Water Babies are spirits featured in the folklore of several Western Native American tribes, particularly among the Great Basin Indians. These entities are believed to inhabit bodies of water such as springs, ponds, and streams, often appearing as infants whose cries are considered an omen of impending disaster. In some traditions, they are described as small creatures who lure people to their deaths and are said to eat children.
23-697: Water Babies are recognized in the folklore of various tribes, each with its own interpretation and cultural significance. Tribes that feature Water Babies in their folklore include the Paiute , Shoshone , Washoe , Achumawi , Cahuilla , Cupeño , Luiseño , Serrano , Yokuts , Salish , and Ute . In Washoe tradition, Water Babies are considered powerful beings that inhabit bodies of water in their homeland, particularly around Lake Tahoe in California and Nevada . These spirits were believed to be capable of causing harm or even death to humans. Cave Rock, located at
46-671: Is a cultural classification of indigenous peoples of the Americas and a cultural region located between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada , in what is now Nevada , and parts of Oregon , California , Idaho , Wyoming , and Utah . The Great Basin region at the time of European contact was ~400,000 sq mi (1,000,000 km ). There is very little precipitation in the Great Basin area which affects
69-518: Is a historical label comprising: Though sharing similar Numic roots, the three groups historically called Paiute have different languages as shown below: Northern Paiute Mono Kawaiisi Southern Paiute Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin The Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin are Native Americans of the northern Great Basin , Snake River Plain , and upper Colorado River basin. The "Great Basin"
92-767: The Delamar Valley SEZ (Solar Energy Zone) of Nevada , Water Babies are recognized as powerful spirits connected to water and volcanic areas by the Southern Paiute tribes, including the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians , the Pahrump Paiute Tribe , and the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah . These beings are believed to travel through underground waterways, which are considered to be connected to other significant bodies of water across
115-706: The Ghost Dance in a ceremony to commune with departed loved ones and bring renewal of buffalo herds and precontact lifeways. The Ute Bear Dance emerged on the Great Basin. The Sun Dance and Peyote religion flourished in the Great Basin, as well. In 1930, the Ely Shoshone Reservation was established, followed by the Duckwater Indian Reservation in 1940. Conditions for the Native American population of
138-580: The Owens Valley in California , Water Babies are depicted as spirits inhabiting Owens Lake . In one story, a Water Baby confronts a giant who terrorizes the area. The Water Baby waits for the giant near the lake, ultimately overpowering and drowning him in the lake’s depths. The remains of the giant are said to still be visible near the Alabama Hills , marking the Water Baby's triumph. In
161-621: The 1975 passage of the Indian Self-determination and Education Assistance Act , has enabled Great Basin tribes to develop economic opportunities for their members. Different ethnic groups of Great Basin tribes share certain common cultural elements that distinguish them from surrounding groups. All but the Washoe traditionally speak Numic languages , and tribal groups, who historically lived peacefully and often shared common territories, have intermingled considerably. Prior to
184-463: The 20th century, Great Basin peoples were predominantly hunters and gatherers . "Desert Archaic" or more simply "The Desert Culture" refers to the culture of the Great Basin tribes. This culture is characterized by the need for mobility to take advantage of seasonally available food supplies. The use of pottery was rare due to its weight, but intricate baskets were woven for containing water, cooking food, winnowing grass seeds and storage—including
207-534: The Colorado just south of present day Moab, Utah . Rivera's diaries greatly influenced the Domínguez–Escalante expedition , which set off 11 years later in 1776 and passed far from present day Delta, Utah . Great Basin settlement was relatively free of non-Native settlers until the first Mormon settlers arrived in 1847. Within ten years, the first Indian reservation was established, in order to assimilate
230-534: The Great Basin . Although their languages are related within the Numic group of Uto-Aztecan languages , these three languages do not form a single subgroup and they are no more closely related to each than they are to the Central Numic languages ( Timbisha , Shoshoni , and Comanche ) which are spoken between them. The term "Paiute" does not refer to a single, unique, unified group of Great Basin tribes, but
253-525: The Great Basin were erratic throughout the 20th century. Economic improvement emerged as a result of President Franklin Roosevelt 's Indian New Deal in the 1930s, while activism and legal victories in the 1970s have improved conditions significantly. Nevertheless, the communities continue to struggle against chronic poverty and all of the resulting problems: unemployment ; substance abuse ; and high suicide rates. Today self-determination , beginning with
