The Newspaper Warrior: Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins's Campaign for American Indian Rights, 1864-1891
344
The Newspaper Warrior: Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins's Campaign for American Indian Rights, 1864-1891
344eBook
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Overview
Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins (Northern Paiute) has long been recognized as an important nineteenth-century American Indian activist and writer. Yet her acclaimed performances and speaking tours across the United States, along with the copious newspaper articles that grew out of those tours, have been largely ignored and forgotten.
The Newspaper Warrior presents new material that enhances public memory as the first volume to collect hundreds of newspaper articles, letters to the editor, advertisements, book reviews, and editorial comments by and about Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins. This anthology gathers together her literary production for newspapers and magazines from her 1864 performances in San Francisco to her untimely death in 1891, focusing on the years 1879 to 1887, when Winnemucca Hopkins gave hundreds of lectures in the eastern and western United States; published her book, Life among the Piutes: Their Wrongs and Claims (1883); and established a bilingual school for Native American children.
Editors Cari M. Carpenter and Carolyn Sorisio masterfully assemble these exceptional and long-forgotten articles in a call for a deeper assessment and appreciation of Winnemucca Hopkins’s stature as a Native American author, while also raising important questions about the nature of Native American literature and authorship.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780803276611 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Nebraska |
| Publication date: | 06/01/2015 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 344 |
| File size: | 1 MB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
The Newspaper Warrior
Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins's Campaign for American Indian Rights, 1864â"1891
By Cari M. Carpenter, Carolyn Sorisio
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA PRESS
Copyright © 2015 Board of Regents of the University of NebraskaAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-8032-7661-1
CHAPTER 1
West, 1864–1882
"Winnemucca and the Suffering Tribe of Pah-Utes — An Appeal to the Public."
Letter, August 22, 1864, Bancroft Scraps archive MS 93:27, Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
Editor Bulletin. — I did wonder, when I saw the accounts in the newspapers of the city, that Winnemucca his daughter and braves, were exhibiting pantomimic scenes of Indian Life, if it could be the veritable Old Chief who was stooping from his dignity to become a common actor, for a "star." I knew he could never be, try however much he would. But now the secret is out. In passing down Kearny street, I met three Indians, who I knew belonged to the Pah Ute tribe and Winnemucca family. They were about passing me, when I accosted them in their own tongue, for I thought that if I spoke English to them they would not heed. But when the familiar "Haw-no-yah, kin-ah-ki" sounded in their ears, they looked for a friend. After his reply, "Humboldt," and interchange of a few sentences with Nat-che, I concluded to go into the hotel and see the Chief, whom I had not seen since the Indian war of 1860. Glad was the old man to see me, and the young squaws, both of whom recognized me on the moment.
Well, as soon as I could hear myself speak, (for their chatter was not unlike that of a flock of magpies in springtime,) I asked the Chief why he had taken the white man's ways to show himself? Then came the story of his people's poverty, their suffering for food, and the cause of the distress now upon them. For this reason he had condescended to make a show of their habits, their pastimes, and among them, their time-honored dances; and his object in so doing is to raise money to buy food and blankets for his people. But he sees, even now, that these exhibitions will not accomplish the great object he has at heart.
The plain fact is well known to every thinking mind, if we would only take the trouble to think. It is plain that they are hungry, for their game is frightened off by the advance of civilization, and prospecting parties are now in all parts of their territory. Their pine nut timber is cut to supply mills and the thousand other fires kindled all over their lands. With them, the sagebrush supplies their fuel, the pine-nut tree their bread. In the present state of affairs, it is not strange that they are without food. Fish, roots and small game is all they have left, and their lakes and rivers will soon be depopulated by the white fishermen. Many of us say Government must do something for them! Government has sent agents among them; why don't they provide for them? Such expressions are all familiar to our ears, as well as the many pros and cons they call up. But the fact is, that Winnemucca's tribe is starving because of our usurping their rights, and because, also, of the Chief's kindly feeling towards us. He has firmly refused all kind offers of assistance for himself and people, tendered as a bribe by numerous tribes more fortunately located, and richer in horses and all else that the Indian prizes. Horses, buffalo meat, valuable skins and furs for clothing and covering from the cold were all offered him, no longer ago than the 4th day of July last, on condition that he would join them in one general confederation against the white invaders of their common country, and murder all that came within their reach. But no, Winnemucca refused all. He is (like Logan of old) the white man's friend.
