News From Native California - Spring 2015 Volume 28, Issue 3 | Page 38

arrow use. While bows were not found at this site, complete
bows have been found in the nearby Coso Mountains. Bow
stave marks can also be seen on juniper trees throughout the
Coso and other mountains surrounding Owens Valley.
Rose Valley offered many attractions for ancestral people:
a rich valley supported by a lush river and a transition area
between the mountains and the desert where people from

Measures should
be taken to protect
Rose Valley for
future generations
to enjoy.

other regions could centrally meet. One can still sense this
past when taking in the scenery of Rose Valley today. The
ancient Owens River channel is dry but still evident as one
can see how it cut through the surrounding landscape. Bedrock mortar outcrops can be seen in many areas of the valley, suggesting that ancestral people were processing acorns
they carried down from the Sierra Nevada in baskets. Obsidian flakes of black, gray, and even some mottled red suggest trade, exchange, and use of the nearby Coso volcanic
field. When the bow and arrow was introduced, the environment would have been warm like today but with more
water sources, and the new technology would have allowed
for greater precision while hunting water fowl in addition to
large and small mammals.
It is our belief that measures should be taken to protect
Rose Valley for future generations to enjoy. Despite its seemingly hardy appearance, the valley actually consists of a delicate ecosystem and a very important and rich archaeological
region. Though minimally populated today, this area once
supported populations of Native peoples who tended to the
land and though their spirits live on, their legacies need to be
carried on by Native peoples of today. ▼

Ron Wermuth walked on in 2013, as he was working on this
article with Kish LaPierre. Shortly before he passed, Ron and
his family asked that we make sure the piece was finished
and published. We were honored by his friendship and are
thankful to everyone who came together to complete Uncle
Ron's project.—Lindsie Bear, Editor
To be truthful, nearly thirty years of federal service have left me
somewhat cynical about why people become professionally or voluntarily involved in historic preservation. During my career, many of
the people I have worked with inside and outside the government
got involved in historic preservation for three reason: personal or
professional gain; it’s a job; or because it is expected. In my interactions with Ron Wermuth, I never got the impression that his
involvement was related to any of the three reasons above; Ron got
involved because he believed and understood that the preservation
of certain sites was important to maintaining the cultural health
and wellbeing of the people he represented and cared for. His dedication to his people and the basic principles behind historic preservation were evident through his actions. No matter the reason
why we were meeting or needed assistance in resolving an issue,
he was always there and participating; sometimes he was the only
person despite the fact that many had been invited. Personal sacrifice of time and energy did not seem to matter to him.
Because of his dedication and adherence to his personal beliefs
I greatly respected him and believe that with his passing we all lost
somebody who made a difference and mattered.
—Mike Baskerville, Cultural Resource Manager
Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake

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▼ N E WS F ROM N AT IVE C AL IFO RNIA

Even before learning of the Rose Springs site, this land (Owens
Valley, Panamint Valley, and the Coso Springs areas) had a very
special spiritual meaning to Ron. Its places are the home of some of
his ancestors (Koso, Shoshone, Kawaiisu). Several times during the
year he would walk those areas that were significant to him to pray,
fast, and talk to