by Katarzyna Nowocin-Kowalczyk
December 2023
story from the book Secrets of California Deserts
Once upon a time, the valley was a beautiful, fertile, and rich land, full of natural springs. The lowest point was filled with a large lake surrounded by trees, meadows, and lush vegetation. People were eager to settle in this area. They made their living off the land by growing corn, pumpkin, beans, sunflowers, and cultivating groves with Mesquite trees that provided nutritious pods and hardwood. The surrounding mountains abounded in game.
At that time, the people of Timbisha were ruled by a beautiful, albeit vain, capricious and demanding queen. On one occasion she wished for a palace to be built for her, which in beauty and size would surpass any palace ever built by their neighbors to the south, the Aztecs.
The queen forced her people to hard, backbreaking work. To meet her demands, they transported marble, quartz, stones, and wooden logs from places miles away. They did not complain, for royalty was sacred. Gradually, however, the Timbisha became slaves.
Years passed, and the palace was still unfinished. The queen began to fear that she would die before it was built. She became even more demanding, forcing her family and even her own daughter to work, whom she made join the workers pulling logs and stones. And when the midday heat made the workmen drag themselves slowly with bowed heads, the enraged queen would come in between them and angrily whip their bare backs.
On one occasion, the queen hit her daughter, accusing her of working too slowly. Then the girl threw down the load of stones she was carrying, turned to her mother, and cursed her and her kingdom loudly and solemnly. Then, exhausted from the work and the heat, she fell to the ground and died.
Only then did the queen understand what her obsession, greed and pride had led her to. Unfortunately, tears, lamentations and regrets did not help. The daughter's life could not be restored. And the beautiful people, who based their culture on family values, love and respect for the land, were turned into slaves by the queen.
Soon, the Goddess Nature turned against the vain queen and punished her for her wickedness in her own way. The hot sun dried up streams, wells, and the lake, and with the water, the vegetation disappeared, revealing only cracked earth. The animals were also gone. Once a fertile valley, it has become a barren, dry, hot desert. Many people died of starvation, and those who survived fled with the animals. The queen was left alone. And when she fell ill with a fever, there was no one with her to hold her hand and take care of her. She died alone in her empty, half-finished palace.
The legend of Shoshone says that sometimes, somewhere far away on the horizon of the desert mirage, you can still see that unfinished mansion.
-CatherineNK
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story The Queen of Death Valley
The Timbisha Shoshone Indians’ Legend
from the book Secrets of California Deserts
Mojave, Colorado, Great Basin with the cultural expert’s eye
author: Katarzyna Nowocin-Kowalczyk
translation: Elizabeth Kanski
photos: Katarzyna Nowocin-Kowalczyk
👉 The book is available on Amazon in hardcover and softcover;
in a version with color or black-and-white photos
in Polish, English, and Spanish
The Queen of Death Valley; read in Polish by the author
I love Indians' stories. Thank you for sharing, Catherine.
I love it. Thx Catherine. I'm looking forward to the English version of your new book about the California deserts.
Beautiful story. Thank you Catherine for sharing.