History of Payahuunadü
Welcome to Payahuunadü
Welcome to Payahuunadü, the land where water flows. The Eastern Sierra is a place where water and its long history have fundamentally shaped the lives and landscapes that are present today. By learning this story of water, we can develop a better understanding of how water is managed today, who is involved in that process, and how we might imagine a better future.
Our Water Story has been organized into five eras:
The Era of Free Flowing Water
Time Immemorial to 1862
The Era of Dividing Land & Water
1862 to 1920
The Era of Increasing Water Extraction
1920 to 1970
The Era of Legal Resistance
1970 to 2014
The Era of Coalition & Water Justice
2014 to present
Land Acknowledgement:
The Mono Basin and Owens Valley are the traditional homelands of the Nuumu (Paiute) & Newe (Shoshone) tribes. We have been tasked with educating the community about the effects of water extraction - before we embark on this journey through the past, present and future water story of Payahuunadü it is important that we acknowledge the original caretakers of this land. Using original tribe and place names is an important part of the restoration of Indigenous language, please take the time to learn these these names and use them in conversation. If you are unsure about the pronunciation, please do not hesitate to ask.
