Madeline S. Bill was born and raised in Lee, South Fork Reservation and was one of fourteen children. She begins her oral history by telling the audience about her father and great-great grandfather Tosawihi who was also born in the Lee area. She talks about how Tosawihi used to gather white chert from north of Carlin, NV. She also speaks about the wagon trains and Ruby Valley Treaty (1863), and the events that occurred therein. She also speaks about the stories that the elder Shoshone people would talk about with her.
Interviewed by Norm Cavanaugh
Vivian Cinnabar is a Western Shoshone who resided at Duck Valley Reservation (Owyhee, NV) the majority of her life. She starts her narrative by speaking about contact and conflict between the Western Shoshone and the emigrants who were coming into the area who started up ranches. She also tells about the formation of the Ruby Valley Treaty of 1863, the Duck Valley reservation and how it was originally set up to be completely Western Shoshone, and Carlin Farms. She also gives an account of her relative Captain Buck. The conversation then turns towards her time attending school. She first started at Owyhee and eventually ended up in Sherman Institute in Riverside, CA. She also describes how many of the people in Owyhee ended up attending Stewart Indian School. Vivian describes her time working as an engineer at the old hospital in Owyhee, and how she contract Tuberculosis (TB).
Video Pending