Truckee (died 1860), also known as Captain Truckee, Wuna Mucca,
[Ontko, Gale. Thunder Over the Ochoco, Volume II: Distant Thunder. Bend, OR: Maverick Publications, Inc., Fourth Printing. 1997.] The Giver of Spiritual Gifts,
Old Winnemucca, One Moccasin,
''Onennamucca'',
''One-ah-mucca''), or Old Chief Winnemucca, was a medicine chief of the
Northern Paiute people
Northern may refer to the following:
Geography
* North, a point in direction
* Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe
* Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States
* Northern Province, Sri Lanka
* Northern Range, a ra ...
and an influential
prophet
In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...
.
How he gained the name Truckee is up for debate as different accounts credit different people/groups with giving Winnemucca the nickname. Chief Truckee led his people through a rapidly changing time in California history while also becoming one of the most respected chiefs both by his people and to an extent by the settlers who he often aided. For simplicity he will be referred to as Truckee or Old Winnemucca for the rest of the Article.
Family life
Old Winnemucca was born a
Shoshoni
The Shoshone or Shoshoni ( or ) are a Native American tribe with four large cultural/linguistic divisions:
* Eastern Shoshone: Wyoming
* Northern Shoshone: southern Idaho
* Western Shoshone: Nevada, northern Utah
* Goshute: western Utah, east ...
and became a
Paiute
Paiute (; also Piute) refers to three non-contiguous groups of indigenous peoples of the Great Basin. Although their languages are related within the Numic group of Uto-Aztecan languages, these three groups do not form a single set. The term "Paiu ...
by marrying a
Kuyuidika woman. He was the father of Tuboitonie and father-in-law to her husband
Poito
Winnemucca ( – 1882) (also called Wobitsawahkah, Bad Face, Winnemucca the Younger, Mubetawaka, and PoitoOntko, Gale. ''Thunder Over the Ochoco,'' Volume I: ''The Gathering Storm''. Bend, OR: Maverick Publications, Inc., 1997.) was a Northern Pa ...
, who later inherited his name and became known as Winnemucca the Younger. Tuboitonie and Winnemucca the Younger were the parents of
Sarah Winnemucca
Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins ( – October 17, 1891) was a Northern Paiute author, activist (lecturer) and educator (school organizer). Her maiden name is Winnemucca.
Her Northern Paiute name was Thocmentony, also spelled Tocmetone, which translates ...
, making Old Winnemucca her maternal grandfather.
[Sarah Winnemucca of the Northern Paiutes](_blank)
Gae Whitney Canfield, p.6 In her work Sarah Winnemucca often commented on her Grandfather as being an intense but thoughtful man who cared for all people, often taking in orphaned Native Americans and providing them with a new home. Many of Old Winnemucca's other descendants and family would also take on his name including two of his Grandsons
Natchez Natchez may refer to:
Places
* Natchez, Alabama, United States
* Natchez, Indiana, United States
* Natchez, Louisiana, United States
* Natchez, Mississippi, a city in southwestern Mississippi, United States
* Grand Village of the Natchez, a site o ...
and
Numaga
Numaga ( 1830 – November 5, 1871) was a Paiute leader during the Paiute War of 1860 that centered on Pyramid Lake in what is now Nevada in the United States. The war was caused by an influx of miners and ranchers after silver was discover ...
.
Gaining the Name Truckee
There are multiple differing accounts of how Chief Truckee gained the nickname he proudly carried the rest of his life, but most are in agreement that it was given to him by a Settler/Exploration Party he helped guide through the
Sierra Nevadas. In his dealings with this group Old Winnemucca would use the Paiute word for alright; "Tro-kay", very often leading the group to believe that this was their guides name. In other instances Old Winnemucca is given the name Tru-ki-zo. Although this word does not have any known meaning in Paiute it is often another name seen when referring to the Chief.
Relationship with United States settlers
He was friendly with white settlers and guided
John C. Frémont during his Second expedition early in 1843. After his involvement in the
Mexican-American War Truckee secured a
letter of introduction
''Letter of Introduction'' is a 1938 American comedy-drama film directed by John M. Stahl.
