[Mary Austin, Winneduma, The Land of Sunshine, May 1898]

 

WINNEDUMA.

BY M. AUSTIN.

            INDEPENDENCE lies in a hill-dimple at the foot of Mt. Kearsage. Across the valley, ten miles as the crow flies, from the summit of the Inyo mountains rises the slender skyward finger of rock known as Piute Monument, a conspicuous landmark far and near.

            This is in Owen's valley, Inyo county, one of those long, narrow rifts that open out of the Mojave desert between the Sierras and their numerous outliers.

            The monument is a perpendicular boulder of granite standing on the very apex of the hill a little south of the mule trail that passes into Saline valley. At its base lies a twin boulder broken in fragments.

            When the sun is going down and the shadows leap suddenly up the granite shaft ; when there is a savory smell of se-coot-je, and the barefoot youngsters huddle among the ashes, you may, if you have been admitted to their confidence (and this is no small thing among Piutes), hear the tale as they had it from their "old peoples."

            Before the whites came there was a time of peace and plenty among the Piutes, and all the valley was ruled by two great and good men, Winneduma the chief, and Tinnemah the medicine man.

            But the Indians of Saline valley were thieves and marauders, coming down through the mountains at night to kill the game, filling up the springs, harvesting the piñons from the trees of the Piutes. At last Winneduma grew very angry and gathered his people to make war on their enemies. They met on the top of the mountain ; and there was a great battle among the rocks, and many brave men fell on both sides. On the third day as the sun was going down, Tinnemah fell pierced by a poisoned arrow. Then when the Piutes saw their medicine man was wounded they were very much afraid and ran away down the mountain. Winneduma called to them to help him with his brother, but they made as if they did not hear, and ran across the river. So Winneduma was left alone on the mountain-top with Tinnemah, and the gods saw it and were very angry, so they caught the runaways half way up the other side of the valley and changed them to pine trees where they stood. And there to this day you may see as many of them as the white man has not cut down.

            Winneduma, standing on the mountain-top beside his brother, was changed to stone, and there he is to this day keeping watch over his people.

            This is the story the little Piutes hear at the campfires ; and looking out at night through the chinks in their wickiups at Winneduma standing stark and straight in the moonlight, they huddle in fear, they know not why.

            Bishop, Cal.