Truckee

Family life Old Winnemucca was born a Shoshoni and became a Paiute by marrying a Kuyuidika woman. He was the father of Tuboitonie and father-in-law to her husband Poito, who later inherited his name and became known as Winnemucca the Younger. Tuboitonie and Winnemucca the Younger were the parents of Sarah Winnemucca, making Old Winnemucca her maternal grandfather. In her work Sarah Winnemucca often commented on her grandfather as being an intense but thoughtful man who cared for all people, often taking in orphaned Native Americans and providing them with a new home. Many of Old Winnemucca's other descendants and family would also take on his name including two of his grandsons Natchez and Numaga.

Gaining the Name Truckee There are multiple differing accounts of how Chief Truckee gained the nickname he proudly carried the rest of his life, but most are in agreement that it was given to him by a Settler/Exploration Party he helped guide through the Sierra Nevadas. In his dealings with this group Old Winnemucca would use the Paiute word for alright; "Tro-kay", very often leading the group to believe that this was their guides name. In other instances Old Winnemucca is given the name Tru-ki-zo. Although this word does not have any known meaning in Paiute it is often another name seen when referring to the Chief.

Relationship with United States settlers He was friendly with white settlers and guided John C. Frémont during his Second expedition early in 1843. After his involvement in the Mexican-American War Truckee secured a letter of introduction from Frémont commending him for his support. According to Sarah Winnemucca the Kuyuidika Band also had a brief interaction with the Donner Party in which they burned the winter supplies of the Natives who had originally planned on sharing with the group. At this point accounts differ widely on how involved Truckee became with some reports saying he fought alongside only his close family and the few braves he had with him while others state that Truckee was given command over a whole Native Company numbering from 200 to 500 men. This would be in line with Truckee's insistence on being referred to by his military title "Captain" for the rest of his life. Upon the conclusion of the war Captain Truckee was awarded a Brevet for his bravery and heroism. Unfortunately a conclusive account of Captain Truckee's actions during the war will most likely never be known due to the few sources even written on the subject.

Religious Beliefs and Influences Truckee is widely regarded as a Prophet among many Western Native American Groups with his unique beliefs widely influencing the peoples of the Sierra Nevada's and Western Nevada.

Death and legacy In October 1860, he developed a serious infection in his hand which multiple sources say was caused by a tarantula bite.

The Native American chieftain lends his name to the community of Truckee, California as well as to the Truckee Range and Truckee River in Nevada.

Known Descendants and Relatives of Truckee