Tomo-Kahni

The Kawaiisu, who call themselves Nüwa, named this ridge for the season it was used. A tomo kahni is a winter house, a dome of willow or juniper poles set on a ring of stones, and the village took the name of the building. Families came together above a permanent spring in Sand Canyon for the cold months and scattered into small parties the rest of the year. The bedrock mortars they left grew deeper with use until new ones were started. California made the site a park unit in 1993.

What the plaque says

TOMO-KAHNI IN THE KAWAIISU LANGUAGE, TOMO-KAHNI MEANS WINTER VILLAGE. THE SITE'S LOCATION BETWEEN THE COAST AND DESERT ALLOWED THE SITE OCCUPANTS TO HOLD AN IMPORTANT PLACE FOR TRADE BETWEEN THESE AREAS AND THE SOUTHERN CENTRAL VALLEY. THE SACRED ROCK ART FOUND THROUGHOUT THE SITE CONTAINS STYLISTIC ELEMENTS FROM THE GREAT BASIN AND CENTRAL VALLEY CULTURE AREAS. THE SITE HAS BEEN AN AREA OF EXTENSIVE OCCUPATION AND CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING KAWAIISU COMMUNITY AND VILLAGE LIFE LOCALLY AS WELL AS STATEWIDE. STATE REGISTERED HISTORICAL LANDMARK NO. 1054 REGISTERED AUGUST 1, 2014 PLAQUE PLACED BY THE NATIVE SONS OF THE GOLDEN WEST, THE CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS FOUNDATION, AND CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS DEDICATED 2014, THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Oak Creek Pass — 6.8 mi
• Old Town — 8.8 mi
• Mojave 20-Mule-Team Borax Terminus — 11 mi
• Tehachapi Loop — 11 mi