The Southern Sierra Miwuk say that the federal government is holding up their federal recognition to become a tribe in the Mariposa (Yosemite area)

Feds hold up Mariposa area Indians

Photo included in the article;


"A Morning Council on the Merced" by Eadweard Muybridge

If you want to see a up close detail of the photo you can go to this link and hit and it will enlarge until you can see every detail of Muybridge's photo. Use the red block to move around the photo to see detail of faces and clothing.

Upclose detail view of Morning Council on the Merced (Yosemite)

Of course the photo is of Paiutes, not Miwoks. The photo was number 1575, the photo before was titled "Piute Chief's Lodge" and in a series of photos taken by famous British photographer Eadweard Muybridge of my Paiute people.

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Chief Tenaya was the founder of the Paiute colony of Ahwanhee - Dr. Lafayette H. Bunnell.

In the article you linked, it states the following:

"Miwuk Nation would set up an autonomous government. The leadership could pursue ventures like a hotel business, solar-power facilities or cell phone towers on tribal lands"

Exactly where are these Miwuk tribal lands located?

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Good question.

Probably in Mariposa, but I will tell you this, that statement by ex-Chairman Leonard is untrue. The group was already in talks with a gaming developer and lining up for a large casino. This was well known amongst the members and when the topic of a casino was put on the table back in 2004 the Southern Sierra Miwuks had the largest membership attendance at their meetings....nothing brings out people like the idea of getting a big casino.

Also the article says that it was the federal government that was holding up their recognition process when in fact last year the Miwoks were given extra time to get their paper work together, and the SSM has had over 29 years to get their paperwork together. So that part of the story is not true also.

But I guess it makes is sound better for them by blaming the government, and I believe they are going for a casino.

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Chief Tenaya was the founder of the Paiute colony of Ahwanhee - Dr. Lafayette H. Bunnell.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/14/2011 08:35AM by Yosemite_Indian.

My chairman responded to the article and controversy and it was printed in the local paper;

Yosemite-Mono Lake response

Mono Lake Paiute responds

The article “Feds again delay decision
on natives’ tribal recognition” (Nov. 10)
does not tell the whole story.

The United States government gave the
Southern Sierra Miwuks 29 years to supply
documentation to support their petition
which they submitted in 1982. Last
October the Miwuks were told they were
up for review. The Miwuks responded
saying they were not ready after 29 years,
and the government gave them an extra
six months. Therefore, by requesting an
extension the Southern Sierra Miwuk delayed
the process, not the federal government.
As for ex-Chairman Leonard stating that
the group was not entertaining a casino
venture, this also is not the case. It is a
well known fact amongst the Southern
Sierra Miwuk that the group was seeking
a casino deal. The Miwuk already receive
health funds from California Indian Rural
Health Project which gives the MACT
board funding. In the 1930s the Miwuk
were given a chance to become a tribe by
the government, but they voted it down
because they saw themselves as Park employees
only.

The Miwuk’s 1982 petition is full of genealogical
and tribal historical errors because
the indigenous Yosemite Natives
were Yosemite–Mono Lake Paiutes, not
Miwuks. The Southern Sierra Miwuk are
using the history of our Paiute people to
seek federal recognition under false pretenses.
The glaring example is the Eadweard
Muybridge photo that goes with
this article. The photo is of a Paiute people’s
gathering in Yosemite numbered
1575, and the proceeding photo is 1574
called “Paiute Chief’s Lodge.” They are
not Miwuks, but Paiutes, like the Indians
of Yosemite.

David Andrews
Yosemite Mono Lake Paiute
Indian Community

actual newspaper

I bet that made a few people spit up their coffee this morning.

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Chief Tenaya was the founder of the Paiute colony of Ahwanhee - Dr. Lafayette H. Bunnell.