California: A Synopsis

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I.  Who were/are the California peoples?  Many more than 250, some tribes seem to dominate the literature because certain nonInidan people brought attention to them.

A. Environments and ecozones of every sort from below sea level to 14,000 feet above sea level.   Most however, typified by oak woodlands.

1. Resulted in dense peopling.  Oldest occupation at least 10,000 B.P.

a. Coprolites, textiles, mummy (willow leaf), packrat nests at Tommy Tucker, etc.

b.  Windmiller site at Sacramento is 10 miles in diameter.

c. Channel Islands and Coastal Southern CA famous for stone works, especially pipes.

b. Waves of successive occupation.

c. More languages spoken here than in any other region of the continent.

        i.  Penutian spoken only in California.

d. Ancient burials with many artifacts interred.

e. Burning of personal goods upon death in Southern half during recent times reduced numbers of artifacts found in burials.  The Federal government outlawed these ceremonies, saying it was in the best economic interest of Indian people.  The banning of these ceremonies did lots of damage to families.

2. Relied on annual and perennial seeds (mostly acorns), pine nuts, agave and yucca hearts, wokus (water lily seed), rabbit and rodents, undulates, waterfowl, seafood for food.

a. Nuts (acorns) from oak tree most favored food.

i. Nearly 60 types of oaks grow here.

iii. Gathered, dried, hulled, pounded in mortar, sifted, leached of tannin, boiled or baked. 

aa.  Shells removed, brown papery husk removed, nuts pounded to powder.

iv. Usually eaten as a thick cooked paste the consistency of grits or polenta. 

v.  Tannic acid, a poison, must be removed.

aa.  water poured through to clean.

vi.  Served as atole or thick drink like horchata.

b. Agave and yucca pit roasted in semidesert and desert regions.  Mesquite beans staple food.  Cactus fruits much enjoyed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

c.  Wokus seed favored in Klamath Lakes region.

ii.  Harvested by sweeping into boat with seed beater.

iii. Tiny seeds ground into meal on metate.

iv.  Griddled and served as pancakes. 

B. Architecture varied from north to south and recognizing the difference lies in understanding shapes and materials.

1.  Many preserved early occupations were cave centered - Pinto Basin in Joshua Tree National Park, Tommy Tucker Cave in Lassen County.

This Yurok plank house is built partly underground.

2.  Rectangular wooden-plank semi-subterranean

houses preferred in the northwest (maroon) .

 

 

 

 

 

3.  Woven-tule mats or brush over wooden-pole domed or cone-shaped frame in eastern basins.  Winter homes in eastern mountains cone-shaped, bark-covered pole frame (yellow).

Miwuk bark house.

 

A Klamath home covered in tule mats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.  Round, semi-subterranean bark/slab/shingled houses (pink).

A Maidu shingled round house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 5.  Earth-covered wooden homes used in Sacramento Valley (neon green).

Earth-covered wooden Maidu homes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.  Brush or tule thatched domes preferred in the South (brown) (see photo below).

The Cahuilla word for home is kish.

7.  Extensive use of ramadas (shade roofs).

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Modern Native Californians have many kinds of homes

This Rez has a casino and life is currently good.

Buildings on reservations without casinos are modest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C. Personal adornment varied by season and region.

1. In the South

a. Men, weather and activity permitting, wore nothing.

i.  Wore a breechcloth when needed.

ii. Always wore a tool belt when traveling.

b.  Women wore little more.

i.  Wore hats for social recognition and for work.

ii. After age 2 wore woven-fiber front and back aprons.

c.  Both sexes used additional adornment.

i. Woven rabbit-skin robes for warmth.

ii.  Woven fiber sandals for travel.

iii.  Skin aprons/breech cloths for cold.

iv.  Tattoos and body painting.

v.   Necklaces.

vi.  Hair centrally parted and braided or worn loose.

