Following the Shaman's Path: A Walking Guide to Little Petroglyph Canyon, Coso Range, California (Maturango Museum Publication)

Following the Shaman's Path : A Walking Guide to Little Petroglyph Canyon Coso Range, California is a small guide book by David Whitley, an expert of over thirty years study in California rock art. This guide is for the annual spring and fall trip in this restricted area arranged by Maturango Museum. This is a virtue tour with David as your personal guide in identifying the site with black and white picture and interpretation of understanding Native American shaman who performed the trance and left his image on stone. David deepens our understanding into the Native American culture and tradition from the tribes of Shoshone, North and South Paiute. He used the word kaolin conveniently borrowed from Chinese referring the fine ground mineral earth in making sophisticated porcelain. The petroglyph of Rain Shaman on page 32 is almost an icon in the bird man motif. Of particular interest is Panel 16 with upside down human figure b/w picture on the next page. He pointed out this panel contains some complex geometric forms, including a net-like design with a series of parallel wavy line extending downwards. My understanding is that on top of this net is a flat line with 5 groups of vertical lines of three, meaning a large boat with mast posts and long tails of wavy lines, signifying breaking long waves. The large physical upside fat body with hands and feet fully extended meant sailors suffered massive death toll in the long voyage. This panel may mean, they came in large heavy boat as seen in the current waves breaking the sea current and they suffered heavy death toll. The sailors decided to leave their American genesis on stone for posterity. David did a good job to motivate readers to make the tour personally to learn and appreciate.