Introduction
The Paiute people have a culture that is rich in the legends and traditions of
their past. In an effort to include an essential group of the Cedar City
community, it is only right and necessary that they be represented in the Iron
Mission State Park Museum. Our Service Learning Project gave us the opportunity
to participate in bridging the two cultures of early Iron County settlers and
the Paiute Indians.
The Iron Mission State Park Museum focuses on preserving the history of Iron
County from circa 1850, with the establishment of the Iron Mission, until around
the end of horse drawn transportation, which is roughly around the beginning of
national parks and near 1923. The Iron Mission was established in 1851 when the
Mormon leader, Brigham Young, sent colonizers to Coal Creek, near the site of
present day Cedar City, to construct an iron foundry and begin processing iron.
Although the iron foundry only lasted for roughly seven years the area remained
a settlement that has become rich with a history that needs to be preserved and
is done so through the Iron Mission State Park Museum.
The secondary focus of the museum is to display a collection began by Mr.
Gronway featuring different methods of horse drawn transportation including
coaches and wagons. The collection ends with the time frame wherein the railroad
came to Cedar City.
The Iron Mission State Park museum lacked sufficient representation of the
Paiute people that have been such an integral part of Iron County’s history.
Although the exhibit we had the opportunity to help construct is very basic, it
gives a representation of one of the foundations in the evolution of Iron
County.
Service
For the Service portion of our project we had the opportunity to work in close
connection with Ryan Paul who is the Iron Mission State Park Museum Curator. We
took the suggestion to work with the Iron Mission State Park from material
presented in class, and Mr. Paul was willing to meet with us. He spoke with Todd
Prince, the Iron Mission State Park Manager, about past service learning
projects and then presented us with the idea of producing a Paiute exhibit. Mr.
Paul was leery of working with us because projects in the past were unsuccessful
due to the lack of responsibility and accountability of the students who worked
on them. We felt the pressure of being responsible and of being capable to
complete the tasks placed before us.
The museum curator before Ryan Paul had begun work on producing an exhibit
that would include pictures of the Paiute Indians. In her effort to connect the
pictures with actual people she was not as successful as the project required.
So, we utilized the pictures and connected them with legends to produce Southern
Paiute Lives and Legends.
We were presented with a book written by the well known local historian,
William Palmer and were asked to select four legends that would best combine
with the pictures to produce an exhibit that would educate visitors. In our
efforts to select the legends for the exhibit we sought to choose those that
would explain to Iron Mission State Park Museum visitors the culture of the
Paiute Indians and their importance in the history of Iron County.
We divided the book into two sections and each took time to read the
available legends recorded by Palmer and then chose the ones that best suited
our purpose for the exhibit. After we individually read the legends we met
together and discussed suggestions for legends to include in the exhibit.
Legends
“Why the Birds Wear Bright Plumage” was a legend that discussed the creation of
Tu-weap, the earth, by the gods Tobats and Shinob and how birds were fundamental
to the success of the earth in its creation and sustainment. The birds created a
foundation for the land by placing leaves on the water that was the prevalent
surface of Tu-weap. After the land was established, the animals of the earth
were able to live but had nothing to eat to sustain life. The birds were able to
find seeds that could be planted in the earth and provide sustenance for the
animals. Because of their ability to help in the creation of the land and
salvation of the animals, they were honored by the gods to have bright feathers.
This legend is an explanation of the beginning of the earth and even the
beginning of animal dependence on the earth. Through this legend one can
understand the Paiute reliance on the animals and plants of the earth.
Another legend that was chosen was “Why the Paiutes Dance the Snake Dance.”
Indian tribes on the earth were being plagued by a warrior that could not be
killed despite the noble efforts of the indian braves. They found that this dark
warrior wore a stone shirt that was impenetrable to their arrows. In their
desperation they prayed to the gods, Tobats and Shinob, for help. Shinob
responded by sending Ten-ak-at, the snake, to kill the stone shirted indian.
After careful observation and planning Ten-ak-at found that when the warrior sat
down the stone shirt parted and exposed bare thigh. The following day Ten-ak-at
followed the indian and when he sat down, the snake bit him, killing him
instantly. The indians, being overjoyed with the death of the dark warrior,
scalped him and placed it on a pole that they danced around; hence, the snake
dance was born.
This legend helps to show the meaning behind one of the dances that the
Paiute people still perform and also explains its significance in their culture.
