Native Americans of the Mojave Desert

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Native Americans of the Mojave Desert
By Hanna Beth Blum
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Beginnings(according to Mojave legend)

• In First Times there was Chaos.
• Great Spirit Matavilya
• Killed by sister, Frog Woman Little brother,
  Mastamho, taught people everything they needed to
  know
• Created Colorado River and mountains
• Planted seeds so they could eat, taught them to
  make homes, build fires, know from day and night,
  pottery
• Created animals, insects, birds and gave names

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Ancient History

• Late Pleistocene (10,000 years ago), tribes
  spread out across the far west
• Controversy
• Dr. Louis B. Leakey dated them 200,000 years old
• Most date them 12,000 10,000 years old

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Archeological Findings

• 8,500 years ago, natives began to make stone
  tools
• 11,000 artifacts found at shores of Lake Manix
• Arrow points, mortar and pestles, throwing
  sticks, pottery shards
• Turquoise mining in near Clark Mountains

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Tribes Before Contact

• Vanyume
• Relatives of Serrano
• Mojave River as far east as Soda Lake

• South Piutes
• East of Kawaiisu
• Baker divides Kawaiisu and S. Piutes
• Now live in Las Vegas area

• Kawaiisu
• Southern Death Valley
• Tehachapi area west of Mojave Desert during
  mission period
• Not federally recognized

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More Tribes

• Mojave
• Colorado River (both sides)
• Desert Mojave tribe had lived as far west as Soda
  Lake
• Replaced by Chemehuevi

• Chemehuevi
• Mojave Desert as far west but not south of Soda
  Lake
• Along Colorado River
• Timbisha, Western Shoshone
• Death Valley Natl Park now
• Documented territory is north of Kawaiisu

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The similar but not the same

• Possible common ancestor (debated)
• Similar types of basketry, building techniques,
  storytelling
• Food
• Different food gathering methods

Uto-Aztecan language group
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You say Mojave I say Mohave

• Aha Macav - the people along the river
• 2,000 years ago moved into lowlands of Colorado
  River Valley
• Agriculture
• Long houses
• Complex religion
• Traded with Coastal tribes
• Regular 300 mile trips to California coast (3-5
  day trips for runners)

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In their spare time...

• Major warrior tribe
• Tatooed faces with lines and dots
• Intimidated explorers
• Raided, vandalized missions
• Spanish Trail (1830-1848) avoided Mojaves
• Albuquerque LA
• 400 miles out of its way to avoid contact

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Nuwu (The People)The Chemehuevi

• One of 15 Southern Piute Tribes
• Ancestors lived in Nevada, Utah, Arizona
• Moved to California
• Small population (less than 800)
• Hunter gatherers

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More Chemehuevi

• Carried all necessary possessions with them
• Donned clothing only in winter (cloaks and
  blankets of rabbit fur)
• Summer went naked except for yucca sandals

• Windum (chief) set economic and political rules
  for tribe, position passed down from father to
  son
• Generally peaceful but fought with Mojave and
  Europeans

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Rituals and Achievement

• When a boy reaches maturity, he cannot eat his
  first kill
• Symbolizes future providence for family
• When girl reaches maturity, she cannot eat for a
  month
• Only allowed hot water
• Symbolizes appreciation of husbands food
• Success
• He/she discovers how to dream properly
• Central part to Chemehuevan life

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A history of conflict

• 1775 - Father Garces - 1st man to discover Mojave
• 1776-1857 - Chemehuevi migrate to California
• 1826 - 1850 - Conflicts with trappers
• 1851-1856 - Strong US military presence
• 1858 - Ft. Mojave built

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A Move to Reservations

• Mojave Tribe Split
• 1865- some move to Colorado Indian Reservation
• Now 650 residents
• Remaining are called Ft. Mojave
• 1911 - Ft. Mojave Reservation created

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Life on Reservations

• Ft. Mojave
• Needles, AZ
• 23,700 acres (AZ), 5,580 acres (NV)
• 1,120 people (650 Mojave)
• Agriculture (cotton, alfalfa, cotton)
• Tourism

• Chemehuevi
• 1865 - Havasu Lake, AZ
• 760 members (only 100 live on reservation)
• employed by housing authority or tribal authority
• use park for reburials
• Colorado Reservation and 29 Palms Band

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National Parks Agreement

• Will consult tribes in accordance with existing
  treaties, laws, legal entities, exec orders, etc
• Consult when operations will affect tribes
  interests
• Will protect archeologically and ethnologically
  significant sites

• Section 705 of Desert Protection Act
• Ensures access to Park for traditional, cultural,
  and religious purposes
• Temporarily close park to public
• Protect, conserve, manage Indian trust lands,
  water, fishing interests, etc