ABSTRACT
Whether you take Highway 190 west or east into Furnace Creek, you’ll notice that the welcome signs for Death Valley National Park include the line “Homeland of the Timbisha Shoshone.” The Timbisha Shoshone indeed have deep historical footprints in Death Valley. Their origin myths specify a place in the valley, Tumpingwosa, where they were born as a people. 1 Archaeological evidence also affirms that people have lived in this part of southeastern California for some 10,000 years (Wallace 1977). The valley clearly has been occupied for a long time. That tagline on National Park signs, however, is a notably recent addition.