2. In the North

a. Men, weather and activity permitting, wore little.

i.  Wore a breechcloth when needed.

ii. Always wore a tool belt when traveling.

b.  Women wore little more.

i.  Wore hats for social recognition and for work.

ii. After age 2 wore leather or woven-fiber front and back aprons.

c.  Both sexes used additional adornment.

i. Woven rabbit-skin robes for warmth as far north as Mendocino - few rabbits north of there.

aa.  Tules used for insulation and waterproofing in the Northeast.

bb.  Hide capes, skirts, and breechcloths in the Northwest for warmth.

ii.  Hide moccasins for travel.

iii.  Elaborate dance clothing in the Northwest.

 aa.  Jump dance headdress requires a deer-hide headband with more than 50 bright-red woodpecker scalps sewn to it.

iv.  Tattoos and body painting.

v.   Necklaces.

vi.  Hair centrally parted and braided or worn loose.

 

D.  Fibers.

coiled basket   weaver: Celestine Lachapa   tribe: Kumeyaay   date: 19th century Notice that this basket has a spiral pattern, or coiled construction in the weave.	twined basket hat   weaver: unknown   tribe: Hupa?   date: unknown Notice that the structural skeleton of this basket is comprised of vertical elements that meet at the top, center.	Tsimshian-style plaited basket   weaver: Rena Bolton   tribe: Salish (Northwest Coast tribe)   date: 1993 Notice that the structure of this basket is like a checkerboard.

 1. Baskets are made in an amazing variety.  Most were used in food preparation and for storage.  The harvesting and consumption of seeds made sure that many baskets stayed in use.  For turning acorns into food one needed baskets for: gathering; hauling; containing while sorting and peeling; containing while pounding; sifting; rinsing; boiling; serving; eating; and washing up. They comprised at least 65% of the material culture objects of early Californians.  Twined and coiled are both typical. Plaiting is not commonly used in California in the construction of baskets or mats.

a. Northern baskets tend to be twined.

i. Karok preferred twining.

aa. Materials included pine root and hazel twigs; maidenhair fern, bear lily, and Woodwardia fern used in overlay decorations. 

ii.  Shasta bought most of their baskets from the Karok.

iii.  Klamath baskets of twined tule (cattail) in shades of brown. 

b. Central and Eastern baskets may be coiled or twined.

i.  Paiute made twined willow and tule(cattail) baskets in the East.  Pitched water bottles, with narrow necks.

ii. Washo - Easterners who coiled willow baskets.  Geometric isolated design forms. 

iii.  Pomo excelled at coiled and twined baskets.  Willow rod foundation, bracken fern root.

c. Southern baskets tend to be coiled.

i.  Southerners prefer juncus wrapped around a bundle of deer grass or more juncus.

ii. Patterns may be pictorial or geometric.

iii.  Pine needles, sumac, willow, yucca, palm leaf also used.

iv.  Twining reserved for rough use baskets and hats.

2.  Tules (rushes and reeds) served many purposes.

a. Boats made of tule (cattail) ropes binding tule bundles.  Need only one tool.  Lasted one season.

i. Used to harvest wokus (water lily) seeds.

b.  Duck decoys made of tules.

Duck decoys were often covered with the skin of a duck to aid in camofalge.	Duck decoys ca. 400 BC–AD 100 Lovelock Cave, Humboldt County, Nevada Tule rush, feathers, cordage, paint 31 x 12 cm

c.  Made mats to sleep and sit on and to cover house frames.

d. Dyed and used for baskets of all kinds.

e.  Made insulating cold weather gear: gaiters, boots, capes, leggings.

3.  Cordage made from

a. Indian hemp, agave, milkweed, tule, and yucca in south and east.

b. Indian hemp, tule, and milkweed in central regions.

c. Iris leaf in the Northwest and tule in northeastern regions.

