Winnemem Wintu facts for kids
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The Winnemem Wintu are a group of Native American people. Their name means "middle river people" or "middle water people." They originally lived along the lower McCloud River in California. This area is near Shasta Dam and the city of Redding, California.
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The History of the Winnemem Wintu
The Winnemem Wintu are believed to be one of nine main groups of the larger Wintu tribe. Today, the United States government does not officially recognize them as a tribe. However, the Winnemem Wintu are working hard to gain this recognition. Some members believe this lack of recognition happened due to a mistake by the government.
Early Challenges and Massacres
In 1854, a sad event known as the Kabyai Creek massacre took place. Forty-two Winnemem Wintu people, including men, women, and children, were killed by white settlers at Kabyai Creek. This happened on the McCloud River.
Later, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, local groups of armed citizens were paid money for killing Native American people. They received $5 for each person.
Living with Shasta Dam
Since 1945, parts of the lower McCloud River have been covered by Shasta Lake. This lake was created by the Shasta Dam. In 1971, some Winnemem Wintu people moved into buildings that were once for dam workers. They were allowed to stay there temporarily until 1973. However, the government later asked the remaining 30 Winnemem Wintu residents to leave in 1988. They were fully moved out by 1989.
Protecting Sacred Lands
The Winnemem Wintu are currently working to protect their sacred sites. These sites are important places for their culture and beliefs. The government wants to make Shasta Dam taller to get more water for California cities and farms. The Winnemem Wintu say that a higher lake level would flood many of their sacred places.
To protest this, a group of Winnemem Wintu held a "war dance" from September 12 to 16, 2004. They said it was the first war dance since 1876. The Winnemem Wintu also have important sacred sites on Mount Shasta and Cold Spring Mountain.
Unlike some other Native American groups, the Winnemem Wintu do not want to open casinos. They believe that gambling businesses can harm their culture.
Modern Winnemem Wintu Groups
Today, the Winnemem Wintu people are divided into different groups. Several of these groups are trying to get federal recognition for their tribe. There are also Winnemem Wintu descendants who choose not to join these groups.
A Winnemem healer named Florence Jones (Puilulimet) was featured in a TV show in 2001. She helped her community stop a new ski resort from being built on sacred Mount Shasta.
Winnemem Wintu Language
The Winnemem Wintu traditionally spoke a special dialect of the Northern Wintun Language. This language is part of the larger Wintuan languages family. Chief Caleen Sisk is working with a linguist and the Indigenous Language Institute to help bring the Winnemem Wintu language back to life.
Efforts for Federal Recognition
One Winnemem Wintu group believes they were accidentally removed from the Bureau of Indian Affairs list of recognized tribes in the 1980s. They have been trying to get back on this list ever since.
In 2004, Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell tried to help the Winnemem Wintu regain recognition. He included them in a large bill about all Native American tribes. However, the Winnemem Wintu learned that including their group might put the whole bill at risk. To protect other tribal people, the Winnemem Wintu agreed to remove their name from the bill.
