Chief Tenaya's Curse

This week some of the leaders of Yosemite-Mono Lake Paiute Indian Community met in Yosemite investigating the revised Yosemite Visitor Center and Indian interpretation of the Park. While they where there they spoke of the curse of Chief Tenaya and curse that still exists today. That the Paiutes were pushed and forced out of Yosemite, and later the descendents of the scouts now claim Yosemite as their own homeland. Yosemite National Park Service has openly endorsed and paid the non-profit Southern Sierra Miwuks to change the history of original indigenous people of Yosemite, the Paiutes. Incidentally one of the leaders recounted how a Yosemite-Mono Lake Paiute medicine man had said that when the last Indian is pushed out of Yosemite Valley the rocks will start to fall in Yosemite. How the Indian scouts for the white Mariposa Battalion, who now claim they are the original Ahwahneechees, were frightened to enter Yosemite Valley because they were afraid of “Monahs”, which they called “Yosemites”, or in their language “The Killers”, who they considered witches and wizards.



On the second expedition to capture Chief Tenaya and his band, the Miwok scouts had blocked the escape of Tenaya has he tried to escape to Mono Lake, and during that time Tenaya’s son was shot and murdered as he tried to escape. Tenaya looked into the face of Col. Boling who led the expedition and holding back his tears he angrily cursed them:

"Kill me, sir Captain! Yes, kill me, as you killed my son; as you would kill my people if they were to come to you! You would kill all my race if you had the power. Yes, sir, American, you can now tell your warriors to kill the old chief; you have made me sorrowful, my life dark; you killed the child of my heart, why not kill the father? But wait a little; when I am dead I will call to my people to come to you, I will call louder than you have had me call; that they shall hear me in their sleep, and come to avenge the death of their chief and his son. Yes, sir, American, my spirit will make trouble for you and your people, as you have cause trouble to me and my people. With the wizards, I will follow the white men and make them fear me. You may kill me, sir, Captain, but you shall not live in peace. I will follow in your foot-steps, I will not leave my home, but be with the spirits among the rocks, the water-falls, in the rivers and in the winds; wheresoever you go I will be with you. You will not see me, but you will fear the spirit of the old chief, and grow cold. The great spirits have spoken! I am done."