What is a mammoth tree? Mammoth tree - giant sequoia - sequoiadendron What is another name for the giant sequoia

home SEQUOIA (Sequoia) – a genus of evergreens coniferous trees

family Taxodiaceae. According to one of the classification systems, the Taxodiaceae family belongs to the subclass of Conifers (Pinidae or Coniferae), which, in turn, is included in the class of Conifers or Pinopsida, which belongs to the department of Gymnospermae. The only kind

genus - evergreen or red sequoia (S. sempervirens) - is considered the symbol of the US state of California; it is one of the tallest and longest-living trees on Earth, also famous for its beautiful, straight-grained and rot-resistant wood. The height of the evergreen sequoia is about 90 m, and the record height is 113 m. It was recorded in Redwood National Park in California. The trunk diameter reaches 6–11 m and can increase by 2.5 cm per year. Sequoia has the most valuable wood among taxodiaceae with a red core and pale yellow or white sapwood (sapwood is the layers of wood located between the core and the cambium). The bark of the tree is thick, reddish, and deeply furrowed. The quality of wood varies not only depending on the location of growth, but also within the same trunk. The crown is narrow, starting above the lower third of the trunk. Oval cones and short shoots with flat

and bluish-gray needles give the sequoia beauty and splendor. The root system is formed by lateral roots that go shallow into the soil.

Sequoia evergreen is one of the longest-living plants on Earth: its life age is more than 2000 years (the oldest known tree is about 2200 years old). Maturity occurs at 400–500 years. The reproductive organs of sequoia (like all conifers) are strobili - modified shortened shoots bearing special leaves - sporophylls, on which spore-forming organs - sporangia are formed. There are male strobili (they are called microstrobilae) and female strobili (megastrobili). Sequoia is a monoecious plant (microstrobiles and megastrobilians develop on the same tree). Microstrobiles are solitary; they are located on the tips of shoots or in the axils of leaves. Megastrobiles are collected into small single cones. One of the features of sequoia is its ability to produce abundant growth, which does not differ in growth rate and life expectancy from seedlings grown from seeds. The redwood forests in America consist mainly of trees that grew this way.

At the end Cretaceous period and in the Tertiary period, evergreen sequoia, along with other representatives of taxodiaceae, was widespread in the northern hemisphere, but now the remains of forests with its participation have been preserved only in a limited area of ​​the west North America, namely, along a narrow strip of the Pacific Coast from Monterey County in northern California to the Chetco River in southern Oregon. The length of this strip is about 720 km, it is located at an altitude of 600 to 900 m above sea level. Sequoia evergreen needs very humid climate, therefore it does not go further from the coast than 32–48 km, remaining in the zone of influence of humid sea air.

Sequoia forests were first discovered by Europeans on the coast Pacific Ocean in 1769. Based on the color of the wood, sequoia then received its name “mahogany” (Redwood), which has survived to this day. In 1847, the Austrian botanist Stefan Endlicher isolated these plants into an independent genus and gave it the name “sequoia” in honor of Sequoyah (Sequoyah, 1770–1843), an outstanding Iroquois leader who invented the Cherokee alphabet.

Because of its excellent wood and rapid growth, sequoia is specially grown in forestry. Light, dense, not subject to rotting and insect attacks, sequoia wood is widely used as a building and carpentry material, used for the manufacture of furniture, sleepers, telegraph poles, railway cars, paper and tiles. The absence of odor allows it to be used in the tobacco and food industries. It is used to make boxes and crates for cigars and tobacco, barrels for storing honey and molasses. Because of its excellent wood and rapid growth, sequoia is specially grown in forestry. Sequoia is also used as an ornamental plant, bred for this purpose in gardens and parks.

Two other species are close to the evergreen sequoia, each of which is also the only representative of its genus. The first species is the giant sequoiadendron or mammoth tree (Sequoiadendron giganteum); the second species is Metasequoia glyptostroboides.

The giant sequoiadendron or mammoth tree was named so because of its gigantic size and the external resemblance of its huge hanging branches to the tusks of a mammoth. Sequoia evergreen and giant sequoia are similar in appearance, but at the same time they differ from each other in the shape of the leaves, the size of the cones and a number of other characteristics.

Like the evergreen sequoia, giant sequoia was widespread in the northern hemisphere at the end of the Cretaceous and in the Tertiary period, now only about 30 small groves have survived, located on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada in California at an altitude of 1500-2000 m above sea level.

