Lucy Telles

Lucy Park Telles
Lucy Telles in Yosemite National Park, September 16, 1933
Born	Pamahas ca. 1870-1885 Mono County, California, United States
Died	ca. 1955-1956
Nationality	Kucadikadi-Southern Sierra Miwok
Education	Self-taught
Known for	Basket weaving

Lucy Parker Telles (ca. 1870/1885–1955/6) was a Mono Lake Paiute - Kucadikadi (Northern Paiute) and Southern Sierra Miwok (Yosemite Miwok) Native American basket weaver.

Lucy Telles was born near Mono Lake, in Mono County, California. Her Indian name was Pamahas, which translates to "Meadows" in the Northern Paiute language. Her parents were Louisa and Mack Tom. Her maternal grandparents were Mono Lake Paiute Captain Sam and Mono "Yosemite Paiute" Susie Sam. She and her family lived in Yosemite Valley and at Mono Lake. As a child, Telles played near Galen Clark's cabin. To supplement her family's income, she caught fish in the Valley to sell to hotel keepers.

Telles' first husband was Jack Parker, a Paiute. In 1902 they had a son, Lloyd Parker, but shortly after he was born, Jack died. She later married John Telles, a Mexican-American from Texas. John worked as a truck driver and laborer for the Yosemite Park & Curry Company, and the couple lived in Yosemite Valley.

Lucy Telles was one of a group of Mono-Paiute women that "became known for their exceedingly fine, visually stunning and complex polychrome baskets." Other basket weaving artists in this group included Nellie Charlie and Carrie Bethel.

Telles, who learned basket weaving as a child, was well known for her fine basketry during her lifetime. Her innovations in basket weaving had a lasting influence on Yosemites weavers. While traditional Miwok baskets had one color, she used two colors per baskets. She created black from bracken fern root (Pteridium aquilinum) and red from split redbud twigs. She created new basketry designs, some inspired by Plains Indian geometric beadwork. Lucy sold her baskets to Yosemite visitors.