Pyramid Lake, Nevada and the Stone Mother
What does the land tell us about ourselves?
Pyramid Lake in Nevada lies on the Paiute Indian Reservation. Its blue waters and unusual rock formations stand in stark contrast to the high desert landscape and its sparse vegetation. One of the most important formations on the East Shore is the Stone Mother.
This woman, who turned to stone, had the problem that many mothers have had over the years. She sent away some of her children and then missed them terribly; so terribly she couldn’t hold her tears and those tears left her paralyzed.
A Storyteller Explains
Ralph Burns, an elder in the tribe, tells her story in this short video.
A Trip to the Lake
I visited Pyramid Lake for the first time while on a drive with my parents soon after I moved to Nevada. I had heard the story of the Stone Mother and was eager to see her.
We drove out there from Fernley, through the dry brush in the desert, only seeing the only a few cottonwood trees around the lake and along the Truckee River that empties into it.
We had my young dog, Leadbelly, with us. Leadbelly always hung out near us and answered our calls whenever we wanted him. Because of this, we let him out of the car without a leash. He sniffed around for a few minutes then caught the sight of a rabbit in a bush not too far away. He was off, topping the hill and out of sight.
We waited, expecting him back as soon as he gave up on the rabbit. A half an hour later, still no Leadbelly.
I got out of the car to wait for him while my father and mother took the car up the deserted road to look for him.
This was the first time I was ever alone at Pyramid Lake. From the road, I could see the lake sparkling down below the small ravine to the east of me. To the west, hills bereft of trees, but covered with sagebrush with its sharp, high desert scent. The only noise, the wind blowing softly, rattled through the dry branches. Above me, buzzards circled.
I never felt so alone. It seemed certain that Leadbelly would never return and that my parents would never find me again. I was an adult that felt very much like a small child. Would my mother cry like the Stone Mother or would she eventually forget me and go on with her life? We hadn’t gotten along for many years and were just healing those wounds, would my being missing make life easier for her?
I don’t know how long I stood there before the car rounded the corner, my parents in the front seat and Leadbelly, covered in brambles, waited eagerly in the back. My mother gushed her relief at finding me.
I was glad to get back to Fernley that day but I was fascinated by the way I’d felt out there.
Magic Lives
I’ve returned to Pyramid Lake many times. Each time it cast a spell on me. Sometimes just a shift in the way my body felt, free-unbound. Sometimes events reminded me how strongly magic endures in that place.
The lake and my visits also taught me that if you stop long enough, if you visit often enough, places will often reveal their lessons.
Listen, watch, feel the wind, smell the air, and live in the magic.
