Indigenous Cultures Thrived for Millennia in California's Abundant Ecosystem
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An overview of the Ohloné way of life before Europeans invaded California. How did people live in the Bay Area before contact with Europeans? The impact of Spanish contact is briefly addressed.
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Indigenous Cultures Thrived for Millennia in California's Abundant Ecosystem
- 2. 10-20,000 years before Europeans set eyes on it, California was home to many cultures… This means indigenous people inhabited the land 40 times longer than today’s European inhabitants.
- 3. An Early Depiction of Indian Life in California
- 4. The Bay Area was the most abundant ecosystem in California The rich estuary formed by the bay teemed with wildlife of every kind.
- 5. The Redwoods, Douglas Firs & Oaks that covered the Mountains grew down to the Valley floors. Native grasses remained a verdant green even in the heat of summer.
- 6. Diversity Predated European Immigration The Bay Area was home to thousands of people & scores of different cultures.
- 7. The Ohlonés Lived in the Southern Half of the Greater Bay Area • The Ohloné/Costanoan peoples spoke 8 different dialects & lived in many tribal territories from Carmel to the Bay Area. • All together, there were about 8-‐12,000 people living in small tribal bands from Vallejo & San Francisco to Carmel.
- 8. The Miwok & Pomo Lived in Marin & the North Bay
- 9. The Ohloné, Miwok & Pomo Lived in a Cornucopia of Natural Wealth & Beauty
- 10. Each Clan Roamed a Small Territory • Tribes were divided by culture, dialect & homeland; but united by marriage & trade. • They traveled light, moving seasonally to make the best use of natural food sources & the most comfortable micro-‐ climates.
- 11. Their Possessions Were Few Homes & boats were made of tule grass & wood. They could be used for a season & abandoned when it was time to move on. But some things, like baskets, weapons & jewelry were made to last.
- 12. Instead of Plowing the Earth, They Nourished the Natural Abundance of Their Ecosystems They were wise, ingenious stewards of nature. They encouraged it to thrive, & in return, it provided them with an amazing abundance.
- 13. They Carefully Tended Their Habitats • Their territory was not “wilderness”. It was carefully tended & managed, like an enormous natural garden. • Fresh water creeks & streams were always close by. • Their lands were laced with well- worn trails & dotted with frequently used, semi-permanent, villages. • The largest, most permanent villages were near the shore & near the biggest stands of oak trees.
- 14. They Moved Between Camps, Harvesting Seasonal Stores of Food • They used fire to clear underbrush & promote grassy meadows to aOract deer & antelope. • They planted stands of acorn bearing oak trees & berry bushes in convenient locaPons. • They encouraged natural grains & harvested them, & the grasshoppers they aOracted, for food.
- 15. The Land & Sea Were So Abundant That Agriculture Was Unnecessary • The Ohloné hunted, fished & gathered everything they needed to survive. • The creeks were filled with trout & salmon. • Wetland areas were teeming with life: huge flocks of waterfowl & their eggs, plus thick shoals of oysters, clams, abalone, mussels & crabs.
- 16. Game Was Plentiful The sky often darkened with migrating flocks of ducks & geese. Vast herds of elk, antelope & deer filled the meadows & grasslands.
- 17. The Ohloné Were Skillful Hunters • Games encouraged Ohloné children to know their habitat & develop their hunPng skills. • They used the sweat lodge & camouflage to get close to their prey.
- 18. But Humans Were Not at the Top of the Food Chain Mountain lions & grizzly bears were the top predators. Black bears, badgers & bobcats also prowled the forests & grasslands.
- 19. The Ohloné Were Not Picky Eaters Their Diet Was Rich Varied They ate: trout, salmon, sturgeon, shrimp, crab, lobster, mussels, clams, abalone, oysters, scallops, turtle, seals, geese, ducks, sea birds, quail, pheasant, turkey, woodpeckers, bird turtle eggs, deer, antelope, tule elk, rabbit, raccoon, blackberries, olalaberries, gooseberries, acorn meal, tule tubers, miner’s lettuce much more!
- 20. The Acorn Was Their Primary Grain • Oak trees were planted, acorns were harvested, ground into meal, leached made into bread soups.
- 21. Acorns Were Harvested by More Than One Tribe Acorn harvest was a time to socialize with other tribes for young people to find “that special someone.”
- 22. Ohlonés Married Between Clans • Inter-clan marriages usually promoted peaceful relations between tribes. • The man moved into his wife’s tribe. • Divorce was a simple process. • Children stayed with the mother. • But family frictions could escalate into inter-tribal warfare.
- 23. Warfare Was a Rare Ritual • Warriors lined up facing each other across a field. • Weapons insults were hurled back forth until someone was seriously hurt. • Then the war was over the victor had to compensate for the loss of the defeated tribe.
- 24. • Money • Prisons • Governments • Taxes • Standing Armies • Nuclear Weapons • Pollution • Bosses “Jobs” • Rulers • Rent or Mortgage • Spent about 20 hours a week working to produce the necessities of life. • The rest of the time was spent in leisure activities: – Celebrations dances – Games gambling – Storytelling socializing Ohlonés Had No… So They…
- 25. What did European Explorers Think of the Ohlonés? • Several Spanish English explorers explored the California coast long before they made any substanPal contact with the Ohlonés. • The Spanish called them Costanoans.
- 26. In 1769, the 1st Spanish Explorers Encountered the Ohloné… • Much of what we know about the Ohlonés comes from the people who stole their land, enslaved killed them tried to exterminate their cultures. • The Spanish were struck by the Ohloné’s generosity welcoming spirit. Don Gaspar de Portola
- 27. The Ohloné Valued Generosity Wisdom Above All Other Qualities • Status respect were gained primarily by generosity wisdom. • Survival required cooperaPon which was undermined by selfishness promoted by generosity. • Survival also required wisdom, so tribal elders were deeply respected.
- 28. Explorers Missionaries Exploited These Attributes to Their Advantage • The missionaries considered the natives lazy, godless heathens. • Their cattle, sheep, pigs horses destroyed native habitats. • European diseases killed indigenous people by the thousands. • The remainder became coerced, slave labor for the missionaries rancheros. • Before Europeans came, 700,000 native people lived in California. • By 1840, their numbers had been reduced by half. • After the Gold Rush, less than 1% remained.
- 29. Sources on this subject • Malcolm Margolis. The Ohloné Way • Lightfoot, KG. and Otis Parrish 2009 California Indians and their Environment: An Introduction. University of California Press, Berkeley • Lightfoot , K.G. 2005 Indians, Missionaries, and Merchants: The Legacy of Colonial Encounters on the Colonial Frontiers. University of California Press, Berkeley.