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Note: N1 aka as "Kewen," "Kuhn," or "K"
1860 US Census, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California household of Edward J. Kewen, District Attn'y of Los Angeles, 7 Indian laborers in household, Jose 30y likely this Jose.
1920 US Census, San Gabriel, Los Angeles, California as Santos Kuhn Juncos, race white living at 612 So. Del Mar.
U.S. Indian Census Schedules, 1885-1940 not found.
Los Angeles Time obit 10 Feb 1921.
Note: At one time in the mid-19th century Edward Kewen owned and lived in the "Old Mill" in San Marino; at the base of Kewen Canyon and Kewen Road. This was originally a grist mill built for the San Gabriel Mission. Kewen died in 1879.
Not found in Mission records posted on the Huntington Library website.
The following is from "The First Angelinos - The Gabrielino Indians of Los Angeles" by William McCawley; Malki Museum Press, 1996; pgs 16 - 17:
JOS� DE LOS SANTOS JUNCOS
Jos� de los Santos Juncos worked with Harrington between 1914 and 1916, and in December, 1918. He provided a wealth of information on Gabrielino placenames, culture, local history, and vocabulary; he also reported on several Gabrielino songs. His real name was reportedly Santos Salas; the Harrington notes most frequently refer to him as "Kewen," "Kuhn," or simply "K" (Mills and Brickfield 1986:71; Harrington 1986: R105 F495, 614).
Santos Juncos was of Juaneno descent. The Juaneno were Indians who lived in the vicinity of Mission San Juan Capistrano; many of the Juaneno entered the mission and became Christians, although Gabrielinos also formed a significant portion of the Indian population at Mission San Juan Capistrano. Harrington reported that Santos Juncos' father was Jos� Engenio Juncos born at S.J.C. [San Juan Capistrano]. Inf's [informant's] mother was Maria Valediana, b. [born] at S. J. C. Both parents were of S. J. C. descent. inf's mother was about 4 ft. high when the great earthquake occurred [the 1812 earthquake which destroyed the church at San Juan Capistrano] (Harrington 1986 : R102, F710, 741; R105 F559).
According to Harrington, Santos Juncos's father and mother were both shamans and Santos Juncos himself would have followed in this tradition had his parents not intervened. Harrington wrote that when K. [Kuhn or Kewen] was a boy he used to have nightmares & it was said he would be [a] big person. He would have, if his parents had not pierced his ears. His father was a hechicero [sorcerer] & his mother was a little bit hechicera. They took a big batea [basketry tray] . . . and they medically treated him & extracted from his heart . . . the espuma of the tStSitSam [literally the foam or froth of Chengiichngech, who was the creator-god of the Gabrielino] (Harrington 1986: R105, F561).
Although he was of Jua�eno descent, the information provided by Santos Juncos primarily concerned the Gabrielino. According to Harrington Santos Juncos "was never much among the J. Inds. [Juane�o Indians]" (Harrington 1986: R104 F23).
There appears to be conflicting information concerning Santos Juncos' date of birth. Harrington reported that he "was born at L.A. . . . in 1820;" however, Harrington also noted that "when Ams. [Americans] arrived [during the late 1840s?]. . . [he] was 20 yrs . old." An obituary in the Los Angeles Times for February 10, 1921, reports that Santos Juncos "was born at the old [San Gabriel] mission in 1815" (Los Angeles Times 1921; Harrington 1986: R104 F23).
During part of his adult life Santos Juncos worked for a Los Angeles lawyer known as Colonel Kewen; because of his obvious intelligence and his association with the lawyer he received the nickname Kewen. Harrington wrote that Santos Juncos was "the last Ind. of aqui [here] . . . . he worked for [Kewen] . . . & like . . . [Kewen] he talked much" (Los Angeles Times 1921; Mills and Brickfield 1986:68; Harrington 1986: R10S F614). Santos Juncos also resided for a time with the family of Benjamin (don Benito) Wilson. He worked on various sheep ranches in southern California and "once wandered and worked as a sheepshearer on S. [Santa] Cruz Island." According to Santos Juncos, his sister kept company with the famous bandit Joaqu�n Murrieta (Harrington 1986: R104 F23, R105 F560).
The last 40 years of Santos Juncos' life were spent at Mission San Gabriel. He remained in good health until the very end, dying peacefully in his sleep on February 9, 1921. He was buried in the mission cemetery (Los Angeles Times 1921).
References:
Harrington, John P.
1986 John P. Harrington Papers, Vol. 3: Southern California/Basin. Smithsonian Institution, National Anthropological Archives, Washington, Microfilm edition, Kraus International Publications, Millwood, New York: R102, F710, 741; R104 F23; R105, F495, F559, F560; F561, F614.
Los Angeles Times
1921 [Race Vanishes as Juncio Dies.] 10 February, Los Angeles, California.
Mills, Elaine L., and Ann J. Brickfield
1986 The Papers of john P. Harrington in the Smithsonian Institution, 1907-1957, Vol. 3: A Guide to the Fieldnotes: Native American History, Language and Culture of Southern California/Basin. Kraus International Publications, White Plains, New York: 71.
Los Angeles Times 1921 10 February, Los Angeles, California.
RACE VANISHES AS JUNCIO DIES.
San Gabriel Mission Indian Had Reached 106th Year.
Last Voice Silenced Which Told History First-Hand
�I�m Tired,� Says Aged Man; Goes to Unbroken Rest.
The death of Santo Juncio at the San Gabriel Mission yesterday afternoon marked the passing of the last of a vanished race. With him died the last vestige of personal remembrance of the golden age of California missions - Juncio, who had reached the age of 106 years, authenticated by the mission records, taken with him to the happy hunting ground the last voice which told at first hand the story of the State�s most romantic period.
He was born at the old mission in 1815, spent his youth and young manhood there when the institution was prospering, and engaged in many activities which the fathers taught the red man and which made of the mission Indians a superior specimen of their race. After the Mexican War when California became part of the United States Juncio left the mission and for years made his home in the little town of Los Angeles.
NEAR FAMILY BONES
He applied himself to several of the arts he had learned in the mission days, and finally became part of the household of Col Kuehn, where he lived for some time until he went to reside with the Denito Wilson family, where he stayed until it was thought his days of usefulness were over when he again returned to the old mission, to be , as he expressed it, �near the bones of my forefathers,� the last years of his life. His days were in no manner drawing to a close, however, as his return to San Gabriel was forth years ago.
After his return he did little but dream of the days of the past an was one of the attractions of the mission town, being able at times to relate hitherto forgotten tales and bring to light what might have been forgotten history.
Among the notable events of his life was a day spent with John Burroughs during the visit of the naturalist to California last winter, when Mr. Burroughs remarked that it made him feel like a youth when, at the age of 82, he could meet and converse with a really old man. Mr. Burroughs had an engagement to repeat the visit today, but instead of meeting his old friend will be one of the group who will hear the mission priests chant his funeral service.
Juncio, despite his advanced years, had been in good health all his life, and approached the end with no suffering or any noticeable aliment. He was around the city Tuesday as usual and remained abed yesterday morning, �because he was tired.� The end came while he slept.
Funeral services well be conducted this morning at the old mission, and the body will be laid to rest in the old cemetery, where his forefathers were buried in ground consecrated by the early mission fathers.
Not found U.S. Indian Census Schedules, 1885-1940.
Los Angeles Time obit 10 Feb 1921.
Note: At one time in the mid-19th century Kewen owned and lived in the "Old Mill" in San Marino; at the base of Kewen Canyon and Kewen Road. This was originally a grist mill built for the San Gabriel Mission. Kewen died in 1879.
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