<Begin Segment 15>

RP: One other group inhabited the area, or the original inhabitants, the Owens Valley, Paiute, Shoshone...

PF: Yeah, Paiutes. Shoshones, uh-huh.

RP: Did you have relationships with, with them in school or...

PF: They were kind of, they kind of stayed pretty much, I think they kind of stayed by themselves. [Interruption] And I remember they were beautiful, beautiful girls. They did not look Paiute or Shoshone, they looked like light-skinned, or dark-skinned white people. They were, oh, they were beautiful girls. [Interruption] And I believe their name was Summers and I don't know that they were there a long time. And I remember another one that was there in grammar school briefly. And maybe her dad worked for the DWP and they kind of came and went, I don't know but her name was Frances Juarte.

RP: Juarte.

PF: Juarte. And I thought she was Spanish. She was another one with light skin and I liked her very much. But she wasn't there very long. Maybe a year in grammar school.

RP: Can you characterize the racial attitudes between the two groups if you can? The Native Americans towards whites, whites towards Native Americans? Was there, was there deep animosity or was there...

PF: I didn't feel any and if any of my classmates did I didn't know it. But the Indians were... well, they were different. And I can't explain how I feel they were different. (...) I don't want to say anymore 'cause I really don't know what I'm talking about. [Laughs]

RP: Right. Kirk, do you have any additional questions or... did you have any type of connection with Jill Kinmont at all?

PF: Jill Kinmont. No, she was younger than I. First I heard of her was the movie. And they made that movie there in Bishop. I didn't know her but my brother (might). (...) She might have been in my brother's age. (...)

RP: Just another question or two here. You shared your poignant story about visiting the girl at Manzanar.

PF: Uh-huh.

RP: How sad that made you.

PF: Uh-huh.

RP: Again, I know you were very young, but do you recall the attitudes of the community in Bishop towards the Manzanar camp?

PF: Uh-uh.

RP: Not at all.

PF: No. But must have been a number of them that felt as I did. Because that's why we made trips down there to visit with them because it felt like it was wrong.

RP: And so there were other groups, possibly, that also went down there as well?

PF: Well, I believe the Girl Scouts, I understand the Girl Scouts went down there.

RP: From Bishop?

PF: Uh-huh.

RP: Okay.

PF: And maybe often. Maybe several Girl Scout troops. And I just can't remember if I was with my Sunday school class or not.

[Interruption]

<End Segment 15> - Copyright © 2009 Manzanar National Historic Site and Densho. All Rights Reserved.