4.  Brushes made from wild rye grass root bundles.

E.  Uses of trees.

1.  Spears, harpoons, bows.

2.  House-frame poles.

3.  Harvesting poles, deadfall traps.

4.  Tools.

5.  Pitch from piñon pine used as hot glue and waterproofing.

F.  Animal products.

1.  Bones used as harpoon tips, scraping tools, awls, game parts.

2.  Hides made into buckskin, tanned with brains and spinal columns.

a.  Strips used to lash babies into cradle boards.  Covered frame of cradle board for older baby.

b.  Breechcloths and aprons for cold.

c.  Moccasins for travel in the north.

d.  Clothing made of hides sign of higher status in Northwest and East.

e.  Tool kits and belts.

3.  Bird skins and feathers valued.

a. Duck skins used for decoys.  Duck bones made into beads. 

b. Acorn woodpecker scalps used on ornamentation in Northwest.

c.  Feathers applied to baskets by Pomo.

d.  Feathers attached to clothing (usually male) all over state.

i.  hawks, eagles, crow, magpie, woodpecker, flicker, owl.

e.  Grebe bills used as awls.

f.  Feather capes (coot) used in rain and snow.

4.  Rabbit skins used whole or made into ropes and woven into blankets.

5.  Antlers used to flake arrowheads, spear tips, and knives all over state.

i.  Elk antler purses made to hold dentalia money strings.

G.  Minerals and stone.

1.  Red ocher pigment mined from Mount Grant and other locations.

a. Put on feet to scare rattlesnakes.

b. Cured and prevented disease (diaper rash).

c.  Rock art.

d.  Arrow paint.

e.  Body paint.

f.  Ghost Dance clothing.

2.  Obsidian used for arrow points, spear tips and knives.  (see antler above)

a.  Most quarried in Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountain Ranges.

b.  Used in Northwest to show wealth and status.

3.  Porphoritics (granite, diorite) made into metates and manos and mortars and pestles (see picture of mortar at left).

a. Diorite also used as rock bells.  Special rocks were hit with hammer stones and they ring loudly and can be heard for a great distance.

4. Deadfall traps.

5. Hunting blinds and stone figures.

6.  Magnesite carved into beads (for money and bling) which change from grey to orange when heated.

H.  Shells used for inlay, disc beads, pendants, jewelry, and money.

1.  Saxidomus clam (Pismo Clam) shells used for shell disc beads.  These can be thick and broad.

2.  Olivella shells used whole or made into shell disc beads - these are the smallest and thinest.

3.  Haliotis (abalone) shells used for pendants, inlay, and shell disc beads. These are mother of pearl on one or both sides, and are used sparingly.  Greatest value.  Traded far to the north - all the way to the Arctic peoples who valued it highly.

4.  Dentalia shells imported from British Columbia.

5.  Base of economic systems

a. Clam shell disc bead strings were the standard currency in the south and central areas.  These are not "clam shell money" or "shell money."  This is a very specific form called Shell Disc Beads.

b.  Dentalia strings and shell disc bead strings were the currency in Northcentral and Northwestern CA.

I.  Transportation

1. Two feet were the preferred mode of land travel.

a.  Goods were hauled in burden baskets or nets or on strings (game).

2.  Babies were strapped to a cradleboard until age two or so.

3.  Boats were used anywhere there was water.

a.  Balsas made of tules used in slow water everywhere.  See photo to right.

b.  Ceramic pots used to ferry children across the Colorado River.

c.  Dug out canoes preferred in the North.

d.  Sewn plank canoes made by Chumash.

J. Miscellaneous arts

1.  From Kern County south, pottery made by paddle and anvil method.

2.  Sand paintings made during ceremonies in the far South.

a.  Made of seeds, ground plant parts, ash, and ground minerals.

3.  Instruments included

a.  Bullroarer used to send messages in central and southern areas.

b.  Flutes used by men for courting, ubiquitous.

c.  Clapper sticks, usually of elderberry, ubiquitous.

d.  Baskets used as rasps.

e.  Box drum and foot drum used in far north, no drums in south.

f.  Cocoon rattles used in central areas.

g.  Gourd and tortoise shell rattles in the south.

h.  Deer hoof rattles for mourning, ubiquitous.