Vanyume Indians
The Vanyume or Beñemé, as Father Garces called them, lived beyond and along much of the length of the Mojave River, from the eastern Mojave Desert to at least the Victorville region, and perhaps even farther upstream to the south. They also appear to have lived in the southern and southwestern Antelope Valley. They intermarried with the Serrano and spoke a dialect of the Serrano language, so they may be thought of as a desert division or branch of the Serrano proper.The Vanyume living along the Mojave River were quite wealthy in shell-bead money and other items. This was perhaps on account of the active trade route running along the Mojave River, connecting the Colorado River tribes and the Indian nations of the Southwest with the Indian groups of coastal southern California.
The Serrano-speaking villages of the southern Antelope Valley were, according to Garces, affiliated with this desert branch of the Serrano. Garces had passed up the length of the Mojave River in early 1776, and then crossed the southwestern Antelope Valley some weeks later. Garces was accompanied by Mojave Indian guides from the Colorado River who knew where the tribal boundaries were. In any case, these southern Antelope Valley native communities, including Maviajek and Kwarung, had strong ties with Serrano-speaking communities on the upper Mojave River and in the areas of the northern San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains.
The Vanyume had a culture and food supply practices that were similar to those of the Serrano of the San Bernardino Mountains. Despite living in the desert, this branch of the Serrano had the advantage that it could receive and use in its desert villages large quantities of acorns gathered in the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountain ranges to the south. This allowed large villages to be supplied with abundant food far out in the desert, far north of where oak trees could be found. Father Garces reported having been given acorn porridge at a Vanyume village just to the southwest of modern Barstow, far from any oak grove.
The Vanyume shared a territorial boundary with the Chemehuevi to the northeast. The Chemehuevi had much lower population densities than the Vanyume and other Serrano because their food resources were less abundant. The Vanyume population may have ranged from 500 to 1000 or more at the arrival of the Spanish.
Source - California State Parks
Related and Refering Pages
Another Beneme Rancheria
... and thereupon I went five leagues southwest up river,18 and arrived at a rancheria of some 40 souls of the same Beneme nation. ...
Beneme Indians San Jose Noted
... they are of the Beneme nation and there were about 25 souls. I gave them of my little store (los regale con mi pobreza), and they did the same with ...
Sierra Pinta-Arroyo de Los Martiresu Beneme
These are doubtless the Panamint Indians, of Shoshoean stock, after whom the valley and range west of Death valley (their present habitat) were ...
Mojave Indian History - The Spanish & Mexicans
On the way, they met 40 Chemehuevi, whom Garcés described as living in the desert between the Mojave, the Beneme on the Mojave River to the west of the ...
First Inhabitants of Bitter Springs
They were referred to by European travelers as Beneme, Vanyume, Paiute (Pah-Utah, Pai-Ute, Piute) and Serrano. They lived along the Mojave River from the ...
Serrano - Trade, Exchange, Storage
The Serrano and Vanyume being related to each other affected such a social relationship. The Mojave would trade with the Vanyume of the desert. ...
Kawaiisu Indian Related Pages
Territory of > Vanyume (Serrano) : Chemehuevi : Kawaiisu · Next photo Scattered and few these petroglyphs can be found in downtown Barstow California. ...
Jedediah Smith
Serrano / Vanyume Indians of the Mojave Desert ... The Vanyume (Wanyuma) are mentioned in the journal of Jedediah Smith as . ...
Kitanemuk Indians
The Yokuts and Chumash bordered their territory to the west and southwest, the Kawaiisu on the north, the Vanyume and Serrano to the south and east. ...
On the Trail of a Spanish Pioneer
Beneme = Vanyume (a branch of the Serrano/Yaharetum) Chemebet = Chemehuevi (a branch of the Southern Paiute) Yabipais Tejua = Yavapai Jaguallapai = Hualapai ...
Serrano Indian Links
Trail of the Desert Fan Palm Serrano lore · Tribal Learning Community and Educational Exchange · Vanyume (Vanyume Serrano) · Where Were the Serrano Indians? ...
Serrano - Territorial Boundaries
... but the northeastern part of the territory described in the Claims Case was probably the territory of the Vanyume, a group encountered by Garcés in 1771 ...
First Inhabitants of Bitter Springs
They were referred to by European travelers as Beneme, Vanyume, Paiute (Pah-Utah, Pai-Ute, Piute) and Serrano. They lived along the Mojave River from the ...
First Visitors to Bitter Springs
He followed the migration/trade routes of the Paiuti, which belonged to the Uto-Aztecan language grouping in the Vanyume region. He noted on his map, ...
Serrano Indian Links
Trail of the Desert Fan Palm Serrano lore · Tribal Learning Community and Educational Exchange · Vanyume (Vanyume Serrano) · Where Were the Serrano Indians? ...