The giant sequoiadendron was described in 1853, but after that its name changed several times. The appearance of the tree so amazed Europeans that they began to give it names greatest people that time. Thus, the famous English botanist D. Lindley, who first described this plant, named it Wellingtonia in honor of the Englishman Duke of Wellington, hero of the Battle of Waterloo. The Americans, in turn, proposed the name Washingtonia (or Washington sequoia) in honor of the first US President D. Washington, who headed liberation movement against the British. But since the names Washingtonia and Wellingtonia had already been assigned to other plants, in 1939 this plant received its current name.

The giant sequoiadendron is an unusually majestic and monumental tree, reaching a height of 80–100 m with a trunk diameter of up to 10–12 m. It is distinguished by its longevity and can probably live up to 3 or even 4 thousand years.

Because of their durable, rot-resistant wood, sequoiadendrons in their homeland have been rapaciously exterminated since the time of the first explorers. The remaining old trees (and there are only about 500 of them) are declared protected. The largest sequoiadendrons have their own names: “Father of Forests”, “General Sherman”, “General Grant” and others. These trees are real giants flora. It is known, for example, that an orchestra and three dozen dancers can easily fit on the cut of one of them, and cars pass through tunnels made in the lower parts of the trunks of some other trees. One of the largest of these trees, the General Sherman, weighs about 2,995,796 kg.

Sequoiadendron as an ornamental plant is grown in many countries of the world; for example, it has taken root well in parks and gardens in the southwestern part of Europe, where it was brought back in the mid-19th century.

Sequoiadendrons are used not only for decorative purposes. Sequoiadendron wood, which does not rot, is used in construction work, for the manufacture of tiles and fences. Thick tree bark (30–60 cm) is used as linings in fruit containers.

(Sequoiadendron)- a genus of woody plants of the Taxodiaceae family (lat. Taxodiaceae), which, without exaggeration, can be called living fossils. This genus has only one species - giant sequoiadendron, or mammoth tree (Sequoiadendron giganteum). Redwood forests were first discovered by Europeans on the Pacific coast in 1769, and in 1853 sequoiadendron was described by the famous English botanist D. Lindley, who gave it its name wellingtonia in honor of the Englishman Duke of Wellington, hero of the Battle of Waterloo. But in 1939, this genus received the name "sequoiadendron" because the name "Wellingtonia" had previously been assigned to another plant.

Coniferous heartwood, the wood of which is distinguished by a light red heartwood, medium hardness and good mechanical properties. The high density makes this wood light but strong, and the combination of oils and resins almost eliminates rotting, attacks by termites and other insects. It is perfect for construction work, for making fences and tiles, and the thick bark of this tree (30-60 cm) can be used as linings in fruit containers. It was precisely because of high-quality wood that the predatory extermination of sevoyadendrons began since the time of the first explorers. Nowadays, this endangered species is protected and therefore is largely excluded from economic use.

In nature, sequoiadendron can only be found in nature reserves on the western slopes of the California Sierra Nevada, where it grows in forest area Mariposa Grove, located 35 miles from Yosemite Valley. Sequoiadendrons grow in small individual groves (about 30 in total) at an altitude of 1500-2000 m above sea level. The remaining trees to date, and there are only about 500 of them, have been declared protected. The largest sequoiadendrons have their own names: “Father of Forests”, “General Sherman”, “General Grant”. One of them is the "Giant Grizzly", whose age is 2700 years. This long-liver reaches a height of 65 meters, and the diameter of its base is 9 meters. An orchestra and three dozen dancers can easily fit on the cut of another tree. There are also known tunnels made in the lower parts of trunks (for example, in Yosemite Park such a tunnel has existed since 1881. Cars can freely pass through it.
Sequoiadendrons are also known to be up to 135 m high and about 6,000 years old.
Sequoiadendrons, as well as their closest relatives - sequoias, are perfectly adapted to frequent forest fires. Their wood and bark are fire resistant. Black scars on the trunks of large trees indicate that they have survived fires. In addition, the reproduction of these plants depends on fires. The tiny seeds require minimal soil to germinate, and the seedlings require sun. Fires destroy competing trees and provide fertile ash plus direct access to the sun.

