To the American Indian: the Unique Personal Account of a Yurok Native American Woman of Northern California

by Lucy Thompson

Book Overview

An important voice for her people by the first published Native American female author

Lucy Thompson (or to give her the correct Yurok name Che-na-wah Weitch-ah-wah) was notable among authors since she was the first Native American woman ever to write a book and have it published in the English language. Although this book first appeared in 1916, it received 'The American Book Award' in 1992. Born in the Klamath River village...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1782828133
• ISBN13: 9781782828136
• Release Date: August 2019
• Publisher: Leonaur Ltd
• Length: 204 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

The autobiographical narrative of a pure-blooded aristocrat

First published in 1916, To The American Indian: Reminiscences Of A Yurok Woman is the autobiographical narrative of a pure-blooded aristocrat of the Yurok Indians, and one of the few firsthand accounts of Native American life and culture written by a female. Author Lucy Thompson did not present her story to anthropologists or the press; instead she took it on herself to write her own tale, out of concern for the survival of her people and her customs, and worry that their story would not be told. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs, To The American Indian offers a revealing and timeless portrait of Yurok life in the nineteenth century that only a firsthand viewpoint can provide.

The Yurok account of North America beginning 8,350 BC.

"The traditions handed down say that the land north of Redwood Creek, where it goes into the ocean, extended far out into the sea to the large rock that is now known to the white people as Redding Rock." The base of Redding Rock lies 50m beneath the sea. The last time Redding Rock was on dry land was in 8350 +/-200 BC [9600 BP].This very early date means that Lucy Thompson's Yurok tribe has occupied the Klamath River Valley for over 10,000 years. Her 1916 narrative is the oldest American history of any sort, and could be the oldest anywhere on earth. Lucy's descriptions extend even further back, "to the Age of Giants, when large animals roamed the earth.""From the land of Cheek-cheek-alth, the mystic Eden of long ago, came our wandering tribe of people, who long since inhabited North and South America." This ancient name still exists, now pronounced Chechen-Aul, near Grozny, after which Chechnya was named."Our part of the people traveled on until they reached their final earthly home on the Klamath River, which we call Health-kick-wer-roy; and here we found the white race, Wa-gas."This is a stunning statement! The Yuroks were preceeded by a white tribe! "These white people were found to inhabit the whole continent, and were a highly moral and civilized race."After 1000 years of peaceful coexistance, the Wa-gas migrated out of North America back "to the land of their birth, in the far north, the valley of Cheek-cheek-Alth, .. the same land as ours." They built dugouts and paddled north along the coast, to Japan, then across Siberia, retracing the route used by the Yurok, back to Chechnya. This migration resulted from a catastrophic tsunami that obliterated the entire Mississippi Valley and most of their civilization in 7130 +/-50 BC [8160 +/-50 BP].A unique description of early America and Europe by a brilliant tribal historian.