Winnemucca, Sarah | Research & Encyclopedia Articles

Winnemucca, Sarah

Born c. 1844

Near Humboldt Lake, in Nevada

Died October 16, 1891

Henry's Lake, Idaho

Native American rights advocate, author, interpreter, and lecturer

"We will look on her as our chieftain, for none of us are worthy of being chief but her."

Chief Winnemucca quoted in Sarah Winnemucca: Northern Paiute Writer and Diplomat.

As tensions between Native Americans and whites increased on the frontier in the late 1800s, Paiute Indian Sarah Winnemucca won regard as a steadfast peacemaker. Winnemucca was a valued spokeswoman for her people to white society. Unwavering in her insistence on peace, she dedicated her life to improving the lives of Indians and eventually became a nationally known lecturer and lobbyist for Indian causes.

Early Years

Sarah Winnemucca was born about 1844 near Humboldt Lake, in the part of Utah Territory that later became Nevada; she was the fourth child of Chief Winnemucca, called Old Winnemucca, and Tuboitonie. They named her Thocmetony, meaning Shell Flower. Her grandfather and father were influential leaders of the Paiute Indians and both promoted friendly relations with whites. Sarah grew up listening to her grandfather, Captain Truckee, preach a story that explained how whites and Indians were related.

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