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Native Americans in California Archaeologists have long theorized that the earliest humans in the American continents came there from Siberia. During the last great period of glaciation, the ocean levels dropped below the continental shelf between Alaska and Siberia and exposed a large continuous landmass that we call Beringia. The land crossing was available for at least 10,000 years. Glaciation was at its height in about 16,000 B.C. and Beringia had been sufficiently submerged again, by 8000 B.
C In fact, it was an expanse of land which was gradually settled eastward over many generations. If a generation is fifteen years, and each generation settled a mere twenty-five miles further east, in the land, both animal and human occupation would have proceeded 25,000 miles in 15,000 years. This means that, if Beringia was first exposed in 24,000 B.C., Old World animals and humans could easily have fully inhabited the American continents, all the way south to Chile, by 8000 B.C.
when access was ended. Other people suggest that humans have always lived in the Americas or were created on this continent. The majority of origin myths, traditional to Native Americans, explicitly tell of these things. Some people even assert theories of \"reverse migration\" - suggesting that origins in the Americas supplied the original humans to the rest of the world. Especially Native Californian origin myths almost always tell of local creation. However, for professional archaeologists, there is little or no evidence for that.
Scientists still wonder how the land of California came to be populated. Perhaps after the Bering crossing people migrated by sea along the coastline, perhaps they came westward out of the Southwest? What archaeologists can say is that several Paleoindian sites are firmly established in California; and half of these are along the coastline- they are at least 10,000-11,000 years old. The Archaic, in California, began at the end of the Paleoindian period, about 10,000 years ago, and ended around 4000 years ago. It is distinguished from the Paleoindian period by the decline in nomadic big-game hunting and by the rise of a much more systematic and somewhat localized utilization of diverse resources. Typical of the Archaic period is the so-called \"Annual Round.\" People were neither nomadic nor committed to a single locality; instead, they lived in a seasonal cycle that incorporated a succession of localities and, ultimately, led them back to a wintering haven.
Their \"Annual Round\" allowed them to appropriate and utilize resources as they became available. They became experts in their natural environments, understanding seasonal diversity and developing specialized tools for processing foods. The Pacific period, in California, began around 2000 B.C. This date should be compared with the evolution of tribal cultures in Europe and around the Eastern Mediterranean, in the period from 3000 B.C.
to 2300 B.C. Archaic life was largely hand-to-mouth and provided little surplus; people of the Pacific period began to develop food sources that could provide surpluses. preserving food resources that did occur in sufficient quantity to be put away for later consumption.This allowed the people to stay in one place.In California existed many languages and linguistically related groups in a relatively small area, while in the rest of North America, Indian language families were spreaded over a large area.
The written record shows that in California alone they were speaking more than 100 languages which means that there was more linguistic diversity than in all of Europe and it is estimated that there were living about 130.000 to 350.000 people. But the biggest tribes were the Cahuilla, the Chumash, the Kawaisu,the Serrano, the Miwok, the Yurok and the Ohlone. Californian Indians lived in a land of plenty for Indians. They lived well within the capacity of their environment.
The women were gatherers. They collected vegetables such as wild carrots, wild onions, and mushrooms, fruits such as blackberries, wild grapes, huckleberries, and strawberries and nuts especially acorns. The men were hunters. They hunted raccoons,ducks, geese, doves, rats, snakes, rabbits, and moles. A few types of sea creatures they ate were fish, shellfish, seals,clams, and oysters. They used nets, traps, spears, and sling shots when hunting for smaller animals.
When hunting for larger animals, such as deer, antelope, or bear, they used the bow and arrow. After killing an animal, the hunters prayed for the animal\'s spirit. They believed that praying for the animal would help it be reborn. Trading with tribes from other parts of California was also an important part of life. By trading, they received items that were not available to them otherwise. The role of trading was given to specific individuals in the village.
There was no such thing as an organisation of the tribe. The function of the chieftain was heritable. The other authority was the shaman. Most Indians believed that all things, whether alive or not, had a spirit. For example they gave thanks to the sun through special ceremonies, dances, and offerings. Dreams were also important to all Indian people.