In many countries around the world, sequoiadendron is grown as an ornamental plant. It looks especially attractive at the age of 80-100 years, when its dark green crown, which starts from the ground, has a regular pyramidal shape. Sequoiadendron is also colored by reddish bark, scale-like needles and small single cones with flat shield-shaped scales arranged in a spiral. With age, the correctness of the crown is disrupted, the previously decorative trunk becomes bare and thickens, and the tree takes on a monumental appearance.
Sequoiadendron was brought to Europe in 1853. It has taken root well in the gardens and parks of its southwestern part, especially in Great Britain, where the largest cultivar is located, the height of which reaches 45 m.

The seeds of this giant tree arrived in Russia five years later. Thus, in Nikitsky botanical garden the first sequoiadendrons were planted, and later they appeared on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and in Central Asia. Despite the fact that in artificial conditions These trees grow more slowly than in their homeland; they also reach quite impressive sizes.

CULTIVATION FEATURES, SOIL, PLANTING RULES
Since sequoiadendron is not widely used for landscape construction, the basic rules for caring for it have not been fully developed. Thus, if a gardener decides to purchase a sequoiadendron for landscaping his personal plot, he must follow general rules for breeding coniferous plants. It should also be noted that sequoiadendron prefers a humid, warm climate ( Maximum temperature in July it is 25-29°C).
Most groves that consist of sequoiadendrons grow on granitic residual and alluvial soils. The giant tree prefers well-drained, moist sandy loams with a pH of 5.5 to 7.5. In general, with sufficient air and soil humidity, the plant is not very demanding on the mechanical composition of the soil.
To plant sequoiadendron, you should follow the basic rules for planting conifers. Planting holes should be prepared in advance. For heavy soils, drainage from gravel or broken brick with a layer of 20 cm is required. Before planting, it is recommended to prepare special soil - turf or leaf soil with the addition of sand or clay. When planting, the root collar should be at ground level. During the first two years after planting, mineral fertilizers are applied to the soil in an amount of 30-40 g/cm. If it's dry hot weather, the plants need to be watered, sprinkling twice a month.

REPRODUCTION
The main method of propagation is by seeds, but it can also be propagated by cuttings.
Seeds are sown in spring (April, May) either without prior preparation, or they are soaked in water for 1-2 days (soil germination rate 1-2%). By autumn, the seedlings have up to six shoots and reach a height of 8-10 cm, and in the second year of life they grow to 20-30 cm.

DISEASES AND PESTS
Sequoiadendron is very resistant to diseases and pests, but in the climate of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus it is affected by root rot, and in more northern areas it grows very slowly and is damaged by frost.

LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Sequoiadendron is recommended for use in single and solitary plantings.

For those who saw a sequoia for the first time, it will seem like something magical, coming from a children's fairy tale. Scientific name - giant sequoiadendron (Sequoiadendron giganteum) or sequoia, but it also has another name - mammoth tree . It is truly insane in size, yes, and in appearance the branches of the tree are very similar to the tusks of a mammoth. The average diameter of a giant can reach up to 10 meters, and the height of some specimens exceeds 110 meters.

There seem to be enough redwood trees long history its existence on Earth, and similar forests of mammoth trees already existed during the time of dinosaurs. Then they grew all over the planet, and today they are natural habitat limited to a strip of the foggy coast of Northern California (hence the name - evergreen sequoia, or Californian - Sequoia sempervirens) and an area in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

The average age of giant sequoias is difficult to say exactly; it is estimated to be 3-4 thousand years old, although some are 13 thousand years old!

After mammoth tree was discovered by Europeans, its name changed several times. Thus, the famous British botanist D. Lindley, who first spoke about this plant, called it Wellingtonia in honor of the Duke of Wellington, hero of the Battle of Waterloo. The Americans, in turn, proposed to name washingtonia(or Washington redwood), in honor of the first president D. Washington. But since the names Washingtonia and Wellingtonia had previously been assigned to other plants, in 1939 this species received the name Sequoiadendron.

Unusual facts:

A living redwood that has been felled will continue to try to grow using its shoots. If nothing prevents this, the shoots facing upward will turn into independent trees, and many groups of redwood trees got their start in this way. A “cathedral” or family of trees is precisely the trees that grew from the undead remains of the trunk of a fallen sequoia, and since they grew along the perimeter of the former stump, they form a circle. If you analyze genetic material from the cells of these trees, you will find that it is the same in all of them and in the stump from which they grew.

