Glossary

Question: What are the Names of the Native Peoples in this story?

Kuyui Dokado: Also written as Cuyui Ticutta (see below)

The name of the People of Pyramid Lake.  This translates as cuyui eater.

Numa: The name of the all of the peoples of the Nevada area,  This name is actually a word referring to people who are speakers of a language type.

Paviotso: The n

Paiute: The modern spelling of Piute (See Piute)

Piute: The name given to the Desert Peoples of Nevada, Arizona, and Utah

Washo: The non-paiute people that lived in the Sierra Nevadas around Tahoe, Reno and Carson City.  The Word Washo means one person in their language.  Wa-she-shew means all of the people

Question: So what did they call themselves?

Cuyui-Ticutta: for those who ate the cui-ui fish around Pyramid Lake. 

Toi-Ticutta: for cattail eaters living in the Carson sink.

Agai-Ticutta: for the Walker River Paiutes who ate the cutthroat trout.

Gidu-Ticutta: Rock chucks—Northern California Paiute.

Ku-Zabbi-Ticutta: Fly Larvae—Lee Vining—Mono Lake, California area.

Kama-Ticutta: for the Jack rabbit eaters North of Pyramid Lake.

Tobusi-Ticutta: for the Pine-nut (tuba) eaters of the foothills.

Pe-ton a g waitta: meaning Southern Paiute.

Wa-Wuhh: Other strange tribes.

Taibo: White men

Activity:

Draw a Map of Nevada and show the areas of the different groups.

Question:  What are the names of the characters in the story?  Who are they?

Thocmetony: Also known as Shell Flower which is the translation of her name.  Her name she used in the white world was Sarah Winnemucca and later after she was married, Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins. Sarah is the little girl in the story who is the daughter of Poito and Tuboitonie and the granddaughter of The Giver.

The Giver:  Was known also by the name given to him by the whites as Chief Truckee.  He was the leader of the Kuyui Dokado group and the grandfather of Thocmetony.  He later left with Kit Carson as a guide on their way to California.

Poito: Became known as Winnemucca when he took on the duties of leading his people.  He was the son of The Giver, the husband of Tuboitonie and the father of  Thocmetony.

Namaga:  Thocmetony’s older brother.  When he was an adult he was known as Young

Winnemucca.

Tuboitonie:  Thocmetony’s Mother and wife of Poito.

Activity:

Draw a family tree of Sarah Winnemucca’s family.

Some Other Words:

Cui-ui: {Chasmistes cujus} (pronounced kwee-wee) is a type of fish native to Pyramid Lake. It is a  bottom feeding sucker type fish that grows to about 2 feet and 6 pounds

Karnee:  The traditional home of the Paiute.  It is conical in shape.

Itsa: the coyote in stories

Pe-har-ve: a sweet treat made from cattail pollen.

Sy-ya: Mud Hens.  A waterfowl.

Wo-no: burden basket. A cone shaped basket carried over the shoulder.

Katuu means sit

Kema means come

NaNa means man.

Moosuee means whisker

Muvi means nose

Tuka means eat

Some fun links on language include: 

Indian Ways and Traditions Recalled: http://www.ccmuseum.org/Hooper/hooper1.htm

Paiute Language audio files: http://itcn.org/language/paiute.html