SARAH WINNEMUCA 1844 1891 CIVIL ACTIVIST AND WRITER WINNEMUCA SARAH 1844 1891 AMERICAN INDIANS ARTS CIVIL RIGHTS/EQUALITY AMERICAN CULTURE SARAH WINNEMUCCA WAS BORN AS THOCMETONY OR SHELL FLOWER AT THE HUMBOLDT SINK IN PRESENT DAY NEVADA DAUGHTER OF THE PAIUTE CHIEF SHE LEARNED TO SPEAK ENGLISH SPANISH AND SEVERAL AMERICAN INDIAN DIALECTS AS A YOUNG WOMAN SHE SERVED AS A COMPANION TO THE DAUGHTER OF MAJOR WILLIAM ORMSBY AND HIS FAMILY IN GENOA NEVADA DURING THIS PERIOD SHE TOOK THE NAME SARAH IN 1860 THE PAIUTE WERE MOVED INTO A RESERVATION AT PYRAMID LAKE FIVE YEARS LATER A CLASH WITH U.S ARMY SOLDIERS RESULTED IN THE MASSACRE OF MANY PAIUTE PEOPLE INCLUDING SARAH'S BROTHER AND THE DESTRUCTION OF THEIR SETTLEMENT WITHOUT OTHER RESOURCES WINNEMUCCA SECURED EMPLOYMENT IN 1868 AS AN INTERPRETER AT CAMP MCDERMITT IN NEVADA IN 1872 A NEW RESERVATION FOR THE PAIUTE WAS ESTABLISHED IN OREGON AND WINNEMUCCA SERVED AS INTERPRETER THERE IN THE EARLY 1880S SHE BEGAN GIVING PUBLIC LECTURES ABOUT THE INJUSTICES BEING COMMITTED AGAINST AMERICAN INDIANS PARTICULARLY THE GOVERNMENT'S FAILURE TO GIVE THE PAIUTE EXCLUSIVE LAND OWNERSHIP RIGHTS AS IT HAD PROMISED IN 1883 SHE WROTE LIFE AMONG THE PIUTES PAIUTES LATER SHE SUCCESSFULLY INFLUENCED CONGRESS TO PASS A BILL GIVING LAND OWNERSHIP TO THE PAIUTE BUT THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR NEVER CARRIED OUT ITS TERMS IN THE 1880S SHE TAUGHT IN A SCHOOL FOR PAIUTE CHILDREN SHE DIED IN MONTANA IN 1891
