Chief Tenaya
(Told by Chris Brown)

(1) Long ago they say Tenaya talked about this, when the white people pushed him. (2) He arrived somewhere, he went to Tenaya Lake (3) and coming back he arrived. The white soldier found him, clubbed him and nearly killed him. (4) They brought him this way, they took him to the west, to what the white men call Oakhurst (who knows the Indians' name). (5) There they had nothing to eat for several days. They just lay there. They cracked acorns. (6) After they got the acorns, they ate them. The meat and things that the white people gave them they threw away. (7) "They are killing us," they said. (8) They took Tenaya himself to the San Joaquin Valley. (9) Then at night he felt sorry for himself. (10) The soldier killed his child. "I'm thinking about my child, about going back to him, to see him and take care of him," he said. (11) Then at night he told the Indians, "It is said that if we don't go with these white people they will kill us and get rid of all of us. (12) All of you go with these white people, but I am going to take care of my child, to see how he is there, I am going to bury him and burn him," he said. (13) He ran from there this way. (14) Lebrado, or somebody, maybe he, he was a little boy, he talked to me and told me that in answer, he told me at night. He came along the creek, they waded the creek this way. (15) Everybody came. (16) The soldiers got there the next day, the Indians had gone and run away. (17) But the soldier thinks, "They are tired, let them rest. They have nothing to eat," he said. (18) "They won't go anywhere," said he, this one, what was his name, his captain. (19) Then they came this way. They went along the creek, they climbed up to what they now call Bridal Veil. (20) Then below he reached where the bear ate his child, dragging him around. (21) "He didn't keep very well," he thought. He took his child (22) and brought him to Bear Creek, as they call it, and buried it there, his bones. (23) He himself died too, he was killed on the other side of the mountains by the Monos. They clubbed him. (24) After they clubbed him and killed him they laid him out. (25) John Hutchins, whom we call Tom Hutchins, he brought him, nothing but his hair, he brought it to the Indians. The Indians wept, they cried all one night. (26) The next day they buried him there in Yosemite, at what is called the Museum. He was buried there, his dust, as they say. (27) Then the Indians, "They are different, they are another kind of people, it is said," they thought. "That's right," they said.

PLATES

1. Characteristic terrain and vegetation near Mariposa (photo
taken July, 1961; smoke from the disastrous Harlow forest fire
obscures the distant mountains).

2. Characteristic terrain and vegetation near Usona.

3. Chris Brown (Chief
Leeme) in Yosemite National
Park (photo courtesy of Neill
Stinson, Mariposa).

4. Chris Brown (Chief Leeme) beside cedar bark house
in Yosemite National Park (photo courtesy of Neill Stinson,
Mariposa).

5. Castro Johnson, of Mariposa.

6. Castro Johnson,
Charlie Rohan, and the
author.

7. Rose Watt, of Usona.

8. Emma Lord, of Usona.

9. Benjamin ("Banjo") Graham,
of Ahwahnee.

10. Elizabeth ("Lizzie") Graham,
of Ahwahnee.

11. Phoebe Wilson Hogan, of Yosemite
National Park.

12. Wesley Wilson, of Yosemite
National Park.

DICTIONARY

ABBREVIATIONS

cs

case suffix

intr.

intransitive

ms

modal suffix

Mrp

Mariposa dialect

ns

nominal suffix

nt

nominal theme

N

noun

NE

nominal expression

obs

obsolete

pf

postfix

ps

pronominal suffix

P

particle

st.1

stem 1

tr.

transitive

vb

verbal base

bs

verbal suffix

V

verb

VE

verbal expression

Yos

Yosemite dialect

Capitalized two-member initials, e.g., CB, refer to informants. (See list, Introduction to grammar.)

Numerals refer to sections of the grammar where the morpheme in question is discussed.

ALPHABETIC ORDER

a b c e f h i j j∪ k l m n ŋ o p r s š t t. u v w y Y ? • H X Ø C V

[Editor’s note: Penutian linguists today transcribe “j” as “y,” and “y” as “ï.” (Silverstein IJAL 45:198 (1979)). “?” is a glottal stop (printed without a dot in the original text). It separates vowels that you don’t combine. “•” follows a long vowel. The English form for “č,” “ŋ,” “š” and “t.” are “ch,” “ng,” “sh,” and “t,” respectively. See the Phonology for more information on the alphabet used here. —dea.]

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CANONICAL FORMS

C_1V_1C_2-

prefixed reduplication referring to animals and plants 771

C_1V_1C_2C_1V_1C_2- nt

stem form referring to birds 769

C_1V_1C_2V_2C_3•V_2C_3•- vb

iterative stem form 546

C_1V_1C_2V_2C_3V_2- nt

stem form referring to qualities or characteristics 770

C_1V_1C_2•V_2C_3•- vb

intransitive stem form 547

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http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/southern_sierra_miwok_language/