Innumerable moons and snows have passed since the Great Spirit
guided a little band of his favorite children into the beautiful
vale of Ah-wah´-nee [Yosemite Valley], and bid them stop and
rest from their long and weary wanderings, which had lasted ever
since they had been separated by the great waters from the happy
land of their forefathers in the far distant _El-o´-win_
(West).
Here they found food in abundance for all. The rivers gave them
plenty of _la-pe´-si_ (trout). They found in the meadows sweet
_ha´-ker_ (clover), and sour _yu-yu-yu-mah_ (oxalis) for spring
medicine, and sweet _toon´-gy_ and other edible roots in
abundance. The trees and bushes yielded acorns, pine nuts, fruits
and berries. In the forests were herds of _he´-ker_ (deer) and
other animals, which gave meat for food and skins for clothing
and beds. And here they lived and multiplied, and, as instructed
by their medicine men, worshipped the Great Spirit which gave
them life, and the sun which warmed and made them happy.
[Illustration: _Photograph by Boysen_.
MARY.
Daughter of Captain John, one of the last Chiefs of the
Yosemites.]
They also kept in memory the happy land of their forefathers. The
story was told by the old people to the young, and they again
told it to their children from generation to generation, and they
all believed that after death their spirits would return to dwell
forever in that distant country.
They prospered and built other towns outside of Ah-wah´-nee,
and became a great nation. They learned wisdom by experience and
by observing how the Great Spirit taught the animals and insects
to live, and they believed that their children could absorb the
cunning of the wild creatures. And so the young son of their
chieftain was made to sleep in the skins of the beaver and
coyote, that he might grow wise in building, and keen of scent in
following game. On some days he was fed with _la-pe´-si_ that
he might become a good swimmer, and on other days the eggs of the
great _to-tau´-kon_ (crane) were his food, that he might grow
tall and keen of sight, and have a clear, ringing voice. He was
also fed on the flesh of the _he´-ker_ that he might be fleet
of foot, and on that of the great _yo-sem´-i-te_ (grizzly bear)
to make him powerful in combat.
And the little boy grew up and became a great and wise chieftain,
and he was also a rain wizard, and brought timely rains for the
crops.
As was the custom in giving names to all Indians, his name was
changed from time to time, as his character developed, until he
was called Choo´-too-se-ka´, meaning the Supreme Good. His
grand _o-chum_ (house) was built at the base of the great rock
called To-tau-kon-nu´-la [El Capitan], because the great
_to-tau´-kons_ made their nests and raised their young in a
meadow at its summit, and their loud ringing cries resounded over
the whole Valley.
As the moons and snows passed, this great rock and all the great
rocky walls around the Valley grew in height, and the hills
became high mountains.
After a time Choo´-too-se-ka´ built himself a great palace
_o´-chum_ on the summit of the rock To-tau-kon-nu´-la, and
had his great chair of state a little west of his palace, where
on all festival occasions he could overlook and talk to the great
multitude below; and the remains of this chair are still to be
seen.
Choo´-too-se-ka´ was then named To-tau-kon-nu´-la, because
he had built his _o´-chum_ on the summit of the great rock and
taken the place of the _to-tau´-kons_. He had no wife, but all
the women served him in his domestic needs, as he was their great
chief, and his wishes were paramount. The many valuable donations
which he received from his people at the great annual festivals
made him wealthy beyond all personal wants, and he gave freely to
the needy.
One day, while standing on the top of the great dome [Sentinel
Dome] above the south wall of the Valley, watching the great
herds of deer, he saw some strange people approaching, bearing
heavy burdens. They were fairer of skin, and their clothing was
different from that of his people, and when they drew near he
asked them who they were and whence they came.
And a woman replied, "I am Tis-sa´-ack, and these are some of
my people. We come from _cat´-tan chu´-much_ (far South). I
have heard of your great wisdom and goodness, and have come to
see you and your people. We bring you presents of many fine
baskets, and beads of many colors, as tokens of our friendship.
When we have rested and seen your people and beautiful valley we
will return to our home."
[Illustration: _Photograph by Foley_
HALF DOME (TIS-SA´-ACK). 5,000 Feet.
Named for a woman in Indian mythology who was turned to stone for
quarreling with her husband. See "Legend of Tis-sa´-ack."]
To-tau-kon-nu´-la was much pleased with his fair visitor, and
built a large _o´-chum_ for her and her companions on the
summit of the great dome at the east end of the Valley [Half
Dome], and this dome still retains her name.
And she tarried there and taught the women of Ah-wah´-nee how
to make the beautiful baskets which they still make at the
present day; and To-tau-kon-nu´-la visited her daily, and
became charmed with her loveliness, and wanted her to remain and
be his wife, but she denied him, saying, "I must return to my
people," and, when he still persisted, she left her _o´-chum_
in the night and was never seen again. And the love-stricken
chieftain forgot his people, and went in search of her, and they
waited many moons for his return and mourned his long absence,
but they never saw him more.
This was the beginning of a series of calamities which nearly
destroyed the great tribe of Ah-wah-nee´-chees. First a great
drouth prevailed, and the crops failed, and the streams of water
dried up. The deer went wild and wandered away. Then a dark cloud
of smoke arose in the East and obscured the sun, so that it gave
no heat, and many of the people perished from cold and hunger.
Then the earth shook terribly and groaned with great pain, and
enormous rocks fell from the walls around Ah-wah´-nee. The
great dome called Tis-sa´-ack was burst asunder, and half of it
fell into the Valley. A fire burst out of the earth in the East,
and the _ca´-lah_ (snow) on the sky mountains was changed to
water, which flowed down and formed the Lake Ah-wei´-yah
[Mirror Lake]. And all the streams were filled to overflowing,
and still the waters rose, and there was a great flood, so that a
large part of the Valley became a lake, and many persons were
drowned.
After a time the Great Spirit took pity on his children, and the
dark cloud of smoke disappeared, the sun warmed the Valley again
into new life, and the few people who were left had plenty of
food once more.
Many moons afterwards there appeared on the face of the great
rock To-tau-kon-nu´-la the figure of a man in a flowing robe,
and with one hand extended toward the West, in which direction he
appears to be traveling. This figure was interpreted to be the
picture of the great lost Chieftain, indicating that he had gone
to the "happy hunting grounds" of his ancestors, and it is looked
upon with great veneration and awe by the few Indians still
living in Yosemite. At about the same time the face of the
beautiful Tis-sa´-ack appeared on the great flat side of the
dome which bears her name, and the Indians recognized her by the
way in which her dark hair was cut straight across her forehead
and fell down at the sides, which was then considered among the
Yosemites as the acme of feminine beauty, and is so regarded to
this day.