Thought some might be interested of on accounts of the lizard that was relayed by a Big Meadows Maidu and published in 1883:

“Speaking of Indians, reminds of a curious legend of theirs that I drew a few days ago from Dick, an Indian, an intelligent Big Meadows buck. Accidentally, I spoke of the arrowheads occasionally found everywhere over the country, and he remarked ‘they were no account, as they were made by lizards.’ This excited my curiosity, and with a little questioning I obtained the following, which in a tradition they have the appearance of religiously believing, as it is told them by their fathers.

“A long time ago the lizard was a little man, very little man indeed, and he was very much afraid of the grizzly bear, who was the ‘hi[yu’ boss-the right bower-the four aces so to speak, of all beasts, and what is more could talk. Well, these ugly bears seemed to hanker after these little lizard men and would think nothing of making a lunch of whole family, with mother-in-laws thrown in as dessert. The lizard were mortally afraid of them, but would shoot arrows at them without doing any harm, only making the grizzlies laugh. (These arrowheads are the ones we find.) At last there was a smart little cuss of a lizard who had had all his relatives eaten except his grandmother, with whom he lived, and resolved to make at a bow and arrow that would kill the bear. So he set himself to work and when questioned he told them all what he was doing at which they would laugh. When he got his bow completed his grandmother would not let him leave the campooda, for fear he would meet the fate of the others. At one last evening, while the old lady was gone after a basket of water, he took his new bow and quiver of arrows and stole away to a valley where the bears congregated to hold their meetings and all over the prospects of yellow jackets crop. Arriving at the valley, he soon saw a number of bears, among was the old boss himself-a monster that had grown fat on lizard men. Climbing  a small sapling, he made a noise by shouting, whistling and other means, to attract the attention of the bears, which soon did, and the old boss bear walked growling up to the tree, and savagely inquired what Mr. Lizard wanted. The little fellow up and told him what he had made, and that he was going to kill him, at which the bear laughed and told the little fellow to come down  and he would go home with him and they would have would have big spree that night. But lizard declined the bear’s invitation to his own home and told him he meant business, and if the old grizzly did not believe him, to just shut his eyes and open his mouth and he would show how it was  done. To this the bear laughingly consented, when the little fellow fired away, the arrow entering the bear’s mouth, killing him on the spot. He then hastened to his grandmother, whom he found weeping, thinking that he, too, had been a made a lizard angel, just like the rest of his relatives. He told the old woman to ‘dry up’ and then told her what he had done, and it took him some time make her and the other lizards believe him, although he had never been known to tell a lie. At the last the truth became known, he was made a big chief, a great feast of crickets, acorns and suckers was given, and he lived long to enjoy the honors he had achieved by his daring act, while the bears, having found their match, became frightened and sought the darkest shades of the forest, where they have ever since remained, only when forced by hunger to seek food in the valleys.”

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P.S. Thanks to for the birthday wishes yesterday. I did not take the day off, but processed calendar orders, etc.

In the early 1990s there was a local lobby effort to have a portrait hung in Carson City for Isaac Roop, he being the first Provisional Governor of the Nevada Territory in 1859. Nevada officials agreed to a portrait placement, but private citizens would have to pay for such a portrait. Fundraisers were held.

Once such fundraiser occurred in April 1994, a month after the portrait was hung. The Lassen County Times covered the event which included Chief Winnemucca’s treaty with the local settlers and the Papoose Meadows Massacre of 1866. I have covered this with Version One, Version Two and Version Three. At this dinner, there is now a Version Four. Without further ado here is the published account.

“Harold Dixon, who consider  himself a local Indian historian, provides some insight into that historic treaty.

“Young Winnemucca, according to Dixon, was a Paiute Indian born near present day of Litchfield in the Honey Lake Valley. He was chief of the Wadatkut band of the Paiutes who for centuries roamed the Eagle Lake and Honey Lake areas, as well as other areas of Northeastern California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada.

“Winnemucca was related to Old Man Joaquin who was best known as being the only survivor of the Eagle Lake Massacre (1862) in which 80 to 100 Paiutes were killed by the local settlers.

“According to Dixon, the massacre occurred at Papoose Meadows, and the settlers who did the killing had actually journeyed to the area to take revenge on Pit River Indians who had reportedly been stealing cattle.”

Unfortunately, this account is full of factual errors, but since it is published, some might take as factual to quote and perpetuate it.

Tim