File:The dawn of the world; myths and weird tales told by the Mewan Indians of California (1910) (14780289765).jpg

Identifier: cu31924028663874 (find matches)
Title: The dawn of the world; myths and weird tales told by the Mewan Indians of California
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Merriam, C. Hart (Clinton Hart), 1855-1942, ed
Subjects: Miwok Indians Indians of North America
Publisher: Cleveland, The Arthur H. Clark Company
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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smaller disconnected areas north of San FranciscoBay- one in the interior, reaching from Pope Val-ley to the south end of Clear Lake, the other on thecoast, from Golden Gate northerly nearly to themouth of Russian River. (See accompanyingmap.) At present the vanishing remnants of the Mewuktribes are scattered over their old territory on thewest flank of the Sierra; the handful that remainof the Tuleyome tribe are gathered in a smallrancheria on Putah Creek in Lake County; whilethe sole survivors of the Hookooeko and Olamentkotribes (in each case a single person) still cling totheir original homes on Tomales and Bodega Bays.Differences in Language The California tribes are stationary, not noma-dic ; they have lived for thousands of years in theplaces they now occupy, or did occupy until driven 5 For a detailed account of the distribution of these tribes see myarticle entitled, Distribution and Classification of the Mewan stockof California, American Anthropologist, vol. ix, 338-357. 24
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Sntrobuction away by the whites; and during this long period ofisolation they have evolved different languages -for even among tribes of the same linguistic groupthe differences in language are often so great thatmembers of one tribe cannot understand the speechof another.^ As the languages of the tribes composing theMewan stock show varying degrees of kinship, sotheir myths exhibit varying relationships. Thoseof the Sierra region are the most closely interre-lated; those of the San Francisco Bay region andnorthward the most divergent. 6 Hence in the accompanying myths the name of the same personageor animal differs according to the tribe speaking. Thus Coyote-manmay be Ah-hd-le, Os-sd-le, O-la-choo, 0-la-nah, O-let-te, Ol-le, orO-ye. Similarly, the Humming-bird may be Koo-loo-loo, Koo-loo-pe,or Le-che-che. The Falcon or Duck-hawk, on the other hand, isWek-iuek in all the tribes. This is because his name is derived fromhis cry. Many other Indian names of mammals and birds have a sim-i

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