People of California, people of Nevada! You are those for whom this old Chief refused all that would have made his people comfortable — the women, children, and old men of his tribe; a tribe perhaps numbering in all some 6,000 souls. Now, will you turn him away empty — tell him to go to his children without bread? I feel that you will not; that you will not prove to this old man you are unworthy his friendship, unworthy the great sacrifices he has made, to preserve peace in his own immediate homes with you. San Francisco, with her Masonic, Odd Fellows, Druid and many other institutions of benevolence, and her Christian Churches, will surely come to the relief and enable this old man to feed his people. I have been acquainted with this aged Chief and his family for more than ten years, and I do not doubt in the least but in every respect his report is true, no more than I would doubt the fact that two and two make four. I was one of the greatest sufferers from the war with this tribe in 1860 — a war in which they were not the aggressor, a war, I am convinced, that would never have been had the white man done justice, or even regarded the law of nations, (a flag of truce,) and listened in the beginning to the counsel of this same old Chief. Now, may God bless him! and incline your hearts to respond to his cry; for, in truth, I believe he has saved us from bloody scenes similar to those of 1860.
I cannot propose any practical scheme for the relief of the Chief and his tribe; I leave that to the active benevolence and discretion of the good Samaritans of this city. The Mayor, I think, would be the proper person to set first about it. There is, I have no doubt, plenty of help ready to be given if only a practical way is pointed out. I am a woman, and cannot myself take any active steps in the matter, but if any one wishes suggestions from me, I am ready to give them. I enclose my name and address, which you can communicate to such enquirers as you may think fit. The first thing to be done is to rescue the Chief, his daughters and his native attendants from the present degrading exhibitions, and provide for their immediate wants. Afterwards such contributions in provisions and blankets should be furnished to his people over the mountains as may seem expedient to the enlightened charity of this community. A settler on the carson river in 1853.
"Win-a-muc-ca."
Gold Hill Daily News (Gold Hill NV), September 22, 1864, 3, col. 1.
The High Old Chief of all the Pi-utes, passed through town on his way to Virginia city, yesterday at 2 o'clock.
He expects to return to-day to Dayton, where he will remain this coming winter. He was accompanied by his only son, (a lad we should judge about fifteen years old,) and two daughters. We should judge that he must be truly loyal to our government, (putting Copperheads wofully to shame) inasmuch as he required two of his subjects to encircle him with an arch of "the red, white and blue." Passing up through Main street, Gold Hill, he halted at Wells & Fargo's Express Office, when quite a large crowd gathered around him, he made a very sensible, though broken speech, not forgetting to make it emphatic by appropriate gestures. One of his daughters, who by the way, could talk very plain English, and was quite intelligent, acted as interpreter. He said, to use his own words as near as we could gather them — "the white men come to the red man's country, he takes the Indians lands, cuts down their pine nut groves, and kill their sage hen and rabbits, and they give the poor Indian nothing in return. I travel around through my country, and white man want me to pay taxes and charge me tolls where before the white man came, my people roamed with freedom, and now your people say you give us blankets, flour and meat, but we no get them unless we pay for them. We think it hard for white man to treat us so, and I came to ask white man to give us something, but I do not want white man to give unless he is entirely willing. The Indian east upon the Plains fight white man; they will not mind me; I try to stop them. Young Winnemucca is not my son; he says he is, but he is an impostor. I have got but one son; he is here with me. White man commenced the war at Ragtown. I did not want to fight, but I could not keep my people back; they would not obey me." We would say here that Old Winnemucca did oppose the war of '60 with all his might but the Young Chief's council prevailed; they would have war, Young Winnemucca leading them. By this time a large crowd had collected, and a hat was passed around, and its contents passed to the Old Chief's daughter. When she had counted it, Winnemucca signalled with his fingers twenty-five dollars, at the same time waving a grateful acknowledgement with his right hand, bowing grateful thanks to all. He then gave a specimen of the Indian whoop and started his cavalcade toward Virginia. Some one in the crowd proposed three cheers for the Old Chief, and three hearty, rousing cheers were given — all seeming well pleased with the Chief and his daughters, "especially" with the daughters.