It was an interesting story that we thought would be an interesting portion of
the Paiute culture to learn about.
The last legend we chose to include was “Why the Paiutes are Nomadic.” Early in
their existence the gods set aside the Paiute people from other Indians. They
sent them to a new home where they could dwell. They traveled far to this new
home and settled in a land that they felt was blessed by the gods. After many
years of prosperity, the land entered a drought and the Paiutes found themselves
without food. Unable to sustain themselves on farming or hunting they pleaded to
Shinob for assistance. After surveying their situation and asking them what they
had done, he told them to be like the animals who had followed the water and
that if they did this they would always find food. Heeding his advice, the
Paiute Indians became a nomadic people always in search of food by following
animal migratory patterns and have been ever since.
This legend gives us an explanation of why the Paiute Indians are a nomadic
people and their purpose in moving around so often. This legend in particular
provides an illustration of the life of the Paiute people before reservations
and before the real connection of white settlers and how they influenced the
traditions of their people.
We were given the responsibility of creating a draft of the legends that could
be condensed and displayed. This involved a summarization of the legends and
making sure that the language used in the legends could be understood at a
fourth grade reading level. In addition, we were to create a paragraph that
would introduce the exhibit and explain the purpose of the name, Lives and
Legends. We presented our end product to Mr. Paul and he gave his input and then
submitted it for approval to the Park Manager, Todd Prince. Mr. Prince
considered the funding necessary for a timely construction of the exhibit. After
approval, the legends were sent to Rainbow Sign and Banner to be made into large
plaques, each containing a relevant illustration to add to the aesthetic nature
of the exhibit. After our approval of the final product, the plaques were hung
in a pattern of one plaque per three pictures.
In envisioning the exhibit Mr. Paul suggested the exhibition would benefit
from a display case containing beaded books that were currently in the
possession of the Special Collections department of the library at Southern Utah
University. Currently the books are not part of the exhibit but may be in the
future as existing museum space is expanded and space becomes available for the
display case. The exhibit is still under construction awaiting proper lighting
fixtures to effectively light the display.
Learning
This Service Learning Project focused on the process of developing a museum
exhibit and with that we had the opportunity to be exposed to the bureaucracy of
museum management. Perhaps that most important lesson we learned from being a
part of this exhibit was a better understanding of the Paiute people and their
traditions.
A museum curator has the responsibility to preserve the collection while
allowing for visitors to interpret what can be learned from the exhibit. Museums
are usually categorized as static, those that remain the same and are usually
hands off, or active, where the collection changes and provides a more
interactive experience. Ryan Paul has tried to balance between a static and
active museum to allow for a more interesting experience for park visitors.
The creation of an exhibit takes careful planning and an understanding of
particular features of the museum being used. An understanding of the idea and
scope of the collection will influence the need for exhibits to supplement the
overall purpose of the museum. A process of outlining goals and objectives then
needs to take place. In creating goals, it is necessary to think about how the
exhibit will accomplish what is trying to be done. The objectives are the most
important aspect of exhibit planning because they are focused on what an
observer is going to gain from experiencing the exhibit.
After concluding the idea behind the exhibit, the design must then be
considered. Knowledge of necessary tools and space in the museum will influence
to what magnitude the exhibit can be displayed. It is important to also note the
budget of the institution and the necessity of the exhibit.
Interpretation is a vital aspect of exhibit design. What needs to be labeled?
How will the exhibit connect with the collection in the museum in its entirety?
How can the exhibit allow for interaction? We were told that most exhibits
should be centered around a fourth grade comprehension level and for the
interest and education of visitors, it should have aspects that can be
interactive. As visitors “experience” they will walk away from the museum with
more knowledge and a clearer perception.
The final step in the process of the exhibit is the actual construction of
the display. There are factors that need to be considered such as humidity and
temperature and how they play a part in the preservation of the artifacts.
Lighting is also an important aspect of the exhibit because the environment is
so important to the experience of the museum visitors.
We did not realize the organization of authority concerned in the establishment
of an exhibit. We didn’t realize that the museum curator was not the one with
the final word. We were able to learn a little bit about how the budget
influences the capability of the museum and how that is such an important step.
It was a great opportunity to work so closely with Ryan Paul and to learn
about his position as a museum curator. We were immersed in a professional
development opportunity to get hands on experience in a field that could be a
part of our future career.
