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The Dawn of the World Myths and Tales of the Miwok Indians of California

by C. Hart Merriam

The Dawn of the World Myths and Tales of the Miwok Indians of California Cover

ISBN13: 9781417915996
ISBN10: 1417915994
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

1910. The tales contained in this volume were told to Merriam by the Indians of a single stock, the Mewan, the tribes of which are confined to central California and have no known relatives in any part of the world. The myths are related by the old people after the first rains of the winter season, usually in the ceremonial roundhouse and always at night by the dim light of a small flickering fire. They constitute the religious history of the tribe, and from time immemorial have been handed down by word of mouth; from generation to generation they have been repeated, without loss and without addition. Some of the tales contained in this volume are: Why the Lizard Man did not restore Dead People to Life; The Coyote and the Lizard; The Creation of Man; How they got the Fire; The bear and the Fawns, as told by the Northern Mewuk; Why the Bodega Bay Indians can not stand Cold; and many more.

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Average customer rating based on 2 comments:
Robert, May 23, 2006 (view all comments by Robert)
I went back to verify Yosemite Indian's comment and he/she is correct.

C. Hart Merriam acknowledged that he was mistaken, that the tales were Yokut and NOT Miwuk.

C. Hart Merriam got many, many things incorrect. First of all Merriam never states who most of his informants are. Without that we can't decide if his information was correct or incorrect. I believe a lot of C. Hart Merriam's work was incorrect.

Merriam has Chief George Dick and his family as Miwoks, but they are instead Paiutes. They were very important Yosemite Paiute Indians. Merriam generalized everyone in one category when around that time there were several different Indians living around Coulterville and Sonora. There were Yokuts, Miwuks, Paiutes, Maidus, Washoes, and even Mission Indians living in the area. That is why his information could be some what off.

Those who really know Indian language and the Indian people of Yosemite know that Merriam's work is off.

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Yosemite Indian, April 15, 2006 (view all comments by Yosemite Indian)
In Frank Latta's book Handbook of the Yokuts C. Hart Merriam concided when Frank Latta showed him evidence that Merriam's work was incorrect around the 1930s. That was after C. Hart Merriam printed this book.

That the "Miwok" tales were really Yokut tales.

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Product Details

ISBN:
9781417915996
Editor:
Merriam, C. Hart
Publisher:
Kessinger Publishing
Editor:
Merriam, C. Hart
Subject:
Folklore & Mythology - Mythology
Subject:
Ethnic Studies - Native American Studies
Publication Date:
April 2004
Binding:
Paperback
Language:
English
Pages:
268
Dimensions:
9.00x6.00x.61 in. .87 lbs.
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