California Native American California Native American HistoryHistory

Origins- Native Point of ViewOrigins- Native Point of View

Tribal Creation Tribal Creation StoriesStories We have been here We have been here

since time immemorialsince time immemorial The first people on this The first people on this

land were the animal land were the animal peoplepeople

Our people were Our people were created from the earthcreated from the earth

All stories give us a All stories give us a connection to the land connection to the land we are fromwe are from

Origins- Anthro Point of Origins- Anthro Point of ViewView

Anthropological Anthropological ViewView People came across People came across

the Bering Land the Bering Land Bridge and settled Bridge and settled across the Americasacross the Americas

People have only People have only settled here for the settled here for the past 15,000 yrspast 15,000 yrs

Creation stories are Creation stories are myths and legendmyths and legend

Pre European ContactPre European Contact

Population up to Population up to 1,000,000 people1,000,000 people

Over 500 Over 500 bands/tribesbands/tribes

People occupied People occupied every corner of the every corner of the statestate

Cultures and Cultures and languages as languages as different as English different as English and Chineseand Chinese

European ContactEuropean Contact

MissionsMissions

21 Catholic Missions from 21 Catholic Missions from San Diego to SonomaSan Diego to Sonoma

Constructed with the forced Constructed with the forced labor of California Indianslabor of California Indians

Were unable to practice Were unable to practice their traditions and their traditions and ceremonies.ceremonies.

Average lifespan of an Average lifespan of an Indian taken to a mission Indian taken to a mission was less than 10 years.was less than 10 years.

By the late 1820’s over By the late 1820’s over 100,000 Indians died as a 100,000 Indians died as a direct result of the missions.direct result of the missions.

Gold RushGold Rush

Gold “discovered” at Gold “discovered” at Sutter’s Mill in Sutter’s Mill in Coloma – 1848Coloma – 1848

California’s non-California’s non-Indian population Indian population grew by over grew by over 100,000 by 1850.100,000 by 1850.

Settlers began Settlers began stealing women and stealing women and children for laborers.children for laborers.

1849- Treaty of 1849- Treaty of Guadalupe HidalgoGuadalupe Hidalgo

1850- California 1850- California admitted as a Stateadmitted as a State

1850- Act for the 1850- Act for the Government and Government and Protection of Indians Protection of Indians

1850- 1852: 18 1850- 1852: 18 Treaties reserving Treaties reserving 8,619,000 acres as 8,619,000 acres as Indian land (unratified)Indian land (unratified)

State funded militias State funded militias and bounties against and bounties against IndiansIndians

DiseaseDisease

Reservations and Reservations and RancheriasRancherias

Reservations may not Reservations may not be in a tribe’s be in a tribe’s aboriginal territory.aboriginal territory.

Southern CA tribes Southern CA tribes receive Reservations receive Reservations in late 1800’s.in late 1800’s.

Not all tribes received Not all tribes received ReservationsReservations

Dispossession of tribal Dispossession of tribal landslands

Rancherias were created Rancherias were created for “homeless” tribesfor “homeless” tribes

Not all landless tribes Not all landless tribes received Rancheriasreceived Rancherias

Tribes that did not Tribes that did not receive land may not be receive land may not be recognized by the recognized by the federal government as a federal government as a “Tribe”“Tribe”

Dawes Act- 1887Dawes Act- 1887

Objective was to assimilate tribesObjective was to assimilate tribes Allotted tribal members with individual Allotted tribal members with individual

parcels of reservation landparcels of reservation land Remaining parcels were sold to non-IndiansRemaining parcels were sold to non-Indians Resulted in the loss of thousands of acres of Resulted in the loss of thousands of acres of

reservation landreservation land Eroded traditional cultural values and life Eroded traditional cultural values and life

waysways

TerminationTermination

Rancheria Termination Act of 1958 Rancheria Termination Act of 1958 terminated 39 Rancheriasterminated 39 Rancherias

Government effort to assimilate Government effort to assimilate IndiansIndians

Much of the lands were soldMuch of the lands were sold 26 Rancherias have been restored 26 Rancherias have been restored

since the early 1980s (not an easy since the early 1980s (not an easy battle).battle).

Contemporary California Contemporary California IndiansIndians

Tribes are proud of Tribes are proud of their cultural and their cultural and ethnic identityethnic identity

Tribes are protecting Tribes are protecting their cultural placestheir cultural places

Tribes still have their Tribes still have their ceremonies, their ceremonies, their songs, and their songs, and their traditionstraditions

Tribes are re-telling Tribes are re-telling historyhistory

American Indian Religious American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978Freedom Act of 1978

After over 300 years of religious After over 300 years of religious persecution tribes are able to persecution tribes are able to practice their traditional religions practice their traditional religions without fear.without fear.

U.S. federal laws interfered with the U.S. federal laws interfered with the traditional religious practices of traditional religious practices of many American Indians many American Indians

The purpose is to preserve and The purpose is to preserve and protect Native American religionsprotect Native American religions

Tribal GovernanceTribal Governance

Tribal Government- 1934Tribal Government- 1934

Passage of the Indian Passage of the Indian Reorganization Act Reorganization Act (IRA)(IRA)

Many contemporary Many contemporary tribes adopted IRA tribes adopted IRA ConstitutionsConstitutions

Worked to reduce the Worked to reduce the privatization of tribes’ privatization of tribes’ common holdingscommon holdings

Eroded many forms Eroded many forms of traditional tribal of traditional tribal governancegovernance

Some tribes that Some tribes that were not were not previously previously recognized recognized organized under organized under the IRAthe IRA

Today’s TribesToday’s Tribes

109 Federally 109 Federally Recognized and Recognized and about 50 about 50 Unrecognized or Unrecognized or Unacknowledged Unacknowledged tribestribes

Reservations and Reservations and Rancherias may not Rancherias may not be in a Tribe’s be in a Tribe’s ancestral territory.ancestral territory.

Business Business EnterprisesEnterprises

Government Government entitiesentities

Cultural entitiesCultural entities

Tribal CouncilTribal Council

Sovereign government (Federally Sovereign government (Federally recognized tribes)recognized tribes)

Jurisdiction over reservation landJurisdiction over reservation land Elected officialsElected officials May follow more traditional forms of May follow more traditional forms of

government, ie: hereditary leadership, or government, ie: hereditary leadership, or specific customs, rules, and lawsspecific customs, rules, and laws

Tribal Council members may have fulltime Tribal Council members may have fulltime jobsjobs

Questions?Questions?