What we learned about the Paiute culture was the most influential part of the
service learning project. It is amazing that we know so little about a people
who have influenced the very environment wherein we live. We live so close to a
culture that has such a diverse way of life compared to what we know as normal
that by learning about the Paiute people, we have been able to discard some
assumptions about their traditions. We have had the opportunity to work through
some blinders that our culture has presented as to what Native American culture
is and we have found that, to some extent society is right, but to another
extent it is wrong.
We learned about how the Paiute culture is oriented primarily around legends
involving the creation of the world, the origin of many animals and people and
the environment in which they lived. We had an opportunity to better understand
the traditions that we so often associate with Native Americans and realize the
impact that those traditions have on their culture and interpretation of the
world. When the pictures were added to the exhibit it allowed for a new
interpretation of the legends through the eyes of real people.
If nothing else, we have learned to appreciate where we live and the
opportunity to understand diversity. We have had an opportunity to open our
minds to the wonderful aspects of diversity, yet as history students, we know
that differences are not always welcomed. It is hard not to wonder what the
Paiute people truly thought of Iron Mission settlers and how they really feel
about the Cedar City community. As we go throughout life and are put up against
walls of diversity, we will hopefully better remember this experience and be an
influence in our communities that will break those walls down.
Appendix
The following is our rough submission of the legends we adjusted.
WHY THE BIRDS WEAR BRIGHT PLUMAGE
A long time ago so long ago that no Indian can remember, and no tree can
remember, and no rock can remember; so long ago that there were no Indians and
there were no trees, and the rocks had not been made, there were only
Tobats and Shinob, the two gods. They made the trees and the rocks and the
Indians.
In that time Tobats and Shinob were standing on a tiny speck of land no larger
than their feet and every where else there was water. They had come to this
little island in the water world to see what should be done.
Tobats said to Shinob, “Here is the world we are making, what shall we do next?”
Shinob answered, “There is too much water. We must make more land. Tu-weap, the
earth, must be on top of the water. It must stand up high above the water so the
living things can find it.” Tobats said, “Go now and make more earth. Make it
stand above the water. Call someone to help.”
Shinob called loudly to wooten-tats, the hummingbird. “Why do you call wooten-tats?”
Tobats asked. “He is so little,” Shinob answered. “I called him because there is
no place here for anyone to stand. Wooten-tats can stand in the air while he
works.”
Wooten-tats asked, “Why did you call me?” Shinob said, “We have come to make
tu-weap, the earth, so the living things can have a place of their own to live.
Can you build?” “No,” answered wooten-tats, “I am not the builder bird. Call pa-sof-piech,
the swallow. He builds with mud.” Tobats said to Shinob, “Call pa-sof-piech.”
Shinob said to wooten-tats, “Bring pa-sof-piech here. Go quick.”
The little bird darted away and soon came back with the swallow. Wooten-tats
stood still in the air but pa-sof-piech flew around looking for a place to
light. He saw only the foot of Tobats and there he cam to rest. He looked around
and saw leaves growing in the soil under Shinob’s feet.
Shinob said to pa-sof-piech, “Are you a builder? Can you build land out on
that water?” Pa-sof-piech looked again at the leaves under Shinob’s feet and
answered, I can make a place out on the water for the earth to rest. I can make
a foundation.” “All right,” said the gods in chorus, “Do it now. Do it quick.”
The swallow plucked a leaf and flying outward dropped it on the water. He
plucked another and laid it beside the firs, then another and another and
another. He stuck them together with mud from under the feet of the gods. Tobats
and Shinob went away, but the swallow worked on for many days and the
hummingbird helped him carry leaves which grew on the plants as fast as the
birds could pluck them.
After a while the blanket of leaves was so large that pa-sof-piech and wooten-tats
could walk over it for a long, long way without getting their feathers wet.
Shinob was watching their progress and one day he raised a strong wind. It
bellied up into the sky like a great storm cloud and it traveled very fast. The
two birds saw it coming and hurried away. The wind was loaded with sand. It was
not off the water for it was dry, and it was not off the land for there was no
land.
When the wind reached the leaf blanket it dropped the sand down upon the
blanket and had to go on. The sand had spread everywhere, some of it ran over
the edge and made a big solid bank that tied tu-weap down so it could not float
away. The swallow and the hummingbird saw the wind pass over and drop its load
and they hurried back to see what had happened. They found the leaf blanket
covered deep with sand which stood high above the water.
