The Curse of Tenaya Canyon in Yosemite

One of the more dangerous places to travel in Yosemite National Park is the Tenaya Canyon where many people have gotten hurt or even died. Many believe that the canyon is cursed after Chief Tenaya and his people got removed from Yosemite and their ancestral land.

Amidst the towering sequoias and breathtaking landscapes of Yosemite National Park and its surroundings, a realm of shadows and whispered stories unfolds. As the sun sets behind the colossal sequoias, legends from modern day and ancient tales creep out from the well walked trails in the darkness of Yosemite’s haunted landscape.

Yosemite National Park covers 759,620 acres and stretches into four counties in California. It has been a World Heritage Site since 1984 and is filled with granite cliffs, giant sequoia groves, crystal clear lakes and streams and storming waterfalls from the mountains.

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Although the European settlers’ story in Yosemite is from 1851 when it was “found” by James D. Savage, the Native Americans story in the valley stretches back to nearly 4000 years. As for human presence, perhaps as far as 10 000 years. And by the look of it, it also seems to be one of the more haunted National Parks in the USA as well.

One of the more dangerous places to travel in Yosemite National Park is the Tenaya Canyon where many people have gotten hurt or even died. Many believe that the canyon is cursed after Chief Tenaya and his people got removed from Yosemite and their ancestral land. — **Tenaya Canyon:** View of Half Dome through Tenaya Canyon were the curse of Chief Tenaya is said to linger after his son was murdered by settlers: Akos Kokai/Wikimedia

The Danger of Tenaya Canyon

In Yosemite National Park lies a place of beauty and dread – Tenaya Canyon. Carved over millennia by the mighty forces of nature, this rugged gorge boasts towering cliffs, cascading waterfalls, and untamed wilderness.

The Tenaya Canyon has a reputation for being a dangerous and tricky place to navigate without proper equipment, even for seasoned hikers and climbers. Some say because of the polished and slippery rocks, frequent rock slides and a steep ascent, some say it is also because of something more sinister than a tough terrain.

Because beneath Tenaya Canyon’s scenic facade lurks a darker tale, one of tragedy, curses, and inexplicable occurrences that have earned it the ominous moniker: the Bermuda Triangle of Yosemite.

The Removal of the Ahwahnechee Tribe

Tenaya Canyon is named after Chief Tenaya, leader of the Ahwahnechee people who once called the Yosemite Valley their home. The Ahwahnechee people were said to have become a distinct tribe from the other local tribes and Chief Tenaya, a proud and resilient leader, fought fiercely to protect his people and their ancestral lands from encroaching settlers.

In 1850 to 1851, the Mariposa War took place in Yosemite National Park and Sierra Nevada between the English settlers and the native tribes in the area. A bloody conflict together with sickness brought from Europe that would take their numbers in the valley down from around 7000 to only 200 or thereabout in a decade.

It was in the middle of the California Gold Rush and the settlers wanted to send the native tribes to the Fresno Reservation. Chief Tenaya together with the local tribes fought back. However, personal tragedy struck in the 1850s when Chief Tenaya’s own son fell victim to a battalion seeking to forcibly remove the Ahwahnechee from Yosemite Valley.

In the beginning many of the tribe decided to go to the reservation, but many fled back to the valley. One of the ones that did so was the youngest and favorite son of Chief Tenaya. His son was held captive by the European settlers and when he tried to flee, he was shot dead.

In his grief and rage, Chief Tenaya reportedly invoked a curse upon the canyon, vowing that those who trespassed upon its sacred grounds would meet misfortune and doom.

The Curse of Chief Tenaya

There are a couple of different accounts about what exactly he did say. One account of this curse can be found in Hutchings’ California Magazine from 1859 by Lafayette Bunnell:

“Kill me if you like; but if you do, my voice shall be heard at night, calling upon my people to revenge me, in louder tones than you have ever made it ring.”
Source

It is worth noting though, this is a retelling by one that was involved in removing the native tribes from Yosemite. Another account from Lafayette Bunnell goes into more details about what happened, and released in 1892 where he cursed them like this:

“You may kill me, sir, Captain, but you shall not live in peace. I will follow in your foot-steps, I will not leave my home, but be with the spirits among the rocks, the water-falls, in the rivers and in the winds; wheresoever you go I will be with you. You will not see me, but you will fear the spirit of the old chief, and grow cold. The great spirits have spoken! I am done.”
Source

Although the history of it all is true, its details must be taken with a grain of salt according to the historians, as the only retelling of what happened, when and what was said, only comes from the side that won the battle, and was alive to tell the tale.

But what do Tenayas descendants and the natives have to say about this story? A spokesperson from the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation claims that the curse is common knowledge among them as well. Every time someone dies or has a terrible accident, or the very nature itself is moved by rock slides for example, they say a prayer and bless to keep the curse of Tenaya away and Yosemite safe.

But beware, it is said for those not respecting the rocks, the plants or the waters in the park, bad things will happen.

The Dangerous Curse of Tenaya Canyon in Yosemite

Over the years, the curse of Tenaya Canyon has become the stuff of legend, whispered among park rangers and visitors alike. It is said that the Tuolumne Meadows is the place from where the curse itself comes from and is filled with the spirit of those that died in battle there.

Tales abound of accidents, mysterious deaths, and inexplicable disappearances that have befallen those who dared to venture into its depths. It is worth noting though that for a big part of the canyon, signs telling people “Warning. This is not a trail. Travel beyond this point is dangerous without climbing equipment. Return to Tioga road.”

Mostly, hikers and climbers in the canyon mostly talk about the sense that something is there. Like the way the climber, Rom Kauk talked about in an interview. He has felt that it is something with him in the canyon, something pulling his sleeping bag.

But there are some that think that the curse is more dangerous than just an ominous presence and some pranks around the tents. Some believe that the curse is at fault for many of the accidents, disappearances and even deaths that have happened in the canyon. Something that has made people call the canyon the Bermuda Triangle of Yosemite.

Many have tried hiking the 10 mile long traverse of the canyon, or the route from Tenaya Lake to Yosemite Valley.

Even the Yosemite legend, Jon Muir fell and was unconscious while he explored this part of Yosemite National Park:

I suddenly fell — for the first time since I touched foot to Sierra rocks. After several somersaults, I became insensible from the shock, and when consciousness returned I found myself wedged among short, stiff bushes, trembling as if cold, not injured in the slightest.
– Steep Trails by Jon Muir

Hiking the Cursed Canyon

Park rangers, well-versed in the park’s history and its secrets, have come to regard Tenaya Canyon with a mixture of reverence and fear. Some speak of strange occurrences and unsettling vibes that permeate the air, hinting at unseen forces at work. The remaining native tribes also take the curse at face value and urge hikers to treat the canyon with the respect it demands.

Despite its breathtaking beauty, Tenaya Canyon remains a place of caution and respect, its cursed reputation serving as a grim reminder of the enduring power of the past and the spirits that still roam the land. So the next time you find yourself drawn to the allure of Yosemite’s wilds, tread carefully and heed the warnings whispered by the wind – for Tenaya Canyon may hold secrets best left undisturbed.