Tony Tillohash facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tony Tillohash
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Tilohash and his family
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| Chairman of the Shivwits Band of Paiutes | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kaibab Indian Reservation, Utah |
| Spouse | A Shivwits Paiute woman |
| Alma mater | Carlisle Indian Industrial School |
| Profession | Worked with linguist Edward Sapir to describe the Southern Paiute language |
| Fluent speaker | Southern Paiute language |
Tony Tillohash was a Paiute man born on the Kaibab Indian Reservation in Utah. He is known for his important work with a language expert named Edward Sapir. Together, they helped record and understand the Southern Paiute language.
Contents
Tony's Early Life and Education
Tony Tillohash was born in Utah. In 1910, he moved from his home to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. This school was a boarding school for Native American children.
While at Carlisle, Tony started working with Edward Sapir. Sapir was a linguist, which means he was a scientist who studied languages. At the time, Sapir worked at the nearby University of Pennsylvania.
Recording the Southern Paiute Language
Tony Tillohash was a fluent speaker of the Southern Paiute language. He had an amazing memory for music and stories. He helped Sapir record many Paiute songs and traditional stories.
Sapir was very impressed by Tony's ability to remember so much. Even after five years away from home, Tony could recall over 200 different songs. These included special "cry" songs, bear-dance songs, round-dance songs, ghost-dance songs, and medicine songs.
Their work together was very important. It led to a detailed book about the Southern Paiute language. This book is still considered a classic in the study of languages today.
Returning Home and Tribal Leadership
After finishing his studies at Carlisle, Tony Tillohash went back to Utah. He married a Shivwits Paiute woman. They started a family and worked as cattle ranchers.
Tony became a leader in his community. He was elected chairman of the Shivwits Band of Paiutes. He also served on the tribal council throughout the 1940s.
Facing Challenges and Changes
Tony Tillohash and another tribal leader, Stewart Snow, saw many changes happen to their tribe. The Great Depression was a time in the 1930s when many people lost their jobs and money. The Indian New Deal was a new government plan that aimed to help Native American tribes.
In 1940, Tony and Stewart wrote about these changes. They explained that for six years, their tribe had relied a lot on help from the government. They also noted that their farms had not been cared for as much during this time.
See also
- Traditional narratives (Native California)
