A Bag of Bones: Legends of the Wintu Indians of Northern California

These stories come from the Wintu Indians of California's northern Sacramento Valley where they resided for thousands of years. Grant Towendolly, son of the former headman of the tribe, a Wintu philosopher , mystic, and shaman, retells their legends. We learn that streams, rocks, trees, canyons, cliffs, and ordinary scenery to us, often held special significance. On the side of a trail on Salt Creek is a large balanced rock called "a bag of bones" in which it is said deer bones could be heard rattling around inside.