California Native Americans

Bering Land Bridge (10,000 -12,000 or earlier)

• Pleistocene megafauna still existed providing great hunts
  (elephants, mastadons, lions, saber-tooth...
  
• dispersed rapidly and soon entered California
  
  
• Columbian Exchange (maize, wheat, potato, cotton, desease...)
• Greatest aboriginal population of non-agricultural world
• by the time Spanish settlement began (1769),
  over 300,000 Native Americans flourished in California
• European Migrants decimate native populations
  

Tribes divided by 6 major language families

CA. Language Map

N.A. Language Map

1. Algonkian of N.W.; centered on Klamath River & coast
   - Yurok of the redwoods
   
   
2. Athabascan were neighbors with Algonkian
   - Tolowa extreme north, Huba (Hoopa of the lower Trinity River)
   
   
3. Penutian of central CA including Sac. Valley and S.F. Bay
   - Wintun (26,000) east bank of Sacramento River
   - Miwok west of Sacramento River & gold country (Sierra)
   - Coast Miwok such as in Pt Reyes and Sonoma County
   - Lake Miwok of Clear Lake
   - Maidu of foothills and high Sierras including Chico
   - Nisenan (Folsom, Auburn, Foresthill, Placerville, Grass Valley)
   
   
4. Hokan widely distributed: Mt. Shasta, Pit River & Modoc Plateau
   - Ishi, last of the Yahi people (1911); Ishi Setting (Black Rock)
   - also existed in southern California such as San Diego Mission
   
   
5. Uto-Aztekan of the arid lands and Great Basin
   - Paiute of Warner Mountains and Susanville (steppe climate)
   - Hopi tribes of Arizona and even Aztecs of Mexico
   
   
6. Yukian language found exclusively in California (true natives)
   - short-statured, long-headed people of Mendocino
   
   

• vast number of tribes & tribelets (100+) in California
  • correlated with diverse ecosystems
    - concentrating on a few main stable food sources
    
    
    
• Boundaries within watershed and across life zones (veg. belts)
• utilized variation in climate, diversity in flora & fauna
  • example: Interior Miwok (figure)
    
    

Comparison of culture areas Environment = Economic base Economic base = productivity of land population density, material culture & settlement (permanent vs. nomadic) material culture came from land (tools, shelter, dress, etc.)

• closely adapted to rainforest environment
  • settling permanently along river banks and ocean estuaries
  • food, such as salmon, obtained from river or estuary
    
    
  • primary travel in dugout canoes along Klamath River
  • burned base and carved out base of trees w/ mussel shells
    
    
  • houses made from wooden planks with gabled structures
    • spiritural beings
      
      
  • specialized crafts - pillows, purses, etc.
    • baskets made from fibers for fishing, cooking and storage
      
    
    
    
• wealth determine social status
• money - strings of dentalia shells, woodpecker scalps, etc.
• private property of food sources
• fines imposed on members
• no formal chief
  
  
• world view - no cardinal directions; all in relation to flow of streams
  
  
• Ceremonies - World Renewal ceremony held annually to prevent disasters
  
  
  

• Permanent settlements among oak woodlands
  • Relied on oak woodlands and rivers for food
    • acorns or salmon. Hunted deer, elk, antelope, rabbits, etc.
      
      
• Walked everywhere, among villages scattered, beneath oak woodlands
  and to the valley’s vast wetlands
  
  
• most houses made in ground (earth-covered roundhouse) up to 60’
  
  
• tribal structure based on "tribelet" organization
  
  • no formal chief
    • aggregate of villages (largest of which lived the chief)
      
      
  • specialized crafts people
    • arrowheads, hunters, netmakers, basket and bow makers
    • beautiful coiled basket used for gathering nuts and storage
      • other specialized goods
    • similar to modern life of trade, using money to buy specialties
      
      
  • money used in form of small, flat, round disc beads and clams
    
    
  • cults emerged such as the Kuksu cult (World Renewal ceremonies)
  • elaborate dances with purpose of providing bountiful harvests
    
    
  > Native American Worksheet
  
  

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