Owens Valley Paiute Indians

Introduction

The Owens Valley Paiute belong to an extensive group known generically as the Northern Paiute (in western Nevada as the Paviotso), which extends through eastern California and western Nevada into eastern Oregon. The Northern Paiute are subdivided into local groups of several hundred individuals each. Each group or tribe owns and controls definitely demarked sections of territory and varies slightly in dialect from the others.

Owens Valley Paiute Indians

Within these tribal territories were a number of villages. In winter the people lived in Owens Valley or at the edge of the timber in the Inyo mountains where pine nuts were stored. Spring and summer brought considerable wandering within tribal territory in search of wild seeds and game. In the fall there was a communal hunt, dances, and pine nut harvest.

There was a good deal of intercourse with the tribes west of the Sierra during the summer, (Catherine, 435) many trips being made for the purpose of trade. Inter-marriage with these tribes was not in frequent. Thus, there was an exchange of ideas which tended to level down the effect of environment. A general description of the Owens Valley Paiute will be found in Steward, 1933.

Usage of the terms Paiute, Northern Paiute and Southern Paiute is most correct when referring to groups of people with similar language and culture and should not be taken to imply a political connection or even an especially close genetic relationship. The Northern Paiute speak the Northern Paiute language, while the Southern Paiute speak the Ute-Southern Paiute language. These languages are not as closely related to each other as they are to other Numic languages. (Catherine, 435)

The Bannock, Mono, Timbisha and Kawaiisu people, who also speak Numic languages and live in adjacent areas are sometimes referred to as Paiute. The Bannock speak a dialect of Northern Paiute, while the other three people speak separate Numic languages, with Mono being more closely related to Northern Paiute, Kawaiisu being more closely related to Ute-Southern Paiute, and Timbisha being more closely related to Shoshone.

The origin of the word Paiute is unclear. Some anthropologists have interpreted it as "Water Ute" or "True Ute." The Northern Paiute call themselves Numa (sometimes written Numu) ; the Southern Paiute call themselves Nuwuvi. Both terms mean "the people." The Northern Paiute are sometimes referred to as Paviotso. Early Spanish explorers called the Southern Paiute "Payuchi" (they did not make contact with the Northern Paiute). Early Euro-American settlers often called both groups of Paiute "Diggers" (presumably because of their practice of digging for roots), although that term is now considered derogator. (Catherine, 435)

The Northern Paiute traditionally lived in the Great Basin in eastern California, western Nevada, and southeast Oregon. The Northern Paiute's pre-contact lifestyle was well adapted to the harsh desert environment in which they lived. Each tribe or band occupied a specific territory, generally centered on a lake or wetland that supplied fish and water-fowl. Rabbits and pronghorn were taken from surrounding areas in communal drives, which often involved neighboring bands. Individuals and ...