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Re: Fitzwater report indicates Paiute presence at El Portal, but given to Miwok

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Everything found in excavations that shows a Paiute presence in and around Yosemite is labeled 'trade item' by Yosemite archaeologists.



Oldest basket found intact in Central California; Hetch Hetchy Valley. Paiute burden basket. All obsidian found in and around Yosemite has been scientifically identified as coming from Mono Lake or Bridgeport. Owens Valley pottery shards found in ancient grave sites at El Portal, also obsidian and red ochre, red ochre was used by Paiutes.

Paiute Archeaology and the Paiute presence

The Park let the Southern Sierra Miwuks claim all items found at the El Portal site, yet the Park stated that the site was "culturally unidentifiable". Yet items found at El Portal showed Paiute presence. Anything found in the Park that is Paiute is considered 'trade items', yet also found in the Park are Great Basin rock art called pictographs or petroglyphs. There is no way to trade that. The presence of rock art indicates Paiute presence.

Early paid noted Yosemite archaeologists documented rock art found in the Sierra Nevada, including Yosemite and Hetch Hetchy, was of Great Basin origin. Michael Morratto, who worked for the Park and did excavations in the area wrote this below;



"Although found within the ethnographic territory of the Central Sierra Miwok, these petrogyphs systematically resemble those of the Western Great Basin (eastern Sierra Mono Paiutes). It is believed that the rock art at Cal-5 was left by pre-Miwok people of Great Basin cultural affiliation."

From Michael Morratto's book. He writes that rock art found in the Sierra Nevada was of Great Basin origin and before Miwok presence. We added the photo of the Paiute man next to the photo and explanation in the book. The same rock art is all over Yosemite and Hetch Hetchy Valley.
I'm not sure if this is pertinent to this issue, but the pictured petroglyphs resemble those available for public viewing on Donner Pass near Truckee.



The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan
I talked to one elder and they told me that many of the pictographs or petroglyphs were like signs for other Paiutes or like a map with what is located there. Some are spiritual to draw food to them or to tell others what is in the area. Some have stories.There are different types. Red ochre on them means they have magical properties.
avatar Re: Fitzwater report indicates Paiute presence at El Portal, but given to Miwok
July 20, 2009 07:20AM
I have a question for Yosemite_Indian.
Have you seen for yourself the drawings in Hetch Hetchy Valley?
Have you seen the drawings in Pate Valley?

I know they exist in Pate for sure. This is one thing that I really want to explore more
and see for myself. If you know the exact location can you please divulge
that information to me. pretty please... ???

Don't worry... nothing irks me more than stupid graffiti...
I will only take pictures and respect the past...
(ok, there are alot of things that irk me about stuff in the "wilderness" but I won't go into them)
I haven't gotten to that area, but want to. I have seen photographs of the petroglyphs, but haven't gotten a chance, myself, to see them. I have gone to Hetch Hetchy, but not to that area which is further up the river.
avatar Re: Fitzwater report indicates Paiute presence at El Portal, but given to Miwok
July 20, 2009 09:47PM
Ok. Thanks for the response. I've seen some pictures of petroglyphs in Pate Valley.
I wouldn't doubt that there are more in Little Hetchy Hetchy but good luck getting there now.
Perhaps I'll try to get into Pate later this year and do some searching.

Anyone out there seen any in Pate Valley?
Ask the park archeologists.

http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/yose-forum.htm

See interactive lecture Aug 11.

Research page:
http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/research-and-studies.htm
has emails and one phone contact



The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/2009 09:56PM by Frank Furter.
Some of our tribal leaders have asked and they get no response.
avatar Re: Fitzwater report indicates Paiute presence at El Portal, but given to Miwok
July 20, 2009 10:40PM
This is interesting; I have spent a lot of time around the Navajo rez/surrounding area, and I have seen a lot of the Petroglyphs left by the Ancient Ones (Anasazi). It would be a great experience to see such treasures in Yosemite.
The ancient Anasazi and several of todays Pueblo tribes, like the Hopi, are related to Paiutes. Navajos and Apaches are not. Those two tribes came down from around Canada and would attack the Anasazi and Pueblo tribes.
avatar Re: Fitzwater report indicates Paiute presence at El Portal, but given to Miwok
July 21, 2009 05:57PM
Yes, the Apaches and Navajo (Apaches being a break-away group from the Navajo a long time ago) are decended from the Athapascan peoples who are thought to have originated from Asia via Canada. I did not know that there was a relation of the Pueblos to the Paiutes, though. My boyfriend of Apache blood likes to joke that the Apaches were the original terrorists, as their lifestyle was designed around raiding and such -- no desire for the sedentary lifestyle!
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