Serrano Indians
Sub-groups of the Serrano; Vanyume, Kitanemuk · More about the Serrano, Native Location: Mojave Desert and the San Bernardino Mountains in Southern ...
Map - Indians of the Mojave Desert
Serrano - Southern Mojave, Western Mojave, San Bernardino Mountains, San Gabriel Mountains Vanyume - Western Mojave · Tataviam - Western Mojave ...
Fiddleneck, Amsinckia tessellata
{Possibly - Kitanemuk, Kawaiisu, Vanyume} Seeds are toxic to livestock such as horses and cattle. References: A Flower Watcher's Guide - Milt Stark ...
Chemehuevi Indian Links
Ute-Chemehuevi Group - SFSU Narrative · Ute-Southern Paiute Language · Ute-Southern Paiute Linguistic Lineage · Vanyume · Four Directions Institue ...
TOPIABIT RANCHERIA
... the location of Topiabit (or Topipabit) Rancheria, which is described as a permanent village of Serrano-Vanyume Indians occupied in the last 1000 years. ...
JEDEDIAH SMITH CROSSES DESERT
Vanyume The desert branch of the Serrano Indians Mojave Indian Trail (Mojave Road) Long ago Mohave Indians used a network of pathways to cross the Mojave ...
Journal of Jedediah Smith
Journal of Jedediah Smith, Mojave Desert Crossing.
Petroglyphs, California Mojave Desert
Territory of > Vanyume (Serrano) : Chemehuevi : Kawaiisu · Next photo. Scattered and few these petroglyphs can be found in downtown Barstow California. ...
Black Canyon Petroglyphs
Territory of > Vanyume (Serrano) : Kawaiisu · Tour - Next Very few are easily found. Scrambling over rocks and short hikes are required. ...
Cleghorn Lakes Wilderness
Ecosection : Mojave Desert Ecosubsection : Bullion Mountains - Bristol Lake Native Culture : Serrano (Vanyume), Chemehuevi, Cahuilla ...
Newberry Mountains Wilderness
Ecosection : Mojave Desert Ecosubsection : Lucerne - Johnson Valleys and Hills, Mojave Valley - Granite Mountains Native Culture : Vanyume, Chemehuevi ...
Rodman Mountains Wilderness
Ecosection : Mojave Desert Ecosubsection : Lucerne - Johnson Valleys and Hills, Mojave Valley - Granite Mountains Native Culture : Vanyume, Chemehuevi ...
Bristol Mountains Wilderness
Geomorphic Province : Mojave Desert Ecosection : Mojave Desert Ecosubsection : Bullion Mountains - Bristol Lake Native Culture : Vanyume ...
Black Mountain Wilderness
Ecosubsection : Mojave Valley - Granite Mountains, High Desert Plains and Hills Native Culture : Vanyume (Serrano), Kawaiisu, Chemehuevi ...
Cadiz Dunes Wilderness
Ecosection : Sonoran Desert Ecosubsection : Cadiz - Vidal Valleys Native Culture : Serrano (Vanyume), Chemehuevi, Cahuilla ...
Sheephole Valley Wilderness
Ecosection : Mojave Desert Ecosubsection : Bullion Mountains - Bristol Lake Native Culture : Serrano (Vanyume), Chemehuevi, Cahuilla ...
Bighorn Mountain Wilderness
... Valleys and Hills, Little San Bernardino - Bighorn Mountains, San Gorgonio Mountains, Upper San Gorgonio Mountains Native Culture : Serrano (Vanyume) ...
Vanyume Indian cooking pot
Vanyume Indian territory
Notes¹
The Vanyume were the desert Serrano. They ranged along the Mojave River from Victorville/Hesperia to east of Barstow. The Vanyume (Wanyuma) are mentioned in the journal of Jedediah Smith as poor but friendly.
Language: Northern Takic
Family: Takic
Stock: Uto-Aztecan
Aboriginal Locations
Atongaibit, Cacameat, Guacaibit, Topipapit, and at least two other villages.
1771 Mission San Gabriel Arcangel founded
1776 Garces arrived in territory
1806 Padre Jose Zalvidea baptized Indians probably at Guacaibit.
1810 Four Vanyume taken by Spanish from Topipapait to San Fernando Mission
1819 Asistencia established near Redlands; a large number of Vanyume massacred by Mojave tribe
1826 Vanyume visited by Jedediah Smith
1851 Juan Maria Lugo and Indian cowboys ambushed near Cacameat by Ute horse thieves under Chief Walkara, Ignacio Palomares and other rider were ambushed near Topipapit
Other speakers of the same language: Gabrielino, Kitanemuk, Serrano
¹Four Directions Inst.