In 1966, the film entered the public domain in the United States because the claimants did not renew its copyright registration in the 28th year after p ...
from Frémont commending him for his support.
In 1844, he guided the
Stevens-Murphy-Townsend party of
western emigrants to water. The stream was named
Truckee River
The Truckee River is a river in the U.S. states of California and Nevada. The river flows northeasterly and is long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 20, 2012 Th ...
out of gratitude, and has been known by this name ever since. According to Sarah Winnemucca the
Kuyuidika Band also had a brief interaction with the
Donner Party
The Donner Party, sometimes called the Donner–Reed Party, was a group of American pioneers who migrated to California in a wagon train from the Midwest. Delayed by a multitude of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846–1847 snowbound in th ...
in which they burned the winter supplies of the Natives who had originally planned on sharing with the group. Truckee's trust in the White Americans lead to his eventual decision to have his people educated by the Settlers, even sending his Granddaughter Sarah to live and learn in
William Ormsby's household.
Involvement in the Mexican-American War
Although sources are few and often contradicting its known the Truckee played some role in the Conquest of California and possibly a few subsequent campaigns further south. In August 1846 when news of the war reached California John C. Frémont ordered a general call to arms for American settlers in the Region. At this point accounts differ widely on how involved Truckee became with some reports saying he fought alongside only his close family and the few braves he had with him while others state that Truckee was given command over a whole Native Company numbering from 200-500 men.
This would be in line with Truckee's insistence on being referred to by his military title "
Captain" for the rest of his life. Upon the conclusion of the war Captain Truckee was awarded a
Brevet
Brevet may refer to:
Military
* Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay
* Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college
* Aircre ...
for his bravery and heroism. Unfortunately a conclusive account of Captain Truckee's actions during the war will most likely never be known due to the few sources even written on the subject.
Religious Beliefs and Influences
Truckee is widely regarded as a Prophet among many Western Native American Groups with his unique beliefs widely influencing the peoples of the Sierra Nevada's and Western Nevada. This faith was very much one shaped by the changing times and the arrival of American Explorers in the region as early as 1827 with
Jedediah Smith's Expedition. Much like the
Ghost Dance these beliefs stated that a great change was coming to the Native Americans, and to survive they had to become friends to the white settlers. His beliefs stated that men (Namely White and Native American) were descendants of a Common Ancestor and that they were finally being reunited after all this time. According to his granddaughter Sarah Winnemucca, Truckee also kept a paper he referred too as his "rag friend" which he stated had mystical powers such as allowing him to speak to his friends and allies. It was most likely a document of importance from Frémont, with it either being the letter of introduction or a document showing Truckee's
Breveted Rank as a Captain.
Death and legacy
In October 1860 he developed a serious infection in his hand which multiple sources say was caused by a
tarantula
Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although m ...
bite.
[Sarah Winnemucca of the Northern Paiutes](_blank)
Gae Whitney Canfield, p.29 Sarah Winnemucca, her father, and much of their family were present at his death.
Shortly before his death he requested to be buried in the with a Bible gifted to him by John C. Frémont along with various other writings and mementos from his life. Six horses were also buried next to Truckee to help him reach the Spirit-land quicker as is custom in Paiute Burials.
The Native American chieftain lends his name to the community of
Truckee, California
Truckee is an incorporated town in Nevada County, California, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 16,180, reflecting an increase of 2,316 from the 13,864 counted in the 2000 Census and having the 316th highe ...
as well as to the
Truckee Range
The Truckee Range is a mountain range located in western Nevada in the United States. The border between Washoe County and Churchill County runs along the ridge. The ridge runs north-south for approximately 30 miles.
The Fernley Sink is to th ...
and
Truckee River
The Truckee River is a river in the U.S. states of California and Nevada. The river flows northeasterly and is long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 20, 2012 Th ...
in Nevada.
Known Descendants and Relatives of Truckee
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Truckee (chief)
Native American leaders
Paiute people
Shoshone people
Native American history of Nevada
19th-century Native Americans
1860 deaths
Year of birth unknown