Sarah Winnemucca: The Inspiring Life Story of the Activist and Educator

By Mary Green

Sarah Winnemucca worked tirelessly for American Indians. The remarkable woman led an adventure-packed life that ranged from working as a wartime scout in Nevada to meeting with the president of the United States in Washington, D.C. The noted author and speaker was a strong advocate for her people, the Northern Paiute.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
• Release date: Jun 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9780756567514

Mary Green

Judy was the first born and the one who did everything according to schedule, made the highest grades, wore the prettiest clothes, and would finish college. She married Mickey Bodenheimer in August, 1970 and she had one son, Michael and one daughter, Amy. She has been blessed with 2 granddaughters, Kristen and Madison and one grandson, Cayden. Judy spent many hours volunteering at the Alzheimer’s facility where our daddy lived for just a little over three years. Vickie was the second born, the one that would speak out and tell Daddy the sky was green if he said it was blue. Vickie was always the clown. Vickie was the one that hid her emotions behind laughter no matter how much she hurt. She definitely suffers from the middle child syndrome. Vickie married Tim Halker in February 1970 and had three children, Ashley, Ben and Matthew. Each child grew up and married. She has been blessed with 7 grandchildren, Katherine, Will, Mary Grace, Tyler, Cassidy, Christopher and Eli. She has also been blessed with a great grandson, Ryan. Vickie spent many hours traveling back and forth from Wake Forest to visit with Daddy over the last three years – trips that were often hard to make, but were necessary. Mary was the third born. The baby. Daddy’s pet. She longed to be loved by her daddy and tried to do everything she thought he wanted her to do. She was the spoiled one, and she loved every minute of it. She married Bobby Green in June of 1975 and was blessed with a daughter and a son, Emily and Josh. She was later blessed with two granddaughters, MacKenzie and MacKayla. She spent almost every weekend over the past three years at the home visiting with daddy. Since she worked full time – weekends were hers.

Book preview

Inspiring Stories: Sarah Winnemucca by Mary Green

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Chapter One: An Important Letter

Chapter Two: Growing Up in Nevada

Chapter Three: Life Among the Settlers

Chapter Four: Princess Sarah

Chapter Five: Fighting for Her People

Chapter Six: A Struggle to Survive

Chapter Seven: Bannock War

Chapter Eight: Lecturer and Author

Chapter Nine: Later Years

Timeline

Glossary

Further Reading

Source Notes

Select Bibliography

Index

Critical Thinking Using the Common Core

Copyright

Back Cover

Chapter One

AN IMPORTANT LETTER

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Sarah Winnemucca would spend her life working on behalf of American Indians.

It was early in April 1870. Sarah Winnemucca sat at a table staring at a blank piece of paper. She knew the words that she was about to write would have great importance both for herself and her people, the Paiute American Indians. Sarah would have to choose her words carefully and express her feelings clearly. The lives of the Paiute people could depend on it.

Sarah was 26 years old and living at U.S. Army Camp McDermit in Nevada, just across the border from Oregon. About 900 Paiutes were living near the army camp. Because Sarah spoke English and Spanish in addition to several native languages, army officials asked her to work as an interpreter. She communicated between the officers and the many native people who came to the camp for supplies. She earned $65 a month—a decent sum at the time.

Before Sarah came to the army camp, she lived at the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation about 300 miles (483 kilometers) southeast of the camp. At that reservation and at Walker River Reservation, the Paiute people were living in terrible conditions. They didn’t have enough food, shelter, or blankets. Government agents from the Bureau of Indian Affairs were in charge of the reservations. Many of these agents were dishonest. Some took bribes from settlers or companies that wanted reservation land. Others sold the food and supplies that the government provided for the Indians and pocketed the money.

Major Henry Douglas, though, was a different type of person. When he took over as Indian superintendent of Nevada, he was concerned about the condition of the Indian people. He asked Camp McDermit’s commander, Colonel James N. McElroy, what he thought the government could do to fix the situation. McElroy went to Sarah and asked her to write a letter about the problems and possible solutions for people on the reservations.

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A Northern Paiute family posed in front of their dwelling.

Sarah wrote passionately about government policies and corrupt Indian agents who worked against the native people. She said, If this is the kind of civilization awaiting us on the Reserves, God grant that we may never be compelled to go on one, as it is much prefferable [sic] to live in the mountains and drag out an existence in our native manner.¹ She encouraged the government to consider giving the American Indians permanent homes on their traditional lands where they could farm and attend school without having to worry about white people moving in and taking their land from them.

DOUBTERS

At the time Sarah Winnemucca wrote her letter, American Indian people didn’t receive much formal education. Sarah’s letter was so eloquent that some white people doubted an Indian could have written it. But many people agreed with what it said. A writer for Harper’s Weekly said, If it should turn out that there is no Sarah Winnemucca, and that no such letter was ever written, its statements will still remain as the plea and protest of thousands of the Indians.²

In Nevada and California, local newspapers wrote both positive and negative articles about Sarah. They commented on her appearance and character. Major Douglas gave his own opinion. He said she was passably good looking, with some education and … much natural shrewdness and intelligence. She converses well … and [uses] civilised customs, and will as readily join in an Indian dance..³

Douglas