Yosemite > Library > Indians >

Next: Introduction & Sketch of the Author

INDIANS OF THE YOSEMITE VALLEY AND VICINITY Their History, Customs and Traditions by GALEN CLARK [1904]

Summary

This short little book was written by one of the pioneers of Yosemite National Park, Galen Clark. In 1857 Clark was the first white person to view the Mariposa Grove, a stand of old-growth redwoods which are some of the largest living organisms on the planet. Clark was one of the first full-time white residents of Yosemite and is considered the first ranger of that park. Although obviously Clark had no training in ethnography, he lived for many years with the last generation of pre-contact Native Americans of Yosemite. It is apparent that the Yosemite Miwok, who had a disasterous first contact, were extremely reluctant to open up about the details of their mythology and culture, even to comparatively benign individuals such as Clark. However, this is one of the few first-hand accounts from this period, and the information in this book has been rehashed in many others, such as The Lore and Lure of the Yosemite.
    —J. B. Hare

• “Galen Clark” biographical sketch by Mrs. H. J. Taylor (in Yosemite Indians and Other Sketches, 1936)
• Sketch of Galen Clark’s life by John Muir. (in The Yosemite, 1912)
• Galen Clark’s obituary
• Sketch of Galen Clark by W. W. Foote in “Introduction”
• Sketch of Galen Clark by Newell D. Chamberlain (1936)
• Shirley Sargent, “Wawona’s First Settler,” Wawona’s Yesterdays (1961).
• Shirley Sargent, Galen Clark: Yosemite Guardian 3d. ed. (1994)

• Title Page
• Contents
• List of Illustrations
• Introduction and Sketch of the Author
• Chapter One: Early History
• Chapter Two: Effects of the War.
• Chapter Three: Customs and Characteristics
• Chapter Four: Sources of Food Supply
• Chapter Five: Religious Ceremonies and Beliefs
• Chapter Six: Native Industries
• Chapter Seven: Myths and Legends
• Appendix
• Advertisements

Bibliographical Information

Galen Clark, 1814-1910. Indians of the Yosemite Valley and vicinity: their history, customs and traditions 1st ed. (Yosemite Valley, California: G. Clark, 1904) Illustrated by Chris. Jorgensen and with photographs. xviii, 110p. ill. 19 plates. frontispiece (portrait). 18 cm. Library of Congress Call Number SD397.S4 C5. LCCN 04-009194. The second edition (1907) added 2 pages to the appendix.

Scanned by J. B. Hare, redactor, at sacred-texts.com, December 2003. These files may be used for any non-commercial purpose, provided this notice of attribution is left intact.