"City Items."
Daily Alta California (San Francisco CA), October 22, 1864, 1, col. 1.
An Aboriginal Turnout — Quite a sensation was created on Montgomery street, yesterday afternoon, by the appearance, in grand tenue, of the old Pi-Ute chieftain Winnemucca and his two daughters and, six of the male warriors of the tribe, who, arrayed in all the glories which a lavish use of ochre, vermilion, scarlet flannel, and bright-colored feathers can give, drove along that crowded thoroughfare in three open carriages. The young ladies, (the Misses Winnemucca) apart from the chronic blush on their cheeks, comported themselves with a native dignity that bespoke them "to the manner born" and as simply enjoying the privileges which should be accorded to them as belonging to the F.F.V.'s — first families of Virginia (City) — while the old Sachem of the land of silver and sage brush looked perfectly serene as he sat by the side of the driver. The second vehicle was driven by one of the four young "bucks" which it contained, and he handled the ribbons as if he had appeared on the stage before. This rather novel display of the denizens of the desert putting on airs and taking an airing on the fashionable promenade attracted considerable attention, and will doubtless have the effect of drawing a house to the exhibitions of savage life and striking tableaux, to be given by these aboriginal artists at the Metropolitan Theatre this afternoon and evening.
"City Items."
Daily Alta California (San Francisco CA), October 23, 1864, 1, col. 1.
The Aboriginal Entertainment. — The Metropolitan Theatre was pretty well filled yesterday afternoon, by an audience composed almost entirely of ladies and children, curious to see real live Indians on the stage. After the performance, by a rather slim orchestra, of a number of airs, supposed to be adapted to all sorts of entertainments, from those of the Martinetti troupe to the Menken Mazeppa escapade, the curtain was raised, disclosing a parlor scene, with the whole of the aboriginal family arranged in the following order: The centre group was composed of Winnemucca, high old Chief of the Pi-Utes, with his two daughters, Lo-me-to-na, or the Shell Flower, and Te-woo-to-na, or the Lattice Flower, seated in state on a sofa. The old Chief was dressed in a suit of what might have been brown cloth, or well-worn buckskin, with some odd kind of stage sword-belt, studded with tin buttons, thrown over his shoulder, and a head-dress more nearly resembling an enormous mop than anything else we can compare it to — in fact, he would have created quite a sensation in a torch-light procession of Broom Rangers. The young ladies, or "squaws," so to speak in the vernacular, were attired in yellow buckskin hunting shirts and leggings of the time-honored stage style, the only difference in their "get up" being in the height of the rainbow-hued feathers of their à la Montezuma head-gear. The dress, although not at all resembling what they wear "at home," from our own experience in the desert, was well calculated to display their native charms and graces to the best advantage. To the right and left, ranged four deep, with their arms at rest upon tables placed there for that purpose, were the eight "braves," who, according to the big posters, for small programmes were not furnished, rejoiced in the following elegant and euphonious names: Too-poo-we, or Natchez; Song-a-wee, or Martin the Bird; Nee-won-nat-see, the Snow Cloud; Poo-at-sai, the Doctor; Poo-e-quat-see, Foliage of the Forest; Pass-e-you, White Water; O-a-wa- quat-see, Sun and Moon, and Too-near-nee, the Black Devil. These warriors were all rigged out in a curious uniform costume, as far as red shirts and head dresses resembling feather dusters went, but the nether extremities disclosed a varied make-up of buckskin leggings, cotton tights, cassimere pants, mocassins, high-lows, and brogans, that would doubtless be worn by "Injuns," whether Pi-Utes or Diggers — if nothing better offered. Which of the "braves" was Snow Cloud, White Water, or Black Devil, we were unable to distinguish, as they were not labelled or stamped, and we concluded that the fanciful nomenclature was all bosh, put in to fill the bill. Then, to think of Shell Flower being mistaken for Lattice Flower, or of passing the gentle pair as Wall Flowers! — and where, in the world of sand drifts, sage clumps, and alkali waters, did old Mr. and Mrs. Winnemucca ever see a lattice on which to train a flower? We confess to being euchred with the left bower, i.e. Lattice Flower, and wish we had passed. The Royal Family