Interviews with Paul Edmondson about his Native American Historical Fiction “Great Spirit of Yosemite: The Story of Chief Tenaya “
Category: Yosemite Books
BOOK SET IN YOSEMITE
Great Spirit of Yosemite is a historical fiction set in the magnificent surroundings of Yosemite, California.
Evidence of people visiting Yosemite Valley goes back 8-10,000 years. People have lived there for over 3 millennia. Paiutes were certainly some of the indigenous peoples who lived in and around Yosemite and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.
It tells the story of the Ahwahneechees, a Native American people who lived in Yosemite Valley until the mid-19th century. The Ahwahneechees had lived there for millennia until they were forced to leave as a result of the Gold Rush.
Hostilities had arisen between the gold prospectors and the indigenous Indian people. Initial skirmishes led to further feuds, violence, robbery, and murders. To protect the new, white settlers, the California State Governor ordered the formation of the Mariposa Battalion. In 1851 this Battalion pursued the Ahwahneechees into Yosemite Valley.
This novel is based on true historical events. It tells the remarkable story of Chief Tenaya and his people as they try to resist the Mariposa Battalion, who invaded their homeland.
It depicts their way of life, their spirituality, and family love, before all this was torn to pieces by the war.
This book includes many photographs taken by myself in and around Yosemite National Park and Mono Lake.