In great excitement the two birds flew back to the somewhere they came from
[and told all the animals] the earth had been made so they could have a place to
go and make their homes. There was great excitement among the animals and among
all the living things and many took their families and went out over the water
to find the place that had been made for them.
Now all of this movement came about too fast and too soon, for there was no
food growing yet upon the new earth. They soon grew hungry and they saw that
they much perish unless the gods helped them.
Shinob heard the cries of the living things and hurried to tu-weap. He said to
the living things, “What will you eat?” The birds spoke up and said, “We will
think about it. We will talk about it. When you come again we will tell you.”
The birds rose up like a cloud and began to swirl around in great flocks in the
sky. They chattered and flapped so noisily that the animals could hear nothing
else. The animals huddled together in their hunger and sulked. For a long time
the birds were gone and the animals grew very lonesome for their twitterings and
song.
When at length the birds arrived they flew everywhere over the land. They
came laden with seeds of grass, and seeds of berries and seeds of trees. They
scattered them all over the face of the land. Then Shinob sent strong winds to
roll the sands around until the seeds were well covered.
Soon the earth began to crack and little green shoots cam thrusting upward
from the soil. In a little while the earth was green and there were berries and
fruits and grass and roots for the living things to eat. They grew fat and were
once more happy together.
One day Tobats and Shinob came and called the animals together. Shinob asked
“What will you eat?” The animals all sang out in joyful chorus, “We will eat the
things that the birds brought for us.” Shinob said, “It is well. If you will eat
only the foods that grow out of the earth you will be happy. Do this and the
living things will always be friends.”
Old Tobats asked, “What will we do for the birds to pay them for the great thing
they did?” Shinob answered, “Let them always be carriers of seeds to make the
earth brighter. Let the winds be their helpers. Give them bright plumage and put
songs in their throats so they can always make the earth beautiful and the
living things happy.”
WHY THE PAHUTES DANCE THE SNAKE DANCE
From Tavi-awk Wintook, the land of the setting sun, there came a cry of sorrow
and distress. On the wings of the winds it was carried eastward as a warning to
all the Indian tribes. The Shivwits heard it and said, “The Moapariats are being
killed.” The Pa-rus-its heard it and said, “War is coming.” All the tribes of
Indians heard it and said, “We must get ready to fight.”
Presently from out the west, clad in all the trappings of a victorious
warrior, there strode the befeathered figure of a lone Indian. He at once began
the wild chant of the war song and approached them with the taunting challenge
of the war dance.
Onward the stranger came brandishing his war clubs and crying his intention
of slaying them all. The Indian braves moved quickly into formation and when the
boastful, reckless fellow came within range the signal to shoot was given.
Instantly the air was filled with the whirr of flying arrows, and for a moment
the stranger staggered under their force. There was the sharp ring of stone
striking stone. Onward the terrible one came and with roars of laughter struck
down his opponents right and left. Valiantly the Indians fought, but too late
the awful discovery was made that their enemy was timpe-na-lo-at, the warrior
with the stone shirt, whom no one could kill. Tribe after tribe he visited and
passed on, leaving behind a trail of sorrow and desolation.
Finally the Indians in despair sent the great distress cry to Shinob for
help. The stone shirt must be killed or no Indians would be left. Tobats, the
elder god, heard the cry. He said to Shinob, “They are crying for help. Go to
them and tell them that stone shirt will be killed. Send ten-ak-at, the little
host sand snake, after timpe-na-lo-at. He will find a way to kill him.”
Shinob told the snake to follow timpe-na-lo-at, to hide in the grass close by
him, to watch and see if he could find any spot where the bad fellow could be
hit and killed. Ten-ak-at did all he was told. Through the night he slept under
the same bush as timpe-na-lo-at and in the day he kept close behind him, hiding
in the grass. Soon he discovered that when the armored warrior sat down the
stone shirt parted and there was exposed a few inches of bare thigh.
One dark night ten-ak-at hid himself in a crevice of the rock on which
timpe-na-lo-at came in the morning to sit. As timpe-na-lo-at drew near, the
snake drew himself into a menacing coil. He made ready to strike with all his
force. As timpe-na-lo-at sat down the stone shirt parted and instantly the
poison serpent struck his deadly blow. With a scream that was heard all over the
land the terrified warrior ran for his camp, but the work of ten-ak-at was too
well done.
