Life Among the Piutes

Life among the Piutes by Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins

“This autobiographical work was written by one of the country’s most well-known Native American women, Sarah Winnemucca. She was a Paiute princess and a major figure in the history of Nevada and her tribe, which lived and still resides primarily in the state. Life Among the Piutes deals with Winnemucca’s life and the plight of the Paiute Indians.

Life Among the Piutes is Winnemucca’s powerful legacy to both white and Paiute cultures. Following the oral tradition of Native American people, she reaches out to readers with a deeply personal appeal for understanding. She also records historical events from a profoundly unique perspective. She managed to record the Native American viewpoint of whites settling the West, told in a language that was not her own and by a women during the time when even white women were not allowed to vote. This was a monumental task, second only to the work she performed every day to promote understanding across cultures.

Sara Winnemucca dedicated her life to the improvement of living and social conditions for her people. She gave more than 400 speeches across the United States and Europe to gain support for the Paiutes. She also opened a school near Lovelock, Nevada. After the death of her husband, Winnemucca moved to Montana where she died of tuberculosis in 1891.

Life Among the Piutes was originally published in 1883. Sarah Winnemucca was inducted into the Nevada Writers hall of Fame in 1993.”

Format: Paperback

Page Count: 268