Imperial County CA Archives History - Books .....Indian Occupation 1918
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Book Title: History Of Imperial County California

INDIAN OCCUPATION

   It must be assumed that long before Columbus turned his Spanish prow toward
this western hemisphere it was inhabited by a swarthy race of human beings whom
we have been pleased to call Indians. Whence they came or how they originated
are questions which have never yet been satisfactorily answered, nor ever will
be. Ethnologists and other scientific investigators are still wrestling with
these fundamental questions. And they arrive at different conclusions, just as
they do as to the precise origin of the Negro race. But when this new western
continent was discovered the Indian was found in possession of the lands under
widely varying conditions and aspects, depending upon their location and mode of
life. These people we have been content to designate as the native American race
or aborigines. The Jesuit missionaries in this California peninsula divided them
into three classes or tribes, the Pericues, Monquis and Cachimies. These tribes
were subdivided into various branches, and again into families and rancherias.
They were all tall, erect, robust and well formed, as a result of their nomadic
life in the open air, together with their wildwood habits. Though not
disagreeable in features, they seemed to delight in disfiguring themselves in
various ways. Their complexions were somewhat darker than those found in Mexico,
and became almost black as they grew older. Their hair was black and straight,
but they had no beards. Their teeth were large, regular, and very white. This
native population has been estimated as high as fifty thousand. But it is
thought it did not really exceed half that number. A census of fifteen missions
taken in 1767 found only about 12,000. In fact it is said that one might travel
for days and not see a single Indian. No records have been found to show that
they were in any way connected with any other tribe or people. As already
remarked, no effort seems to have been made to trace their origin. That they
were inhabiting such a desolate country of their own volition is hardly
possible, and it has therefore been surmised that they were driven out of some
more favored region by more powerful tribes, and then sought refuge among the
vast wastes of this peninsula. They seemed devoid of all knowledge or even
native intuition. They thought California was the entire world, visited no other
people and had no visitors, cared mainly for filling their stomachs and toasting
their shins in idleness. Even the native hunting instinct, so common with other
Indians, seemed to be dormant in their minds if they had any minds at all. They
wandered from place to place aimlessly, sleeping on the bare ground, rarely
spending over one night in any one place. They rambled about in search of water,
fruit and food of some kind. Only when ill did any of them get any sheltering
hut. After their lessons at the mission they would squat on the floor. The men
were entirely naked, and the women often wore belts around their waists if they
wore anything. When given clothing they would discard it as soon as they got
outside. They made sandals of deer skin, and sometimes wore strings of shells
and berries in their hair and around their necks. They were armed with bows and
arrows and had a few rude stone implements for digging roots. Baskets and
cradles were made of tortoise shells. The men carried burdens upon their heads,
the women upon their backs. They knew nothing about cooking and each cooked for
himself. They ate anything and everything—roots, fruits, buds, seeds, and flesh
of all kinds of animals, deer, wild-cats, mice, rats, bats, lizards, locusts,
caterpillars and even snakes, old bones and carrion, so disgusting and filthy
were their habits. And yet we are told they were healthy and rarely got sick,
but remained strong and vigorous. They could endure hunger longer than the white
man, but they were also gluttons and could gorge fuller. Seventeen watermelons
and six pounds of unrefined sugar at a sitting was reported. But they made no
intoxicating liquors, though on festive occasions they became drunk smoking wild
tobacco. They practiced a crude form of polygamy, and their social customs were
full of interest to the white man, though disgusting in the extreme. They had no
form of religion or government of any kind until the missions were established.
They had neither gods nor idols, nor any conception or dread of any hell before
the missions were founded. When asked who made the sun, moon, stars, etc., they
would answer "aipekeriri," who knows that? There seemed to be no language of
their own and very few words for anything they could not see, hear, touch, taste
or smell, nor any words to express abstract ideas. In fact their native
vocabulary was of the most meager description. Their language and culture went
together.

   In short here was a nomadic race which seemed to be regarded as the lowest
scale of humanity. And if the chief end of life is to eat, drink, sleep and pass
a painless existence, the Jesuit father was right in saying they were happy.
They perhaps slept more soundly on the ground, under the open sky, than many
European potentates under their gorgeous canopies on their downy beds. There
were no troubles of any kind, nor any envy, jealousy, slander, or evils common
to civilization. "Where ignorance is bliss it's folly to be wise" is the much
abused adage that seems to apply here.

   Perhaps the general characteristics of this native race in Lower California
have been referred to in this general article more in detail than was absolutely
necessary, although the briefest possible summary only has been presented from
the earliest writers on the subject.

   Here in this Imperial Valley the tribal name of these nomadic denizens of the
forest was Cucupah, closely related to the Yumas, though more industrious than
the latter. They apparently lived then, as now, in the mountains of Mexico and
only came to the desert valley at time of tribal wars. Here they left many large
water and food jars, in preparation for a siege. All of them lived in this
happy-go-lucky way among their savage instincts.

   Then, after succeeding generations, when Columbus had brought the white men
over, it was rumored that this whole country was to be dominated by the white
race, that would eventually crowd the Indians into the sea. Thus when the boats
of these whites were reported in the Colorado River, upon which the Indians had
depended for food and drink, a general massacre was planned by this whole tribe.
This was about the year 1800, when Lieutenant Hardy of the British Navy led two
expeditions well into this great western part of the continent in search of some
river up which he could sail. He ascended the Gulf of California, making his way
past many islands, shallows and sandbars with great difficulty and danger, and
finally reached the mouth of the sluggish Colorado River. He pushed on to a
small lake in which he anchored, and then went further for investigation. But as
far as he could see there was nothing but a vast desert of sand, bare and
desolate. Further progress being impossible here, he turned back and reported to
his superior officers that the Colorado River was not navigable.

   It should be added here that there has been some question whether or not this
English officer was ever really in this river at all, although he called it the
Colorado in his report and maps at the time. For a hundred years geographers
thought he was mistaken, and yet he may have been right, as the main course of
this erratic stream has changed many times since then. But upon this question
however depends the fact whether or not he was the first Englishman to look upon
this vast Colorado desert. And the point is not a vital one after all; in any
event the great river was well worthy of his best efforts.



Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

THE HISTORY
OF
IMPERIAL COUNTY
CALIFORNIA
EDITED BY
F. C. FARR

IN ONE VOLUME
ILLUSTRATED
Published by ELMS AND FRANKS
BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 1918


Printed by Taylor & Taylor, San Francisco


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