News From Native California - Spring 2015 Volume 28, Issue 3 | Page 36

Rose
Valley
Written by Ron Wermuth and Kish La Pierre

Ron Wermuth showing the landscape, grinding holes, and arrow points of
Rose Valley. All photos courtesy of Kish LaPierre.

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▼ N E WS F ROM N AT IVE C AL IFO RNIA

rose valley is situated on the eastern side of the Sierra
Nevada, bordered by Owens Lake to the north, Little Lake
and Indian Wells Valley to the south, and the Coso Mountains to the east. For many travelers the valley is just a layover on the way to one of these landmarks, but for many
Natives and a few informed scientists this area is much more
important in the realm of great antiquity and spirituality.
This region serves as an ecological transition zone, connected to some of the most spectacular and resource-rich
areas in western North America. The Natives that inhabited this area before the Euro-American influx had access to
Coso obsidian, trade routes that crossed the Sierra Nevada,
and reliable year-round water sources such as Owens River,
Owens Lake, Little Lake, and China Lake. One particular
point of pride for Natives of this region today is that the bow
and arrow may have been developed in Rose Valley.
Rose Valley is approximately fifteen miles long and five
miles wide, with elevations ranging from thirty-three hundred to six thousand feet. The valley features stunning views