Life Among the Piutes; Their Wrongs and Claims

"Life Among the Piutes" was written by Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins, daughter of Northern Paiute Chief Winnemucca. In her book, Sarah provides a fascinating view into the lives of the Northern Paiutes living on the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation during the late 1800s. Winnemucca gives her voice to the plight of her people as they struggle to survive the effects of government Indian policy in the Western United States, enabling the reader to examine how the US reservation system, assimilation policy and the BIA failed to provide adequately for the Paiute people. The feelings of hope and despair felt by the Paiute people during the 1870s and 1880s, coupled with examples of corruption by white settlers and Indian agents, make for a truly enlightening read. Winnemucca's memories are bittersweet. She relates her actions to help not only her own people but the US army during the Indian wars of that era, including the Bannock War. Marrying US Army soldier Lewis Hopkins in the early 1880s, her story also includes events during their marriage. An advocate for her people, Sarah traveled to Washington, D. C. to speak with the President. She also traveled coast-to-coast, publicly speaking about the plight of her people as well as her life as a young Paiute woman. Stories of her daring escapades as an Army scout and participation in several Indian wars are powerful and moving. Reflecting a side of history often overlooked by other authors, "Life Among the Piutes" is both heartbreaking and admirable. Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins was a powerful role model for Native American women of her time, and her contributions to the Paiutes have made her one of their most revered members over history.