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One of the natural attractions of Alushta is the mammoth tree, the giant sequoia, unfortunately, not all tourists who come here on vacation visit it. Although this amazing tree It’s clearly worth standing under its crown, admiring the unusual branches and picking up an elegant pine cone.

One of the miracles that amazed the first European settlers in North America were pines of simply unimaginable size - giant sequoia (sequoia, mammoth tree). They reach a height of 120 meters, a girth of 10-15 meters, and live more than 2000 years. How much more is unknown; it is assumed that 4 and 5 thousand are not the limit.

Once upon a time, such pines were common in the territory of what is now Eurasia, but the climate changed, and they were replaced by other species. Fortunately, groves of relicts have been preserved in California, and not all of them were cut down by shameless pale-faced aliens. Some giants were lucky to be in natural parks, where they are studied and protected.

The heat-loving guest of Alushta - sequoia

From North America, sequoiadendron seeds found their way into European botanical gardens, and from there they quickly began to spread throughout Eurasia. They are also present in Russia, but in small quantities - the climate of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus suited the heat-loving giants and. But here they feel great and the specimens planted in the 19th century have long outstripped all the surrounding trees.

One of the largest sequoiadendrons in Crimea grows in Alushta on the territory of a small vineyard owned by a local winery. If you are in the city, be sure to visit this huge pine tree, which already has several girths in diameter.

But that’s why it was called a mammoth tree - the branches extending from the trunk clearly resemble mammoth tusks:

It is interesting that the huge sequoia, which, it would seem, should grow long needles and huge cones to match its size, has needles of normal sizes, and the cones are even smaller than ordinary pine or spruce.

Also, these North American guests can be found in, in, on the slopes of Chatyr-Dag and in some other places in Crimea.

SEQUOIADENDRON GIANT(Sequoiadendron giganteum), also called the mammoth tree because of its gigantic size and the external resemblance of its huge hanging branches to the tusks of a mammoth, is undoubtedly the most famous representative.

Giant sequoiadendron occurs in separate small groves (about 30 of them) only on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada in California (at an altitude of 1500-2000 m). The giant sequoiadendron was described in 1853. After the discovery of the Mammoth tree by Europeans, its name changed several times.


The giant sequoiadendron captured the imagination of the inhabitants of the Old World, and it is given the names of the greatest people. Thus, the famous English botanist D. Lindley, who first described this plant, calls it Wellingtonia in honor of the Englishman Duke of Wellington, hero of the Battle of Waterloo.

The Americans, in turn, proposed the name Washingtonia (or Washington sequoia), in honor of the first US President D. Washington. But since the names Washingtonia and Wellingtonia had already been previously assigned to other plants, in 1939 this genus received the name Sequoiadendron.

The giant sequoiadendron is an unusually majestic and monumental tree, reaching a height of 80-100 m, with a trunk up to 10 m in diameter, and is distinguished by its amazing longevity. The question of the maximum age of sequoiadendron still remains unresolved: they call it 3 and 4 thousand years.
Because of their durable, rot-resistant wood, sequoiadendrons in their homeland have been rapaciously exterminated since the time of the first explorers and gold seekers. The remaining trees to date, and there are only about 500 of them, have been declared protected.

The largest sequoiadendrons have their own names: “Father of Forests”, “General Sherman”, “General Grant” and others. The first of them, now no longer existing, reached, as is clear from its descriptions, a height of 135 m with a trunk diameter at the base of 12 m.


It is estimated that the Sequoiadendron, known as General Sherman, contains about 1500 m3 of wood, with a height of 83 m and a trunk diameter at the base of the tree of 11 m.

To transport it would require a train of 20-25 wagons. An orchestra and three dozen dancers can easily fit on the cut of another tree. Tunnels made in the lower parts of trunks are also known (for example, such a tunnel has existed in Yosemite Park since 1881). Cars pass through it freely.


Sequoiadendron is grown as an ornamental plant in many countries around the world. It is especially good at the age of 80-100 years with a dark green, regularly pyramidal crown starting from the ground and a translucent reddish trunk. With age, the correctness of the crown is disrupted, the trunk becomes bare and thickens, and the tree takes on a monumental appearance.


Having been brought to Europe back in 1853, sequoiadendron has taken root well in the parks and gardens of its southwestern part. Its seeds came to our country in 1858. The first trees were planted in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden, then on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and in Central Asia.