were introduced to the audience by a gentleman in black (all but his boots, which lacked the color) as Winnemucca, Chief of the Pi-Utes, and his two daughters. Royal Family bowed. The audience returned a rapturous greeting. Warriors to the right and left of us also presented. The eight arose from their seats as one man, made a mechanical, half-military salute, half-oriental salaam, and subsided. The gentleman in black then read a lecture on Pi-Utes and "any other Indians," which sounded in its delivery like a school boy's production, and spoke of pale faces, red men, tented plains, warriors with a hundred wounds, etc. It was intended, however, to be highly eulogistic of the Great Chief, but the only thing we could clearly catch was something about a gun that had been presented to him by the whites, and which he pronounced a "d — d good gun." This the lecturer repeated and emphasized, and therefore it must have been so spoken by the old Chieftain. The lecture finally came to an end, and after an intermission of five minutes, the tableaux vivants, with the accompaniments of forest scenery and Greek fire, were introduced, in the following order: "The Indian Camp," "The Message of War," "The War Council," "The War Dance," "The Capture of a Bannock Spy," "Scalping the Prisoner," "Grand Scalp Dance," "Scalping of an Emigrant Girl by a Bannock Scout," "The Wounded Warrior," "The Coyote Dance," and a series of five tableaux representing Pocahontas saving the life of Captain John Smith. One of the "Flowers" enacted the part of the famous Indian Maiden, and Old Winnemucca the hard-hearted old parent, Powhatan. A white man in the costume of an "honest miner" did the John Smith. It might have been "John Smith" himself for aught we know to the contrary. Some of the tableaux were very good, the Indians seeming to possess the power to maintain an inanimate position as if carved of bronze — as, for example, the "Wounded Warrior" than which the "Dying Gladiator" is not more effective. Of the dances the Coyote was the best, and was decidedly the favorite with the youngsters, especially when the "Flower" (the one that most resembles Menken) got a back fall by pulling too hard on the tail of the Coyote.
The crowning feature of this unique entertainment was the address, in the Pi-Ute dialect by Winnemucca, and interpreted by one of his daughters. The old fellow came forward to the front of the stage, supported by the two flowers, Shell and Lattice, and with a self-possession and assurance that would do honor to a Copperhead stump speaker, spoke as follows:
"Rub-a-dub dub!, Ho-dad-dy, hi-dad-dy; wo-hup, gee-haw. Fetch-water, fetch-water, Manayunk!"
That's about as near as we could catch the words as they fell, and they were taken up and rendered by the Shell, in very good English, thus:
"My father says he is very glad to see you. He has heard a great deal about San Francisco, and wanted very much to see it; so he has come to see it for himself!"
His part of the speech being loudly applauded by the appreciative audience, the old fellow became inspired and rattled off at such a telegraphic rate that we couldn't come up with him at all. Not so with Shell Flower; she had been thar and knew just what to say, and it came to us in her sweet English voice to this effect: "My father says he is glad to see so many of you here, and he hopes there will be a great many more to-night, when he hopes to accommodate you — I mean please you better." The curtain fell amidst the most rapturous applause from the ladies, and the Pi-Ute war whoop from the boys. The aboriginal entertainment was over. People like novelty, let them have it. Opera and minstrelsy will pall after a season or two, and if we do go now and then to see an aboriginal entertainment or a Chinese theatrical troupe, whose business is it? we would like to know.
"Sutliff's."
Virginia Daily Union (Virginia City NV), October 7, 1865, 3, col. 1.
The Winnemucca series of Indian tableaux are a perfect success, and a decided hit, filling the hall nightly. All should go and see them while they can.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Newspaper Warrior by Cari M. Carpenter, Carolyn Sorisio. Copyright © 2015 Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska. Excerpted by permission of UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA PRESS.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
Contents
List of Illustrations,Acknowledgments,
Note on the Text,
Timeline,
Introduction,
Part One. West, 1864–1882,
Part Two. East, 1883–1884,
Part Three. West, 1885–1891,
Notes,
Index,