GBIA Video: Eleanor Little (Owyhee, NV)
Eleanor Little talks about her birth at Miller Creek, her family, and how they came
to be at the Owyhee Reservation. She describes her stay at a tuberculosis sanitarium,
and how her brother passed away from the sickness at the age of sixteen during her
early childhood. She shares information about plants used for medicine and Indian
beliefs concerning health. She asks that people respect Indians and explains why certain
terms are especially offensive. Eleanor discusses her early years in Nevada and Idaho.
She also tells what a moon house is used for.
Eleanor Little was born in Miller Creek ten miles north of Owyhee, Nevada delivered by her grandmother Susie Nip in the traditional way. Her mother was Jessie Little and her father was George Little. She discusses how her family, and other families, came to live at the Duck Valley Reservation. Eleanor also describes her experiences at the Swayne School, and the Tuberculosis epidemic in Duck Valley. She also tells us a Shoshone tale about Coyote and the birds. Additionally, she educates us on traditional medicines used by the Great Basin Native Americans. (GBC VHC Description, 08/03/2017)
Transcript (PDF)