Toyah Medicine Woman of Bluff Creek

By Larry Webb

This book concerns an actual group of Native Americans known as the Toyah culture who lived in Central Texas for six hundred years, culminating with their disappearance around seven hundred years before the present. This Toyah cultures prehistoric empire began in Taylor County, Texas, and proceeded southeasterly across the Edwards Plateau through South Texas and into Northern Mexico. Their eastern boundary extended to the Gulf of Mexico while their western boundary coincided with the Pecos River basin.

The book is written in two parts, with the first part taking place some seven hundred years before present and chronicling the life of Chandana, a strong young Toyah medicine woman and shaman struggling with lifes mundane things and some things quite serious and imposing. Chandanas life is written in the form of a novel as it is based upon the authors discovered evidence as to how her life may have unfolded.

The second part of the book illustrates some of the authors discoveries, evaluations, and research among what was left behind by these Toyah Native Americans who lived along Bluff Creek, Flag Creek, and Elmmott Creek. Finally, the author offers direct and circumstantial evidence illustrating why and how this great Toyah Empire was replaced by other Native Americans, starting around the year 1300.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 28, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543453621

Larry Webb

About the Author The author and his three preceding generations of ancestors grew crops and raised livestock along Flag Creek in Taylor County, Texas, beginning in 1879 while observing the remnants of several Toyah Native American village sites on his stock farm. The author, a self-trained archaeologist, has consummated a near lifetime of study of what this subset of the Toyah culture left behind in their refuse piles along Flag Creek, Bluff Creek, and Elmmottt Creek. The author learned directly and indirectly how these Toyahs lived and perhaps why they disappeared. Revelations regarding this Toyah culture drawn by the author include the discovery of Native American cliff art, caches, arrowheads, atlatl dart points, scrapers, drills, and pottery, which all clearly illustrate the Toyah heritage in Texas.

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Copyright © 2017 by Larry Webb.

Library of Congress Control Number:     2017914746

     ISBN:             Hardcover               978-1-5434-5360-7

                             Softcover                 978-1-5434-5361-4

                            eBook                       978-1-5434-5362-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 12/26/2017

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Introduction:   The Toyah (Native American) Culture

Chapter 1     Chandana—Toyah Medicine Woman of Bluff Creek

Chapter 2     Chandana and Pankaja’s Journey

Chapter 3     Shakuntala’s Vision Quest

Chapter 4     Chandana’s Worst Fears

Chapter 5     Where Are the Buffalo?

Chapter 6     Shobha’s Experiences on Rattlesnake Mountain

Chapter 7     The Buffalo and Panther Tribes Organize

Chapter 8     The Buffalo and Panther Tribes Operate the Jump

Chapter 9     Time of Plenty

Chapter 10   The Gathering

Chapter 11   Back at Bluff Creek

Chapter 12   The Buffalo Tribe: Danger Approaches

Chapter 13   The Panther and Buffalo Tribes Adjust to One Another

Chapter 14   Shobha and Dipaka’s Journey beyond the Long Mountain

Chapter 15   Panther Tribe Welcomes the Return of Shobha and Dipaka

Chapter 16   The Panther Tribe Discusses a New Chief

Chapter 17   The Buffalo Tribe Decides to Join the Panther Tribe

Chapter 18   The Panther Tribe Selects Chief Rajendra

Chapter 19   The Panther Tribe Returns to the Long Mountain

Chapter 20   The Panther Tribe Discusses Their Expedition

Chapter 21   The Buffalo Arrive in Smaller Numbers.

Chapter 22   The Panther Tribe Decides to Relocate

Chapter 23   The Panther Tribe Moves North

Chapter 24   Life in the Big Canyon

Chapter 25   Demise of the Toyah Culture

AUTHOR’S COMMENTARY

Chapter 1   Author’s Discovery of the Toyah Culture on Bluff Creek

Chapter 2    Author’s Discovery of a Prehistoric Buffalo Jump

Chapter 3    Medicine Point

Chapter 4    Cliff Art

Chapter 5    Cache on Elmmott Creek

Chapter 6    Partial Listing of Other Cultures Living along Bluff Creek

Chapter 7    Clovis Culture

Chapter 8    Dalton-Hemphill Culture

Chapter 9    Scottsbluff I Culture

Chapter 10    Darl Stemmed Culture

Chapter 11    Pedernales Culture

Chapter 12    Edgewood Culture

Chapter 13    Harrell Culture

Chapter 14    Scrapers from Flag Creek

Chapter 15    Other Cultures at Flag Creek

Chapter 16    Unknown Cultures

Chapter 17    Historical Cultures

Chapter 18    Dedication of Book to David Fuller and Kelsey Webb

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Acknowledgments

Acknowledging a lifetime yet to be fully consummated, the author has certain experiences within the fringes of his mind that seek to be documented prior to being irrevocably lost. There are also meadows yet to cross while diligently focusing on the soil surface for that slight difference, that erosion, that gray coloration of flint, that telltale indication of those indentations on flint—an unnatural tip or even slightly whitened gray or patina from the exposure of flint to sunlight—all indicating that maybe it’s an arrowhead. Perhaps it is a Clovis point. It’s time to look closer and see if this is archaeological treasure or junk. While relishing the pleasures of an arrowhead hunt, these past seventy-two years with its associated trials, tribulations, and pleasures experienced within the sustaining valleys of Flag Creek and Bluff Creek have proven to be rewarding to the author and are assumed to have been rewarding to the others before him, much earlier in time than his three preceding generations of family who have shared this valley before the author.

