As the story is told by the people, Hadoram, son of Joktan had twelve sons. After the people made the northern crossing and began upon their path southward [which direction in the language of the people is shaoneyunk], we came to a great river which we called the Xinkhònèk, where we camped for ten sleeps due to the plentiful fish and game as well as ample grass for our animals to feed upon. During our time here, our brothers, the Sons of Hazarmaveth had told Joktan that they would remain along these waters when the rest of the nation departed. We all said our good-byes and knew that we would miss these of our family because very likely, we would never see them again in this unbounded land.

Upon the morrow, we packed out, took our tipi down and then continued upriver along the Xinkhònèk. As we traveled, we would stop along the river or a lake, moving steadily southward for for many sleeps. After we stopped for another camp between the river and a lake, our brothers, the Sons of Obal told Joktan that they had decided to depart the family upon the next morrow because, as they told us, they wanted to camp along this lake because of the abundant fish that was to be caught. Again, we were very sad when we departed and seeing them remain in camp that day as we moved southward was heartbreaking.

As we continued upriver, we followed it towards the mountains in the west (ehëliwsikànk) climbing slowly upstream towards these mountains and could determine that there was a pass in the mountain where this river was leading us. We continued towards the pass and got closer, Joktan stopped our progression at a good place for camp and then sent several of his sons ahead of the main entourage to espy what was on the opposite side of the mountain pass. Joktan told the people to make a sojourn camp, while his sons journeyed to examine what was beyond the pass. It was at the end of the day after six sleeps when they returned to the people.

After meeting with Joktan, there was the call for a council meeting sounded among the people and all the people gathered around to hear the news from those who made the exploration. We were told that beyond the mountain pass was a big lake [xinkwi mënupèk] one teeming with large fish, fish that are like trout, but are not trout [ta-maschílamek] of which the meat was red and tasty. The brothers described the scene as beautiful with green shorelines, ample firewood, food aplenty, and is entirely surrounded by mountains which many waters flow down from. The one thought of all of the people was now focused on seeing this beautiful land.

Early the next morrow, we pack out, dismantled our tipis, and began our journey upriver to the mountain pass. After five more sleeps, the people arrive at the pass, walk through the pass to the western overlook point and to our amazement, could see what the people could only describe as a wide and spacious plain with lush greenery surrounding the big lake.

The people all continue down from the pass, and followed the shoreline of the lake, making our camps each evening upon its grassy shores. Many of the fathers would climb up into the nearby mountains to hunt, only to return with meat and stories of bountiful game within those forests. The people continue to camp along the shores of this big lake for many sleeps, and during our days here, the people would fish, hunt and live the stories that they would tell to future children. The time here was good for the people and the people prolonged our camping here for several moons.

Even so, we would often break camp to travel south along the lake′s edge and find many good places at which the people would stop, set up their tipis to camp and sleep.

After walking south along the western banks of the lake, with steep mountains to our right we come to a locations where the lake was flowing under the mountain. The people crossed over this bridge and the people were amazed by this spectacle. After the people crossed this bridge, camp was sett up on the south side close to the lake. Here, the people did give thanks to the most high God Elanàn′tuwit for all that He has and continues to provide the people of God.

The people did spend many sleeps here along the shore of the big lake in full sight of the Bridge of God. Not long after arriving at this camp, Hadoram did summon his tribe for a meeting and proposed that we consider choosing this as our homeland, that it has abundant water, ample wood for fire and plenty of both fish and game. It did not take long before all of the sons and daughthers of Hadoram had decided to remain at this camp when the nation of Joktan departs for other parts of this vast land.

Soon after, Hadoram did approach the fire pit of Joktan, sit down and inform that his father that his family would not be continuing with Joktan and his sons when they depart. So, on being informed of Hadoram′s plans, Joktan, as has been his practice called for a council fire meeting so that the people can all wish Hadoram and his family well wishes on their life journey. In fact, this observance continued for three sleeps after which, the people, except for the family of Hadoram, did pack out, pull down their tipis and then continued the journey on further into the continent.

Later, after Joktan and the nation of the people resumed their walk around the lake

We scouted out the land on both sides of the land bridge and found the land on the north side to be best suitable for a more permanent camp. Thus, the people moved back over the bridge and set up our camp not far from the lake. Then we continued to explore the land and several of the sons of Hadoram moved to set up separate camp for their families in the surrounding lands. Some of the families traveled to the north, some to the south and a few back along the lake on the route from which we came. As time progressed onward, each of the families of the people settled into the land where they have chosen and made their way on their life journey.

Of the sons of Hadoram, his eleventh son, Utia choose to travel south along the western coast of the continent, and with him was his wife and their four sons: Miwok, Ohlone, Costanoa, and Mutsun. Miwok, the first born of Utia arrived at a large coastal bay and set up his camp on the northern peninsula of that bay. Several of his sons moved inland along the bay to set up their camp. Still other moved to the southeast along the river valley and settled in the foothills of the mountains towards the east. These lands that the tribe of Miwok chose to be their homeland are now the current lands of the San Francisco Bay, the San Joaquin River valley and the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountain ranges. The lands where the Miwok made their home included the Sierra NF, Stainslaus NF, and Yosemite NP.

The work Miwok means people in the Miwok language and the people were geographically and culturally divided into four ethnic subgroups. These distinctions were not used by the Miwok prior to European contact. Today, there are eleven federally recognized tribs of the Miwok who are all found in northern California. Other tribes live on lands in California and are not federally recognized.

Before contact with the European in about 1769, the Miwok lived in small bands without centralized political authority. They had domesticated dogs, cultivated tobacco, and were complex hunter-gatherers.

The Miwok who lived in the Sierra Nevada harvested acorn from the California Black Oak, as well as all kinds of edible vegetable matter including bulbs, seeds and fungi. They hunted animals, which depending on the species used arrows, clubs and/or snares. Grasshoppers were a prized food source, as were mussels found in the Stanislaus River.

Today, their are about 3,500 Miwok living primary in California.