Craig Collins, Ph.D.

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.

An Early Depiction of Indian Life in California

The Bay Area was the most abundant ecosystem in California

The rich estuary formed by the bay teemed with wildlife of

every kind.

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.

Diversity Predated European Immigration

The Bay Area was home to thousands of people & scores of different cultures.

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.  

The Miwok & Pomo Lived in Marin & the North Bay

The Ohloné, Miwok & Pomo Lived in a Cornucopia of Natural Wealth & Beauty

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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.

Game Was Plentiful

The sky often darkened with migrating flocks of ducks & geese.

Vast herds of elk, antelope & deer filled the meadows & grasslands.

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.    

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.

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!

The Acorn Was Their Primary Grain •  Oak trees were planted,

acorns were harvested, ground into meal, leached & made into bread & soups.

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.”

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.

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.

•  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…

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.  

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

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.  

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.

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.