[Illustration: _Photograph by Fiske_.
YOSEMITE FALLS (CHO´-LACK), 2,634 Feet.
Near the foot of these falls was located the village of
Ah-wah´-nee, the Indian capital and residence of Chief Teneiya.
There were eight other villages in the Valley.]

For years afterwards this locality was uninhabited, but finally
Teneiya, who claimed to be descended from an Ah-wah-nee´-chee
chief, left the Mo´nos, where he had born and brought up,
and, gathering of his father's old tribe around him, visited the
Valley and claimed it as the birthright of his people. He then
became the founder of a new tribe or band, which received the
name "Yo-sem´-i-te." This word signifies a full-grown grizzly
bear, and Teneiya said that the name had been given to his band
because they occupied the mountains and valley which were the
favorite resort of the grizzly bears, and his people were expert
in killing them; that his tribe had adopted the name because
those who had bestowed it were afraid of the grizzlies, and also
feared his band.

The Yosemites were perhaps the most warlike of any of the tribes
in this part of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, who were, as a rule,
a peaceful people, dividing the territory among them, and
indulging in few controversies. In fact, these Indians in general
were less belligerent and warlike than any others on the Pacific
Coast. When difficulties arose, they were usually settled
peacefully by arbitration, in a grand council of the chiefs and
head men of the tribes involved, without resorting to open
hostilities.