An old farmer long gone from his life’s work of farming on Flag Creek with little use for the spoken word once interjected into a conversation with the author. You know … this valley can promise you so little yet give you back so much. And then there are other times when the same valley promises you much, yet it gives you back so little. The author immediately knew the wisdom of the old farmer’s words and later wondered if it had always been that way for the ones before him. The author has often thought of his lifetime experiences along Flag Creek as he has seen and sensed overwhelming evidence of man’s near-continuous occupation along Flag Creek and Bluff Creek for at least 13,500 years, perhaps more. This book is written to document the author’s evidence with arguments to illustrate how life may have been like here along Flag Creek and Bluff Creek thousands of years earlier in time.

Although the subject is undergoing some professional dissension, most archaeologists still accept the long-held belief that the existence of man in America goes back to the time of the Clovis culture, who first arrived by venturing across the land bridge along the Aleutian Islands connecting Russia to North America during the last major Ice Age when sea levels fell due to so much water being trapped as aboveground ice. It is also noteworthy that this arrival of the Clovis people to America preceded the construction of the Great Pyramids in Egypt by approximately 8,500 years.

It is heartening to appreciate what was accomplished by the complex Inca culture in the Andes Mountains or the exotic Aztecs in the Yucatan Peninsula—such grandeur still continues to be unmasked following the trampling of time within the ravages of a rain forest. Compare this record to the one left behind by the Egyptians in the arid Egyptian desert.

Long ago, the Clovis culture did arrive within Texas to experience the valleys along Flag Creek and Bluff Creek as the author has personally discovered Clovis arrowheads left behind along Flag Creek and Bluff Creek. He has also witnessed others finding Clovis artifacts and has read at least two published reports from the Texas State Historical Association of Clovis culture discoveries along Bluff Creek. It should be without question that the Clovis culture occupied Flag Creek and Bluff Creek in times past.

A stone’s throw away from Flag Creek, the plains rise up to the elevated Rattlesnake Mountain, a vantage point that rises some 120 feet above the creek bottom and that provides a unique perspective for any culture to knap flint while locating game and observing the approach of friend or enemy. Many cultures of Native Americans have utilized this perspective afforded by Rattlesnake Mountain, which splits Flag Creek. A cache of arrowheads from the Dalton-Hemphill culture was discovered by the author halfway upslope on a rise on the eastern side of Rattlesnake Mountain. These arrowheads were knapped by the Dalton-Hemphill culture, who occupied Rattlesnake Mountain and Flag Creek some 9,500 years before present. Remnants of many other cultures have also been discovered on this same mountain and along Flag Creek.

Other cultures followed the Clovis and the Dalton-Hemphill cultures as the author’s childhood homesite on the west fork of Flag Creek coincides with a Toyah culture village site, which demonstrates significant human occupation some 700 to 1,300 years before present. Their trash and other artifacts left behind by this Toyah culture can be analyzed to better understand their history regarding means and methods for living and survival when occupying Flag Creek and Bluff Creek. So much history and evidence was available that it became anything but straightforward for the author to comprehend its meaning without later comparisons to other areas of the United States. There was so much Toyah culture evidence near the author’s childhood home on Flag Creek that often the author’s folks would instruct the author as a young child to take visitors to the Toyah village site to look for arrowheads so they would each have a souvenir of their visit to the Webb household! (The author’s evidence of these other cultures is presented in the Author’s Commentary section or Part Two of this book.)

Special thanks are extended to the author’s great-grandparents (W. J. Floyd and Mattie Middleton) who chose to marry and settle on the east fork of Flag Creek in the 1870s, where the author constructed his lifetime home in 1974. When these great-grandparents arrived, Native Americans were still living near Flag Creek. Adjustments were forged between these local Native Americans and the author’s European ancestors. (The author was advised by his grandmother that a peace treaty was consummated between these local Indians and W. J. Floyd, her father. This grandmother took the author to the actual tree where the treaty was signed!)

The author’s grandmother Louise (Floyd) Webb spent her lifetime on Flag Creek in the same location later chosen by the author. Her garden has been utilized as a garden for over one hundred years. During her lifetime, this grandmother saw and heard much, especially her nighttime dreams wherein her home on Flag Creek was attacked and burned by raiding Comanche Indians. Additionally, on many nights of her youth, this same grandmother could physically hear the threatening screams of panthers on Flag Creek yet emanating from the direction of Flattop Mountain and Bluff Creek.

