Customer Reviews

Indian Summer: A True Account of Traditional Life Among the Choinumne Indians of California's San Joaquin Valley

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Thomas Jefferson Mayfield was only six years old when his family first laid eyes on the grand beauty of the primal San Joaquin Valley in Central California. The year was 1850 and California had just been admitted to the Union as a free state. The Mayfield family settled near Sycamore Creek, east of what is now Bakersfield. The Choinume Yocuts Indians inhabited the region and Thomas Jefferson Mayfield later recalled that the Indians were kind and compassionate to these visitors in their land. On many occasions they showed great care for their welfare.

The Indians provided meat and food stuff during desperate times, without ever being asked. After the brief illness and death of his mother, the Indian women asked Mr. Mayfield if they could watch over little Thomas during his many absences. He knew his son would be in better company with them than the white settlers and gladly agreed to the arrangement. For ten years he grew up knowing security and peace with the Choinumne Indians. He learned their ways and their language, their games and hunting techniques.

Conflict was in store for this peaceful tribe; the Monache Indians of the upper foothills and the settlers became overtly hostile. The Yocuts were the ones caught in the middle. Not only did Thomas Jefferson watch the landscape change, but he also watched his beloved guardians decimated by civilization.

This is Thomas Jefferson Mayfield's spoken testimony to historian Frank Latta of those precious ten years. The book is pleasantly laid out in a sequence that is easy to follow. The large print also makes this publication a joy to read.

As a fifth generation native of California, I had never heard of such a case where a white child lived with any of the local tribes prior to decimation and influence of outside influences. The true nature of these early natives is thus revealed with great credibility. This remarkable experience of the young Mayfield was almost lost when he revealed his story in 1928 for the first time just prior to his death at age 85. Still, it was not until 1993 that this story was published in it's pure and beautiful essence for the modern reader to enjoy and appreciate.