And although they grow slower under these conditions than in their homeland, they nevertheless reach quite impressive sizes. Thus, seventy-year-old specimens grow to a height of 30 m or more (with a diameter of over 1 m). Unlike sequoia (“redwood”), Sequoiadendron is also called “Sierra redwood.”
(c) http://www.floranimal.ru/pages/flora/s/5581.html

Because of their durable, rot-resistant wood, sequoiadendrons in their homeland have been rapaciously exterminated since the time of the first explorers and gold seekers.


The remaining trees to date, and there are only about 500 of them, have been declared protected. The largest sequoiadendrons have their own names: “Father of Forests”, “General Sherman”, “General Grant” and others.

The first of them, now defunct, reached, as is clear from its descriptions, a height of 135 m with a trunk diameter at the base of 12 m. It is estimated that the Sequoiadendron, known as “General Sherman”, contains about 1500 m3 of wood, with height 83 m and trunk diameter at the base of the tree equal to 11 m. To transport it would require a train of 20-25 cars.

John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt in the National Park

Sequoia- the second oldest national park in the United States. It was established on September 25, 1890 to protect the redwoods in the Giant Forest, including the General Sherman Tree, currently the largest tree in the world. Redwoods are also native to Mineral King Valley and Mt. Whitney - the most high mountains USA outside of Alaska.

A small portion of what is now Kings Canyon National Park was called General Grant National Park in 1890. In 1940, the park's boundaries expanded significantly to include the South Fork of the Kings River and more than 456 thousand acres. wild territory.


The total size of the national park, including Sequoia Park, now reaches just under 900 thousand acres.

People appeared in the forests of giant seiquoias soon after the end civil war. The General Grant Tree was discovered in 1862 by Joseph Hardin Thomas, and its name was coined in 1867 by a certain Lucretia Baker.

Five years later, on March 1, 1872, Ulysses Simpson Grant, the eighteenth President of the United States, approved legislation establishing Yellowstone as the first national park in the world. The grove of giant (mammoth) seiquois named after Grant, as well as Yosemite Park, were approved by the same law.

From the history of the park


Captain Charles Young, Military Chief, National Park Sequoia, 1903
by Wm. C. Tweed


The new military leader arrived in Sequoia National Park in the summer of 1903 and immediately faced many difficulties. Born in Kentucky during the Civil War, Charles Young was black, which was not welcomed in those parts.


He was the first African American to graduate high school for whites in Ripley, Ohio, and took part in a serious competition, as a result of which he was able to enter the famous Military school at West Point in 1884.


He was courageous and strong man and became the third black person to be educated at this prestigious educational institution. The conditions of this training were so harsh that he later wrote about it being the greatest test of his life.


In May 1903, National Park Sequoia was already thirteen years old, but he was still underdeveloped and difficult to reach. Since 1891, the management and development of the park was placed under the responsibility of the US Army, but due to lack of funding by Congress, almost nothing was done and much was stolen. The main thing is that there were no roads, the construction of which began only in 1900. But the work was carried out so slowly that in three years of work only 5 miles were laid.


Young immediately began to build new roads and widen old ones that even small wagons could not travel on. Soon the road ran to Moro Rock.
In 1904, Young was sent as a military attaché to Haiti. He later served in the same capacity in Liberia.
Young took part in the Expedition to Mexico in 1916. He died in 1923 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full honors.


Although Colonel Charles Young served in the Park for only one working season, his efforts were not forgotten. He is remembered for his energy, tenacity and dignity. Expensive ones, built under his leadership, improved only a little, still serve today.

Walter Fry: Famous Man
Malinee Crapsey
(This article first appeared in The Sequoia Bark magazine in the summer of 1994)


"When I first met Judge Frye, under his own grand old trees, I knew I had met a rare man..."


In 1888, Walter Fry first encountered giant sequoias as a lumberjack and was shocked. Having spent more than five days with a team of lumberjacks cutting down and felling a single tree, he counted the annual layers on the trunk of the fallen giant.

He had to count several days and the answer was surprising: 3266 rings, that is, 3266 years of life.

Two years later local residents petitioned the US government to take the great seiquois under state protection. The third signature on the petition was that of Walter Frye.

