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Performing Archive

List of Large Plates Supplementing Volume Fifteen

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The Cupeño are a small Shoshonean group of mountaineers formerly residing at the head of San Luis Rey river in north-central San Diego county. Popularly known as Aguas Calientes and as Warner's Ranch Indians, they gained considerable prominence at the beginning of the century when the Supreme Court ruled adversely upon their title to the land of their nativity. In 1903 they were settled at Pala reservation on lands adjoining those of the Luiseños, and their former habitat is now beautiful Warner's ranch. Cupeño is a Spanish derivative of Kupa, the name of their former village. The surviving population of Wolak, the other Cupeño settlement, is now on Los Coyotes reservati
The Serranos (Spanish, "mountaineers"), a Shoshonean branch comprising numerous local groups, occupied San Bernardino valley, San Bernardino mountains north of Los Angeles and San Bernardino, a portion of Mojave desert north of that range and east of Mojave river, and Tehachapi mountains. This last group, who lived principally on El Paso and Tejon creeks, were the Kitanemuk. In 1853 most of the resident Indians, including not only various Shoshoneans but many Yokuts, were taken to Tule river reservation. Tejon rancheria remains, however, a settlement of various Shoshoneans, but predominantly Kitanemuk
The Chemehuevi are closely allied linguistically to the Paiute of southern Nevada, from which region they undoubtedly came in the not distant past. In the historical period they have held the eastern half of San Bernardino county and the eastern end of Riverside. On Colorado river they held the lowlands on both sides between Needles and Bill Williams fork, and a group is still resident there in Chemehuevi valley. Those who settled in the valley (which apparently was subsequent to 1776, because in that year the diary of his journey across the desert west of the river) became agriculturists like the Mohave.
Walker lake, one of numerous saline lakes remaining from a great inland sea that once covered western Nevada and northeastern California, is the seat of a major division of the Paviotso. In the western corner of Nevada it is fed by Walker river, the numerous branches of which head on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada in California. Although there is no outlet, the water is not too saline for the thriving of trout and suckers, which were taken on bone hooks, with double-pointed spears, and in gill-nets.
The coiled baskets produced by this woman have not been equalled by any Indian now living. Compare her work, shown in Plate 541, with the baskets of another woman as illustrated in Plate 542. The latter, seen alone, would be very excellent examples of Indian basketry, but their comparative coarseness is easily seen even in photographic reproduction. About ninety years old, Datsolali appears to be in the early sixties. She has the pride of a master in his craft, and a goodly endowment of artistic temperament. Persuading her to sit for a portrait is a task not to be lightly undertaken. Tatsolali (said to mean "big hips") is a nickname. Her proper name is Tabuta.