Statewide County CA Archives History - Books .....The Indians 1891
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Book Title: Memorial And Biographical History Of Northern California

THE INDIANS.

  Bancroft, in his "Native Races of the Pacific States," divides the Indians of
the coast into seven distinct groups. The Californians comprise one of the
important branches occupying the territory between latitudes 32 1/2° and 43°
north, extending east to the Rocky Mountains. This group is subdivided into
geographical sections, namely, the Northern Californian, the Central Californian
and the Southern Californian. The early inhabitants of California belonged to
the Central division, which occupied all of California and extended from about
35° tou 40 1/2° north. The races in this region were separated into numerous
small tribes whose system of nomenclature was exceedingly primitive. The
segregation of these Indians was not properly into tribes, but into villages,
each having its own name and head.

  The men generally wore their hair long, taken up all around and tied up in a
bunch. The ends, being loose, floated out, much resembliug a feather-duster. To
bind the hair they used a net made from the milk-weed. In this they frequently
placed grasses or flowers, forming a wreath. The women "banged" their hair in
front, as do now their civilized white sisters; and for a sort of comb they used
a sharpened mussel-shell pressed against a stick. The longer hair was brushed
back and allowed to float in its confusion. The men generally wore their beard
in the form of a goatee, plucking the hairs on the side of the face. The growth
was not luxuriant, but the hair was fine in texture. The women had their heads
and necks ornamented, but did not trouble themselves about other covering. A
string of beads made from spiral fossil shells was worn around the neck. Through
the holes in the ears were placed the leg-bones of vultures, or small ornamented
elders from six inches to a foot in length, their nets hanging down to the
shoulders. Sometimes they inserted a quill or small bone through the nose for
ornament. In their huts their coverings were made from the feathers of ducks and
geese, thoroughly bound together and these strips woven into a blanket. They
also had coverings made from the skins of the wild hare and deer. The women also
wore necklaces, made of small white beads. These strings were drawn around the
neck several times. They wore no headdresses. All wore a double apron in front
and behind, attached to a belt, which was in the form of a strap, from the
milkweed. At times the women donned these feathers or string coverings, although
their general use was for the bed. Their ears were pierced, although the holes
were not as large as the men had in their ears. Both the men and women tattooed,
the latter carrying it to a greater extent. Small lines of a dirty blue or
black, a quarter of an inch in width, were drawn down from the corners of the
mouth and from the center of the lower lip. The women never painted their faces.

  Their food, which consisted chiefly of grass-seeds, acorns and fish, was
gathered by the women, in large, conical baskets placed upon their backs, the
apex being the bottom and resting on the belts. In order to hold them to the
back and support their weight, a circular band was placed around the basket
across the forehead. All the men, women and children could swim the river even
when high, taking with them a basket of acorns fastened to their heads. Rafts
made from tules was the only boat used.

   The acorns of the scrub white-oak growing on the hills could be eaten either
raw or roasted -and either fresh or dried; while the long sour-oak acorns found
along the streams were cooked with other articles for their more substantial
food. The acorns were gathered in the fall and placed in bins kept in dry places
during the rainy season. These bins were made from tough weeds growing in the
river bottoms. In preparing these acorns for food, they ground them into meal in
crudely made stone mortars. To rid this meal of the tannin, they poured it into
a hollow place in the dry, white sand to the depth of half or three-fourths of
an inch. Tufts of grass or small willow branches were laid on one side of this
sand-pan and water was then carefully poured through this, so that it would
spread gently over the meal and soak through it without mixing it with the sand.
The flour was kept covered with water for several hours, and thus most of the
tannin would be soaked out and carried off, the sand being discolored with the
astringent principle. Although some sand would in this manner be mixed with the
dough, it did not seem to interfere with digestion. In modern times they have
improved upon this method by using cloth instead of sand.

  A hole was then dug in the ground and heated, and at the same time several
rocks would be heated also. The ashes were then brushed out, a layer of sycamore
leaves, put in for the "bread-pan," and on this was placed the dough, with a hot
rock in its center. More leaves were placed over it, and the fire renewed and
replenished. The next day, when cold, the baked acorn bread was taken out ready
for use. In this state it resembled somewhat a bladder of putty, and perhaps was
not more digestible. Grasshoppers, a favorite article of food, were more
palatable and far more digestible. Clover was eaten raw in the spring time, and
had a beneficial effect.

  The wild pea-vines were gathered in immense quantities when young and tender.
By laying elder sticks against the side of the basket, and extending beyond the
opening, the squaw was enabled to carry nearly a cart load of the light growth.
To prepare these for eating they steamed them for a day in the heated hole, and
with rocks beat them up into a plastic shape upon an inclined plain, made this
mass into cakes with holes in the center, and placed them out to dry.

  For meat they would of course eat the flesh of any animal they could catch,
using the bow and arrow for the larger animals and snares for the smaller. Large
fish they would spear and the small they would scoop up with dip-nets, a man at
each of the four corners of the net.

  Beads of ocean-shells were the standard of all values. Most tribes were never
guitly of theft.

  When an Indian died he was wrapped up with twine into a round ball, his head
thrust down between his legs, and was thus rolled into a hole at the rancheria,
and buried with a quantity of acorns to last him on his journey to the other
world. If a woman died who had a child not large enough to gather its own
acorns, it was always buried alive with its mother! The Indians were strong
believers in ghosts and were much afraid of them.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California.

Illustrated, Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast
from the Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with
Glimpses of its Prospective Future; Full-Page Steel Portraits of its most
Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers and also of
Prominent Citizens of To-day.

"A people that takes no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendents." – Macauley.

CHICAGO
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
1891.


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