"Walpust!" That's the Southern Sierra Miwok word for "greetings." You can learn this, and many more words from an indigenous culture that inhabited the Mill Valley community some 500 years ago by perusing Dr. Sylvia M. Broadbent's The Southern Sierra Miwok Language; available on-line at http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/southern_sierra_miwok_language/.Yet, what makes this dictionary even more interesting is the historical insight one can glean from several interviews with native speakers. The inclusion of conversations with Miwok tribal members provides a glimpse into one of the first cultures to settle in Yosemite Valley, Mariposa, and the surrounding foothills. A fascinating piece for those who desire to learn more about the cultural history of the Mill Valley area.
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