Sarah Winnemucca
written by: Joyce Furstenau
revised by: April Smith
revised by: April Smith
Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins was a Paiute Indian. She was born in 1844 in what is now western Nevada. She was the first Native American woman known to copyright and publish a book in the English language. Her Indian name was Thocmentony. In the Paiute language it means Shell Flower.
Sarah was the daughter of Paiute Chief Winnemucca. Although her father's band was small, Sarah often called herself the "Piute Princess." Her grandfather, Tru-ki-zo, often called Truckee, was a guide for John C. Fremont during his survey and map-making expedition from 1843 to 1845. From 1846-1848, Truckee fought in the Mexican-American War. Her grandfather had many white friends as a result of these experiences.
When Sarah was small, she was afraid of white people. Her grandfather took her on a trip to Sacramento when she was older. It was at this time Sarah began to learn English. Later, she stayed with a white family (William Ormsby) in Carson City, Nevada to be educated. She soon became one of the first few Paiutes to learn to read and write English.
A war broke out between the Paiutes and the settlers in the Nevada Territory in 1860. Her father and brother fought on the Paiute side. Her mentor, William Ormsby, was killed in one of the battles. After the war, the Paiute and the Bannock tribes were moved to the Malhuer Reservation in Oregon by executive order from President Grant. On the reservation, Sarah taught school. She also acted as an interpreter for Indian agent Samuel Parrish. Parrish treated the natives well and started an agricultural program there.
Four years later, agent William Rinehart replaced Parrish. He was not as fair. He was also not trustworthy. He sold many of the supplies intended for the Paiutes to the local white settlers. Many times the Paiute workers did not receive payment for their labor in the agricultural fields of the white settlers. Much of the good Paiute land on the reservation was given illegally to white settlers. Sarah witnessed these actions and kept records. These events were later published in her autobiography.
Conditions became so bad that nearly all those living on the reservation left. The Bannock and the Paiutes soon began raiding white settlements in the area. This was how the Bannock War began. During this war, Sarah was a translator for the U.S. Army. Once again, Sarah kept a record of her observations during this time. When the war was over, the Paiutes were forced to march to the Yakama Indian Reservation in Washington Territory. Sarah went with them to serve as interpreter once again.
Conditions on the Yakama Reservation were very difficult. Sarah and her father went to Washington, D.C. in the winter of 1879 to speak with the Secretary of the Interior, Carl Schurz. They went to ask permission to return to the Malhuer Reservation. Although a promise was given at the time, it took several years before the promise was fulfilled.
Sarah Winnemucca's book, Life Among the Piutes: Their Wrongs and Claims was published in 1883. The book describes her life and the conditions her people endured in great detail. It was the first known autobiography written by a Native American woman. After the publication, Sarah lectured around the country about the plight of the Paiutes. She made efforts to seek citizenship for the Paiutes. While on a lecture tour in San Francisco, California, Sarah met and married Indian Department employee Lewis H. Hopkins. She then traveled to the east coast where she delivered nearly three hundred lectures.
In 1884, Sarah worked with Elizabeth Peabody to create a Native American school. In this school she sought to promote Native American values and language. Her efforts met with much criticism. The white people wanted the natives to learn English. They wanted the natives to learn the ways of the white settlers.
Sarah wrote a thirty-six-page pamphlet in 1886 explaining the successes of her school in answer to her critics. It was short lived, however, because funding ran out. In 1887, The Dawes Severalty Act forced Native American children to attend English-speaking schools. It was believed sending the children to a "white" school was the only way to make the Indians "adopt the habits of civilized life..."
Sarah died of tuberculosis in 1891 at her sister's home in Idaho. In 1993, her name was added to the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame for her creative expression and efforts to help Native Americans. In 2005, the state of Nevada added Sarah Winnemucca's statue to the National Statuary Hall Collection in the Utah State Capitol.
Sarah was the daughter of Paiute Chief Winnemucca. Although her father's band was small, Sarah often called herself the "Piute Princess." Her grandfather, Tru-ki-zo, often called Truckee, was a guide for John C. Fremont during his survey and map-making expedition from 1843 to 1845. From 1846-1848, Truckee fought in the Mexican-American War. Her grandfather had many white friends as a result of these experiences.
When Sarah was small, she was afraid of white people. Her grandfather took her on a trip to Sacramento when she was older. It was at this time Sarah began to learn English. Later, she stayed with a white family (William Ormsby) in Carson City, Nevada to be educated. She soon became one of the first few Paiutes to learn to read and write English.
A war broke out between the Paiutes and the settlers in the Nevada Territory in 1860. Her father and brother fought on the Paiute side. Her mentor, William Ormsby, was killed in one of the battles. After the war, the Paiute and the Bannock tribes were moved to the Malhuer Reservation in Oregon by executive order from President Grant. On the reservation, Sarah taught school. She also acted as an interpreter for Indian agent Samuel Parrish. Parrish treated the natives well and started an agricultural program there.
Four years later, agent William Rinehart replaced Parrish. He was not as fair. He was also not trustworthy. He sold many of the supplies intended for the Paiutes to the local white settlers. Many times the Paiute workers did not receive payment for their labor in the agricultural fields of the white settlers. Much of the good Paiute land on the reservation was given illegally to white settlers. Sarah witnessed these actions and kept records. These events were later published in her autobiography.
Conditions became so bad that nearly all those living on the reservation left. The Bannock and the Paiutes soon began raiding white settlements in the area. This was how the Bannock War began. During this war, Sarah was a translator for the U.S. Army. Once again, Sarah kept a record of her observations during this time. When the war was over, the Paiutes were forced to march to the Yakama Indian Reservation in Washington Territory. Sarah went with them to serve as interpreter once again.
Conditions on the Yakama Reservation were very difficult. Sarah and her father went to Washington, D.C. in the winter of 1879 to speak with the Secretary of the Interior, Carl Schurz. They went to ask permission to return to the Malhuer Reservation. Although a promise was given at the time, it took several years before the promise was fulfilled.
Sarah Winnemucca's book, Life Among the Piutes: Their Wrongs and Claims was published in 1883. The book describes her life and the conditions her people endured in great detail. It was the first known autobiography written by a Native American woman. After the publication, Sarah lectured around the country about the plight of the Paiutes. She made efforts to seek citizenship for the Paiutes. While on a lecture tour in San Francisco, California, Sarah met and married Indian Department employee Lewis H. Hopkins. She then traveled to the east coast where she delivered nearly three hundred lectures.
In 1884, Sarah worked with Elizabeth Peabody to create a Native American school. In this school she sought to promote Native American values and language. Her efforts met with much criticism. The white people wanted the natives to learn English. They wanted the natives to learn the ways of the white settlers.
Sarah wrote a thirty-six-page pamphlet in 1886 explaining the successes of her school in answer to her critics. It was short lived, however, because funding ran out. In 1887, The Dawes Severalty Act forced Native American children to attend English-speaking schools. It was believed sending the children to a "white" school was the only way to make the Indians "adopt the habits of civilized life..."
Sarah died of tuberculosis in 1891 at her sister's home in Idaho. In 1993, her name was added to the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame for her creative expression and efforts to help Native Americans. In 2005, the state of Nevada added Sarah Winnemucca's statue to the National Statuary Hall Collection in the Utah State Capitol.