Career

Brown was active in Yosemite Valley from the 1920s to the 1950s. Brown was named after Norwegian-born artist and basket collector Christian August Jorgensen (1860-1935), who lived in Yosemite Valley for many years. Brown was known as "one of the most popular personalities in Yosemite", famous for performing "dances of his own invention, wearing elaborate beadwork and featherwork of his own design".

He incorporated a Sioux vest and moccasins into his costume, which he obtained through a relationship with the staff of the California State Indian Museum.

A photo taken in 1929 also shows him wearing a war bonnet typical of the Plains Indians. His attitude at that time was to "give his audiences the tribal regalia they expected", and sometimes, he would mix "Plains and California regalia to create a suitable image."

One of his examples incorporated elements of Pomo, Maidu and Wintun traditions.

Brown would demonstrate survival skills such as arrowhead making, and the use of soaproot as a fish poison. An anthropologist described his technique: "First he mashes soaproot bulbs on a stone.

He then places the bulbs into a basket and works them into a foam.

The foam is poured into Yosemite Creek. And a half hour later he displays the rainbow trout that he caught." Soaproot contains a poison called saponin.