High Desert Journal: Winnemem Wintu

Winnemem Wintu

by Marc Dadigan | 2 Comments

The Winnemem Wintu are a small Northern California tribe of 123 that traditionally lived on the McCloud River. During World War II, the federal government constructed the 600-foot Shasta Dam, which flooded the Winnemem’s homeland and submerged many of their sacred sites. To this day, the tribe, which is federally unrecognized due to a BIA bookkeeping error, struggles to preserve and practice its culture and religious ceremonies.

Marine, who in 2006 had her own puberty ceremony, is blessed with the sunflower root smoke by her father, Mark Franco. The blessing is meant to help clear the mind of bad thoughts and focus on the good ones.

This July the Winnemem held a five-day puberty ceremony (or Balas Chonas) at the sacred Puberty Rock site (Kokospom to the Winnemem), which is now owned by the U.S. Forest Service. The Balas Chonas represents the coming of age for the tribe’s teenage girls who symbolically transition into womanhood by swimming across the McCloud Arm of Shasta Lake on the last day. It was only the second puberty ceremony the tribe had held since the dam’s construction, and the last ceremony in 2006 was marred when the Forest Service allowed drunken boaters to pass through the site.

A boat, carrying passengers who didn’t heed the voluntary closure, speeds past the cedar bark huts, going far faster than the speed limit.

Fearing another ugly incident, the Winnemem received security assistance from the American Indian Movement, and the two young Winnemem, Jessica Sisk and Winona Steele, became women in relative peace.

Mark Franco, the tribe’s headman and Caleen’s husband, watches with his wife as the girls swim towards them.

Known as Children’s Rock, this large scabrous boulder on the edge of the water serves as a natural jungle gym for the tribe’s youth.

With a staff strung with clacking deer toes, Caleen Sisk-Franco arrives on the other side of the water to receive the girls as they swam across. She had spent much of the ceremony with the girls at the bark huts teaching them traditional tasks and skills. The staffs that were later carried by the girls represent the “teachers” that will help the girls carry the Winnemem traditions and beliefs wherever they might go.

As the girls swim across, Helene Sisk shields her eyes from the sun with a hawk’s wing.

The Winnemem dancers rush the fire at the climax of the H’up chonas, or the war dance. The orange flicker bands across their eyes are meant to mask their human identity so they can represent the tribe’s spiritual warrior.

Jamie Ward, warrior and dancer, stomps in place, while Luisa Navejas sings the H’up Chonas, or war dance, song

Winnemem held a five-day puberty ceremony (or Balas Chonas)

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The faithfulness to their heritage exhibited by this small band is moving to behold. They continue carefully to witness and share their culture and values within the tribal family. The beauty of their traditional ornaments and symbols lovingly executed eloquently signify their identity as a people and the strength of their living spirituality.

Kudos to the young women blessed by their transition ceremony. Kudos to the reporter and photographer whose images have so intimately and respectfully introduced us to a noble people whom I, at least, had not been aware until now.

The power boat of folks not obeying the "voluntary" closure during the sacred rite is the perfect emblem of our own arrogance toward the native peoples who preceded us in this land, the BIA and its blunders notwithstanding.

Posted by John Kuenneth, 10/04/2011 8:23pm (11 months ago)
Appreciate the sensitivity of the photos and the text. Our ceremonies have been conducted the same for centuries, ethnographers have written of them but they always miss the import and true meaning. The posting here actually conveys what occurs and gives the reader/viewer an insight experienced by those who were physically on site.
Thank you HDJ for allowing this in your journal and thank you Marc for joining us and documenting this important ceremony for our young women.

Posted by Mark Franco, 13/01/2011 7:29pm (1 year ago)

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Winnemem Wintu

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