Paiute Princess: The Story of Sarah Winnemucca (review)

This biography traces the life of Thocmetony, a Paiute girl who came of age in the mid 1800s, and who was greatly influenced by her grandfather, a tribal chief whose initial encounters with white explorers disposed him to look upon them as guests and friends. Spurred by escalating rumors of white barbarity, Thocmetony attended a mission school, became proficient in English, and served as an interpreter. Her own experiences of bigotry and broken treaties at the hands of white individuals and government representatives led her to take a more aggressively activist role as liaison between the Paiute and the white community—trying anything she could think of, from public spectacles and speeches to letter-writing campaigns, to advance the cause of justice for the Paiute. Using the name Sarah Winnemucca, given to her by white acquaintances of the family, she became an important conduit of views and information between two increasingly oppositional worlds, and she was, sadly, never fully accepted by either. Ray explains explicitly that "the notion of an 'Indian princess' was . . . the creation of whites," and it is therefore somewhat disconcerting that the title of Winnemucca's biography perpetuates the "princess" misnomer. However, notes and picture captions carefully point out common misinterpretations of personal and place names and explain the political reasons for Winnemucca's occasional wearing of non-tribal clothing. Watercolor and pencil illustrations are more successful at conveying the sweep of the Nevada landscape than features of individuals; several period photographs, however, provide more visual specificity. A map and six pages of appended notes, timeline, and resources will assist readers in developing a broader context in which to place Winnemucca's personal struggle.