As I see these photos, I see home—lands that represent home to countless generations of Paiute and Shoshone people. In our own languages, we are the Nuumu (Paiute) and Newe (Shoshone). Within our communities, we were known by the foods we relied upon most. Some of our names translate to “rice-grass eaters,” “trout eaters,” “brine fly larvae eaters,” or “rabbit eaters.” Our people are said to have been living here since before memory. Our stories center around people who lived here long ago, and of those animals and deities who lived before them. Today’s scientists have found evidence of our people being here, at the base of the Sierra Nevada, for more than 14,000 years. The bristlecone pines, located at the tops of the White Mountains (to our east), are the oldest living trees on Earth, with some exceeding 4,000 years. Within 100 miles, we have the highest and lowest points (Mt. Whitney and Death Valley) in the continental United States. Our ancestors have seen many harsh conditions and changes. Mono Lake, formed at least 760,000 years ago, is the oldest lake in North America, and it is still sacred to our people. 

My grandmother comes from the Kuzabeduka, the “brine fly larvae eaters” that historically resided around Mono Lake. My grandfather was born and raised in the Owens Valley or "Payahuunadu" (place of flowing water) to the east of the Sierra Nevada and west of the White Mountains and Inyo Mountains on the west edge of the Great Basin section. I was raised in the town of Bishop, California, and am now tracked by the government as an enrolled member of the Bishop Paiute Tribe, or, as the Federal Register listed it for years: "Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Bishop Community of the Bishop Colony, California." After the land and water were taken from us, our names were up next.  

There are many layers of history and perspective that my people could share. For so long, no one would listen to us. We were told what to do, or that we would lose our lives if we did not. We learned to survive some tough times when California became a state, and when our land became well known for its natural wealth. The settlers who came and found a slice of American pie in our homelands first deemed us “merciless Indian savages” (an actual quote from the Constitution) and later, “homeless." The document that called for our eventual reservation included the phrase “Homeless Indians of Inyo and Mono Counties” within its title. All these terms were used to dehumanize us. We were unable to own land or even be U.S. citizens until 1924, and before that, only by renouncing tribal ways and citizenship to our community.

“Kill the Indian, Save the Man” was the official motto for the education of Native American children throughout the United States. We were systematically wiped out over the past 150 years—mind, body, and spirit. Thanks to the Department of War (which existed from 1789 until 1949, when it became the U.S. Department of Defense), our children were taken from their homes and socialized and educated by those churches and private citizens contracted by the government to provide schooling for Indians. Those of us who remain descend from the strongest of those who survived such times. We may not all be well and healthy as we once were as a people, but we have the strength and wisdom of our ancestors pumping through our DNA. I believe this is enough—we are here for a reason and right where we are meant to be at this time.

One of the blessings we retain is the fact that we still reside in our ancient traditional homelands. Even though our tribal land base has been reduced to crumbs, we know who we are, and we know where we come from. Despite being absent from so many discussions about issues of land use and management in this state, we know that we are all living in Paiute Country, here and now. Our job is to remind people of that—to teach them where they are and to let them know that our people have been here, have not gone anywhere, and will always be here. Our roots run deep within these lands and waters. We are the original stewards here. The spirits know us well.

Mono Lake, Mt. Whitney, Bristlecone Pines, Yosemite National Park, and Death Valley are one-of-a-kind natural landscapes made by the Creator of all things. In this day and age, they are also international tourist destinations. These are places our people knew well for untold generations. We still seek these sites for solace and serenity when needed. In these modern times, we come from near and far to feel our homelands beneath our feet, and to experience the fragrances and sounds that the seasonal winds carry to our senses. Ancestral memory seems to come alive in these places. These lands are the root of our connection here. It is impossible to quantify, and hard to explain to outsiders. This is why our grandfathers could not fathom the concept of owning and selling the earth and waters. It does not mesh with our world view, our notion of living a good life.

As time has passed, our people have adapted to American society. In some cases, we’ve adapted amazingly well, and in other cases, not well at all. In the realms of health and of economics, we are struggling. We have minimal economic development. Housing and employment are great needs within our community. But, we have hope. Our language is returning to the tongues of our youngest, and our dances and songs are being shared more and more. Our spirits are waking up and telling us we have to stand strong.  If we cannot take back what is rightfully ours, at least we can reclaim it in our way. We can rename our places and remember our old stories, and get back on our trails and continue onward. In the new tourist economy, we can lead the industry rather than watch from the outside. After all, the many adventurers who frequent the Sierras are climbing upon our ancestors. They are camping among our spirits. They are looking to the same sky we have gazed upon, where we have sent prayers to the grandfathers, time and time again.

Legendary Skies Enterprises (LSE) is a Native American–owned company I created that specializes in hands-on adventure experiences intended to educate as well as entertain. We offer guided tours of our homelands: the epic eastern side of the Sierra Nevada. Our vision at LSE is multifaceted—we strive to fill a key gap in our local economy and education system by providing career options to native people who are embracing and living a native way of life: learning and speaking our language, practicing our culture, and applying our knowledge of the land and animals. We strive to provide clients with a good time only locals could share.

We would like to use our experiences and struggles as opportunities to learn and teach. We would like to share the trails as brothers and neighbors, teachers and leaders, mingling with the masses and making our voices known. We know the world needs it. The land needs it. We have been hunted down and tracked like animals through these very mountains that have nourished and protected us. The law once encouraged such behavior, and now it is upon us to protect what is inherently valuable to all of us—the pristine landscapes of the high mountains and our source of life and vitality: clean, pure, fresh water. My people have embraced this snowmelt in the Sierras with excitement, fresh off the biggest winter in recent memory. We know it means prayers have been answered.  

Many of those prayers came from the center of North America or Turtle Island at Standing Rock, North Dakota. As many of our people were witness to and participants in the largest mass demonstration and spiritual gathering of peoples in the United States of America’s youthful history, our hope is particularly strong. It's been said that the water protectors' camp at Standing Rock was the largest gathering of Indians since the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. But it was more than Indians; it was human beings. It was very American, but much more than just Americans. It was about so much more than our national identity; it was about a spiritual responsibility to be stewards to the land that gives and gives and gives.

People are waking up. The people are coming together, rising up, and meeting the tide of the times with unstoppable idealism and grace. With prayerful ways and with respect for the land, we will not be denied. We will only gain allies in this fight to protect our Mother Earth. It is a fight that one can only win by loving enough. In fact, we can’t even call it a fight. It is life. We were born of love and raised in love, so with love, we will prevail. Through our mutual love of the land and waters, we can unite that spirit within us that we all need so much right now. In peace, we can proceed to bring about the future our ancestors prayed for. As many have said before and will continue to, I remind you, “We are all related.” We are born creators and taught to be consumers. We can teach each generation better, and it is necessary at this time more than ever. We together can bring in a new world of equality and understanding. Respect and compassion. Thank you for reading. Mah-no.

In gratitude and humility,

Kristopher Kwatitatsinoba Hohag, a.k.a. “Kwaz”

Nuumu/Newe/Scandinavian descent

Citizen of the Bishop Paiute Tribe and United States of America

All photographs courtesy and copyright of Bennett Barthelemy/Tandem Stills+Motion