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#1732797931018276-673: The Water Babies. These offerings included corn, bread, and pine nuts, which were placed in baskets sealed with pitch and submerged into the lake. The Washoe believed these offerings would protect them from drowning or ensure they caught many fish. When tribespeople did not return from the lake, it was thought that the Water Babies were responsible for their deaths by drowning. Paiute legends, particularly those surrounding Pyramid Lake in Nevada , include stories of Water Babies as mysterious and dangerous spirits. These spirits are said to mimic
299-831: The lifestyles and cultures of the inhabitants. The oldest known petroglyphs in North America are in the Great Basin. Near the banks of Winnemucca Lake in Nevada, this rock art dates between 10,500 and 14,800 years ago. Archaeologists called the local period 9,000 BCE to 400 CE the Great Basin Desert Archaic Period. This was followed by the time of the Fremont culture , who were hunter-gatherers and agriculturalists . Numic language -speakers, ancestors of today's Western Shoshone and both Northern Paiute people and Southern Paiute people entered
322-508: The native population. The Goshute Reservation was created in 1863. The attempted acculturation process included sending children to Indian schools and limiting the landbases and resources of the reservations. Because their contact with European-Americans and African-Americans occurred comparatively late, Great Basin tribes maintain their religion and culture and were leading proponents of 19th century cultural and religious renewals. Two Paiute prophets , Wodziwob and Wovoka , introduced
345-413: The power of nature and the necessity of maintaining harmony with it. Rituals, offerings, and respect are common themes across the tribes that share this belief, reflecting a deep-seated understanding of the spiritual significance of natural elements in Native American culture. Paiute Paiute ( / ˈ p aɪ juː t / ; also Piute ) refers to three non-contiguous groups of Indigenous peoples of
368-643: The region around the 14th century CE. The first Europeans to document their encounters with Native groups in the Great Basin was Juan María Antonio de Rivera's expedition in 1765. Rivera led two expeditions from Santa Fe that year, the first departing sometime in June. Rivera's party camped with Paiutes on the Dolores River in July, and returned to Santa Fe for supplies. His second expedition departed Santa Fe in late September and went considerably farther, crossing
391-655: The region. Petroglyphs and rock art in the Delamar Valley depict Water Babies, reflecting their importance in local spiritual practices and ceremonies. In Ute folklore, particularly among those around Utah Lake and the Provo River in Utah , Water Babies, known as Pawapicts, were believed to inhabit these waters. The Utes told stories of these spirits, often describing them as small creatures with long black hair who cried like infants and could lure or force others into
414-527: The same fate. Stories also include personal encounters, such as those recounted by Ute elders, where Water Babies were seen drying their hair by the Provo River, their cries causing rivers to rise and frightening those who witnessed them. The legend of Water Babies reflects the broader Native American respect for natural forces, particularly the dual nature of water as both a life-giving and potentially destructive element. Water Babies serve as reminders of
437-461: The same group of families. In the summer, the largest group was usually the nuclear family due to the low density of food supplies. In the early historical period the Great Basin tribes were actively expanding to the north and east, where they developed a horse -riding bison -hunting culture. These people, including the Bannock and Eastern Shoshone share traits with Plains Indians . Today,
460-404: The sounds of crying babies to lure in victims. Some versions of the legend suggest that malformed or premature infants were cast into the waters, while another version tells of a curse placed on the lake by a rejected mermaid. The sounds of crying babies are said to be heard from the lake on certain nights, a reminder of the spirits believed to dwell beneath its surface. In another Paiute tale from
483-467: The southern end of Lake Tahoe, was regarded as a sacred place by the Washoe, in part due to the presence of Water Babies in the cave. Only healers were allowed to visit this site for spiritual renewal, where they would consult with the Water Babies and bring them offerings in hopes of strengthening their powers. Before crossing the lake or fishing, the Washoe performed rituals involving specific offerings to
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#1732797931018506-503: The storage of pine nuts, a Paiute-Shoshone staple. Heavy items such as metates would be cached rather than carried from foraging area to foraging area. Agriculture was not practiced within the Great Basin itself, although it was practiced in adjacent areas (modern agriculture in the Great Basin requires either large mountain reservoirs or deep artesian wells). Likewise, the Great Basin tribes had no permanent settlements, although winter villages might be revisited winter after winter by
529-403: The water. According to one tale, Pawapicts were the result of a wrestling match between a stout man named Pahahpooch and a wildcat, which led to Pahahpooch being transformed into a Water Baby after being thrown into a lake. These beings were feared for their ability to tempt or capture people, dragging them into the water where they would become Water Indians and take on the task of luring others to
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