Seeing and photographing around the Mono Lake South Tufa area is like encountering an “otherworldly” experience. The Mono Lake State Natural Reserve is a rare place in the world where a unique and amazing group of geological features, like the tufas, can be seen. This photograph was taken with the backdrop of the sun going down over the Sierra Nevada. The tufas stretch in a line below the mountains.
It was around here that Chief Tenaya of the Ahwahneechees was born amongst the Mono Paiutes. This photo is included in the historical fiction, Great Spirit of Yosemite: The Story of Chief Tenaya. This novel re-tells the true and epic story of the Chief and his people at the time of the California Gold Rush. During this time their homelands were invaded in the Mariposa War of 1850/51.
Below the photo is a Paiute legend: The Bewitching of the Sun.
MONO LAKE SOUTH TUFA: THE BEWITCHING OF SUN
Sun, the son of old Coyote, went hunting, while Sun’s wife, Mourning Dove, went to gather black seeds for food. Meanwhile, a young woman, named Meadowlark, entered Sun’s home, because she wanted to marry Sun. Finding the offspring of Sun and Mourning Dove in the house, she cast them out onto the ground to suffer in the boiling sun. Therefore, doves now have red feet. After a while, Mourning Dove returned and took her children back into the house.
Then she discovered Meadowlark sitting there and wondered why Meadowlark had intruded into her house. After a while, Sun returned. When he came into sight, he was very bright. Meadowlark tried to look at him, but could not, because of the glare. Sun just stood and looked at her but refused to be seduced by her advances. This made Meadowlark furious, so she returned to her mother’s house and proceeded to bewitch Sun.
She informed her mother that Sun would have nothing to do with her. After bewitching Sun with witchcraft, he became very ill. As he lay sick, Meadowlark boasted of her witchcraft to her mother. Sun was at the point of death, so a doctor was sent for. Nuthatch (kabikabina) answered the call. Hummingbird (piskutu) was also called and it was he who cured Sun.
Sun Recovers
When Sun had fully recovered, he told his wife that he was going to Meadowlark’s house and that he would pretend to marry her. In this way, he could take revenge for the sickness she had brought upon him. So, he went to Meadowlark’s place and built a house. It was very small, covered with pine needles, glued together with pitch so that it would burn quickly. Sun took care to make the doorway small and difficult to pass through. When Meadowlark and her mother were sound asleep in the new house, he set fire to it and left. Meadowlark, nevertheless, outwitted Sun, for she caused rain to fall which extinguished the fire, However, this was not until she was badly burned
Hi, I am Paul, photographer, and author of the historical novel “Great Spirit of Yosemite: The Story of Chief Tenaya”. This ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ illustrated book is available in eBook and paperback formats through all major online booksellers from $2.99 (e.g. Amazon, Bookshop.org, IndieBound, Apple Books, etc) - details can be found in "Purchasing Options" in the "About the Book" drop-down.