As news of the death of their enemy spread among the Indians there was great
rejoicing in the land and all the tribes gathered to see the fallen villain.
Now timpe-na-lo-at left children and they grew stone shirts like their
father. When the living things learned that, they asked Shinob to kill them.
“No,” said Shinob, “we will not kill them. We will make them small and
harmless. All of their limbs shall be turned into short, stiff legs, and all of
them must be used to walk. These children can never stand up on two legs as
their father did to swing a club. On their bellies they must always be and their
stone shirts shall be bother their handicap and their protection. Back to the
hot desert they must go and you shall call them the terrapin.”
When at last the gathering broke up, the scalp of stone shirt was divided
among the tribes with whom he had engaged in battle, for all had fought him
bravely. Each piece was fastened on a high pole and was carried at the head of
each homeward procession. Every night while they were traveling the pole was set
up on the camp ground and men, women, and children danced the snake dance around
it. It is a ceremonial dance to this day commemorating Pahute delivery from a
terrible enemy, and ten-ak-at, the friendly little snake, is never harmed by an
Indian.
WHY THE PAHUTES ARE NOMADIC
The first home of the Pahutes was in the land of the setting sun. It was in the
high mountains to the far west where the Indians could look out over waters that
were wider than their eyes could reach. They lived there with Tobats and Shinob,
the Indian gods. The cave their was a good home and they loved to be there.
One day Tobats told Shinob to send the Pahutes away. He said , “Give them
homelands across the wide desert toward Travi-Maus, the land of the rising sun.”
Shinob called the Pahutes out from among the other Indians and told them to go.
Shinob told them “You must go now. Keep-a-going, keep-a-going, keep-a-going. Do
not stop until you come to the big red mountains. That land will be your home.”
So the Pahutes left their cave and came far eastward to the red mountains which
the gods had given them.
After the Indians reached their red mountain country they hunted around and
found many caves in the canyons that were like the great cave that they had come
from. In these they made their home and were happy and content. There was no
place for their gardens near their caves, so they went down in the valley close
by the streams of water, where the water could be carried down in the valley
near their gardens and went but little up to their cave homes. They could go out
over the hills any time and kill game to eat and there was plenty of grass seed
to be gathered to eat. They thought that Shinob had given them a good country
and they were happy and satisfied . Here they lived a happy and carefree life.
Then a time came when the rains of summer and the snows of winter began to
diminish. Year after year the condition grew perceptibly worse until the streams
dried up and there was no water to carry to their growing crops.
In the council meeting that was held it was decided that the braves should go
out and kill lots of game. They were to bring back deer meat and elk meat. They
were to kill all the big animals that they found and bring the meat home for the
women to dry. They went, but after a long hunt came back without meat. The
council said, “Go out agin and hunt for wild fowl, bring in ducks and geese and
turkey.” The hunters went out, but came back with no meat. They had seen no fowl
in all their hunt. The council sent the hunters out to search for the little
animals, the rabbit and squirrel anything that they could find. They came home
again to say that they had found no meat.
When the council met again the Medicine Man said “We have done all we can to
find food and there is none in our country. We must go on top of the mountain
and send a great distress cry to the gods.”
After three days the Indian god Shinob answered their cries and asked “What
are you crying for?” They answered and said “We are hungry, we are starving.”
Shinob then asked them if they had gone and hunted for the big animals, and the
birds and even the little animals. He also asked them why they did not go and
gather grass seeds? The Indians said that there was no water to grow crops and
no feed for the animals and that they had all gone to hunt food. The Indian said
that “Only we are left and we are starving. Can’t you give us something to eat?”
Looking with patience upon them, the good god said, “The deer, the antelope
and all the big animals went away to find food when there was none here. They
were smart. The ducks and birds went away to find food when they had none. They
were smart. The squirrels and rabbits and all the little animals went away to
hunt for food when they were hungry. They were smart. You should have as much
sense as the animals and the birds. The country is large and somewhere there is
always food. If you follow the animals and the birds they will lead you to it.
Go now and follow their tracks.” So saying, the god went away.
From that day to this the Pahutes have been a nomadic people. Leaving their homes in the caves, they have followed the game from high land to low and gathered in gratitude the foods which the gods distribute every year over the face of tu-weap the earth.