A person that had very powerful dreams could become a shaman this, was a healer and could be hired if someone was sick to, cure the person.Most historians agree that Portuguese-born Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo was the first European to explore California. Sailing under the Spanish flag in 1542, Cabrillo hoped to find the northwest passage; instead, he found the California coast and claimed the new-found land for Spain. In 1579, an Englishman, Sir Francis Drake, sailed to California. He also claimed the whole territory for the English Crown. He based his claim on the \"right of discovery.
\" Thus, within the first 40 years of European influence in California, two countries had claimed the land, and neither had acknowledged the rights of the natives who had resided on it for thousands of years.The Spaniards send expeditions to establish, for both political and religious reasons, missions in what is now California. The missionary plan was to teach the Native peoples how to be \"civilized,\" for example, eating with fork and knife, and most importantly, adopting the religion of Christianity. The original idea was that, after ten years of living in the missions, the Indians would become citizens of Spain (though this never happened). It was hoped that these citizens would then protect the new territory lands for Spain.Thousands of central Californian natives were baptized and brought to live in these missions.
Once baptized, natives, by law, had to obey the missionaries (but this was not made clear to them). Baptized Indians were not allowed to leave the missions. After being baptized, the natives were given new Spanish names and were prohibited from speaking their own language or practicing their own religion. Their everyday activities were controlled and strictly supervised. Unmarried Indian women were protected from Indian men in prison-like conditions. Women were taught to spin and weave cloth, wash clothes, and prepare meals.
Men were required to till the soil, plant crops, and learn blacksmithing. Indians were taught how to prepare hides, make soap, produce olive oil, and make adobe bricks for constructing mission buildings. This close contact with europeans subjected them to various European, infectious diseases such as measles, cholera, mumps and influenza, which caused the death of 60% of the Indians living in a mission.In the 1820\'s, Mexico won its independence from Spain, California became Mexican territory, and Californian Natives became Mexican citizens.Then Mexican Government granted land to the Native Americans the so called " ranchos". One of these ranchos was given to Francisco Sanchez, who settled down on the site of a former Ohlone village.
He was the eponym of the San Francisco.Then In 1848, California became a territory of the United States. That same year, gold was discovered in California. People from around the world, and especially Anglos from the United States, came to California in search of gold and to seek a better life. Most Anglos viewed the Indians as a pest. California law said, \".
..in no case shall a white man be convicted of any offence upon the testimony of an Indian.\" Indians were not allowed to testify in court, which meant that a white person could murder an Indian and basically get away with it. From 1850 to 1863, California state law allowed officials to hire out Indians, imprisoned for begging or being \"immoral,\" to the highest bidder. Even though California was considered a free state.
During 1853- 1887, the first Indian reservations were set up. The original treaties between the Indians and the federal government promised Indians 7.5 million acres of Californian land, but only a bit more than 500,000 acres were actually received. The reservations were mostly on infertile land or mountainous terrain. Fences were put up everywhere to divide territories. Because of the oppression Indians endured from the whites, Indians retreated to small, isolated villages because it became dangerous to be an Indian.
To protect themselves from anti-Indian attitudes, some Indians even denied their Native American heritage by claiming they were of Hispanic, Black, or Oriental descent.In 1924, the United States Congress gave Native Americans the same rights as other citizens. For the first time, Indian children were allowed to attend public schools. Today, the Native Americans of California are continuing to heal from the wounds of the past: Quite a few try to find their salvation in alcohol. Unfortunately Native Americans as a group seem to be more susceptible to alcohol, both due to the disruption of their cultural and social identity and due to a lesser physiological tolerance for alcohol. On the other hand, some try to revive the lifestyle of their forefathers to strengthen their cultural identity.
Others go for integration and simply submerge and themselves in the American mainstream society.Yet as California recognizes the value of its multi-ethnic diversity, its native people are encouraged to celebrate their heritage and share it with the wider California culture. Some Facts about Native Americans today:4.million is the estimated population of American Indians in All the United States696,600Native Americans live in California, which is the highest total in any of the states in North America.25%Is the poverty rate of people who reported they were American Indian and Alaska Native and no other race in the United States25% of American Indians that are 5 years and older speak a language other than English at home.
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