President Grant

The Park Authority moved the Fry family over the course of several years from the San Joaquin Valley to Trois-Rivieres. Fry served as traffic controller, and in 1905 he became park ranger. By 1910, Fry had become chief of the Rangers, managing parks for military leadership.
In 1914, the Army finally relinquished control of the Park and Fpay was appointed its official civilian leader.

Mr. Fry's contribution to the development and improvement of the Park was so significant that in 1994 the Lodgepole Nature Center was named after him.

Giant Sequoia

In the world, sequoias grow naturally only on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains, most often at elevations between 5,000 and 7,000 feet.


There are no more than 75 groves in total.
General Sherman's tree is between 2300 and 2700 years old. Its largest branch is almost seven feet in diameter.

Sequoias grow from seeds so small and light that they resemble oat flakes.

Take a closer look - there are tiny little people on the branches of the giant.

Translated independently from the page http://www.sequoia.national-park.com/info.htm#tree

Ten biggest giants:

Tree................................... .......Location..... .........Height(ft) Circum(ft)
1. General Sherman.............Giant Forest........274.9........102.6
2. Washington .....................Giant Forest........254.7.......101.1
3. General Grant ....................Grant Grove ........268.1.......107.6
4. President ...........................Giant Forest .......240.9......... 93.0
5. Lincoln .....................Giant Forest .......255.8..... ....98.3
6. Stagg ...................................Alder Creek .........243.0. .......109.0
7. Genesis.........................Mountain Home..257.1......85.3
8. Boole..................................Conver se Basin..268.8....... .113.0
9. Ishi...................................Gi ant Kennedy.....248.1 .......105.1
10. Franklin.........................Giant Forest........223.8........ 94.8

From pre-park history:

To this day, there is debate among historians as to who was the first European to see Yosemite Valley. In the fall of 1833, Joseph Reddeford Walker may have been the first to see the valley - in his subsequent entries, he said that he led a group of hunters who crossed the Sierra Nevada and came close to the edge of the valley, which went down "more than a mile." His party was also the first to enter the Tuolomni Sequoiadendron grove, thus becoming the first non-natives to see these giant trees.

The part of the Sierra Nevada where the park is located for a long time was considered the border of settlements of Europeans, traders, hunters and travelers. However, this status changed in 1848 with the discovery of gold deposits at the foot of the mountains in the west. From this point on, trading activity in this territory increased sharply, resulting in the California Gold Rush. The newcomers began to destroy Natural resources, at the expense of which the Indian tribes lived.


The first reliably known white man to see the valley should be considered William P. Abrams, who on October 18, 1849 with his detachment carefully described some landmarks of the valley, but it is not known for sure whether he or anyone from his detachment entered the this land. However, there is no doubt that in 1850 Joseph Screech actually descended into the Hetch Hetchy Valley and, moreover, settled here.

The first systematic study of the park was carried out in 1855 by the team of Allexey W. Von Schmidt as part of the state program land survey "Public Land Survey System".

Mariposa Wars

Before the first Europeans appeared in this territory, the Sierra Miwok and Paiute Indian tribes lived here. By the time the first settlers arrived here, a group of Indians called themselves the Ahwahnechee lived in the Yosemite Valley.


As a result sharp increase immigrant flows began to emerge during the gold rush armed conflicts with local tribes. To put an end to the constant skirmishes, in 1851, government troops were sent to the valley - the Mariposa Battalion under the command of Major James Savage with the aim of pursuing about 200 Avanichi Indians led by Chief Tenaya. In particular, the doctor Lafayette Bunnell was attached to the detachment, who later colorfully described his impressions of what he saw in the book “The Discovery of the Yosemite”. Bunnell is also credited with naming the valley after speaking with Chief Tenaya.


Bunnell wrote in his book that Chief Tenaya was the founder of the Pai-Ute colony of the Ah-wah-ne tribe. The neighboring Sierra Miwok Indians (like most of the white inhabitants who settled there) described the Awanichee Indians as a warlike tribe with whom they had constant territorial disputes; the tribe's name "yohhe'meti" literally meant "they are killers." Correspondence and notes written by the battalion's soldiers helped popularize the valley and its surrounding area.

Tenaya and the remnants of Avanichi were captured and their settlement burned. The tribe was forcibly transferred to a reservation near Fresno, California. Some were subsequently allowed to return to the valley, but after eight miners were attacked in 1852, they fled to the neighboring Mono tribe, who broke their hospitality and killed them.
(c) Weinheim



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