The author, essentially being raised by this same grandmother, hunted and fished with her and also accumulated a joint collection of arrowheads. Often the author would remove their joint collection of arrowheads housed in an old cigar box from the fireplace mantel to make sure they were all still there and to discuss each of these Native American artifacts with his grandmother. Those arrowheads or pieces of history were obviously intriguing to the author as he can remember asking his grandmother, Grandma, who were these people who lived here and made these arrowheads from stone? What happened to them?

Unfortunately, the author’s grandmother only knew of the Comanche, so she would say, Those bad Comanches must have made the arrowheads.

The author would respond, Why is each arrowhead so different and unique? Why would the Comanches make so many different styles of arrowheads?

Grandma would respond, I guess those Comanches liked variety.

Unfortunately, at the time, no one we knew had any knowledge of the many unique cultures who have lived here along Flag Creek before us for thousands of years. That would have helped explain the many styles and variety of arrowheads.

Remembering the author’s recent successful legal defense against the possible encroachment of a high voltage 345-kV transmission line onto his property wherein the court ruled in favor of the author and directed the transmission line’s construction to be elsewhere. At the public utility commission hearing in Austin, Texas, the author sufficiently proved himself to the court that he became acceptable as a creditable witness regarding these many cultures who had previously lived along Flag Creek and Bluff Creek to this Texas State Court.

With these facts in hand and the author’s age, it was now becoming time for the author to document his assertions regarding these early people who lived here—before the author and his three preceding generations of family who also lived along Flag Creek. There are events, each with a companion narrative, that must be written to document the author’s archaeological discoveries while introducing his illustrative evidence with artifacts left by those who were here much earlier in time. Each arrowhead, each knife, each drill, and each scraper were crafted and utilized by unique persons for specific purposes. Reasonable deductions may be considered.

A couple of years past with this same unfulfilled passion burning within the author to document his findings, his youngest granddaughter, Mackenzie Webb, one day excitedly declared, Pa, Pa, I brought a book home from school today for you to read. You will love this one. It is a story about your Indians that you are always talking about.

The book Kenzie brought home was read in less than a day as it was entertaining, being a fictional account of life as a Native American in Central Texas—back in time before all the complications of electricity and automobiles had come along. Unfortunately, the book created, in my opinion, some unrealistic situations; yet most characters did come across as authentic and believable. The book was classified as fiction; no harm was done.

After reading and thinking more about the book that Kenzie had brought home, the author remarked to Kenzie, We could write a book like that … except we can make everything authentic. Perhaps a novel about our local Native Americans, the Toyah culture, the ones who lived here along Bluff Creek and our ranch on Flag Creek before us, before my grandmother Louise [Floyd] Webb and her parents. We could include many of our discoveries with photographic evidence of the artifacts as illustrations into the story line.

Kenzie smiled approval with some noted interest. A few days later, the author had written several chapters and offered the early manuscript to Kenzie, who read the humble beginnings and suggested some possible character changes with story line additions. The author began writing Kenzie’s and his novel in earnest.

After several additional months of writing and rewriting the early draft, the author offered the progressing manuscript to his oldest granddaughter, Sheyann Gadberry, who read the material and offered, That nice cache of arrowheads you found on Elmmott Creek, perhaps you could add into your story line a plausible explanation as to how the cache became lost to its original owner and you were permitted to find the same cache all those centuries of time later. Sheyann made another subtle suggestion, You have Chandana meekly waiting for her chief’s acknowledgment prior to her speaking. Chandana is stronger than that. I don’t think she would defer to anyone! The author smiled in agreement and then proceeded to write Kenzie’s, Sheyann’s, and his novel even more in earnest.

Both of the author’s granddaughters (Kenzie and Sheyann) are strong-willed and are direct descendants of Ima (Decker) Moore, a local Choctaw who grew up in the 1800s in the hills near Trent, Texas, living her youth the Indian way. Ima Moore inspired many, including the author, with her firsthand experience of life as an Indian. Ima Moore is the great-great-grandmother of the author’s granddaughters.

This book is a result of these collaborations.

Introduction

THE TOYAH (NATIVE AMERICAN) CULTURE

The prehistoric Native American archaeological phase known as the Toyah culture ceased to exist after a six-hundred-year reign (AD 800–1400) over what is now known as Taylor County, Texas, and territory southeast across the Edwards Plateau, South Texas, and into Northern Mexico. This extensive culture extended east to the Gulf of Mexico and also demonstrated a presence southwest into the Pecos River Basin. Even so, this Toyah culture essentially disappeared from their homeland some 150 years prior to Coronado making his epic journey across the Southern Plains in 1540.

This Toyah culture expectedly practiced some cultural exchange with the Pueblo culture to the west, the mound-building Caddo culture to the east, and the Aztecs to the south. They possessed too much territory not to have known and dealt with at least their immediate neighbors. Any culture who survives for six hundred years must have possessed a fairly complex form of governance, which possessed a fighting arm or at least a prescribed form of defense wherein the individual tribes would have been obligated to support. Such defensive capability would have enabled the survival of the Toyah culture in a world that promulgates only the strong shall survive.

During this lengthy reign of the