History Of The California Indians

Submitted By Iheartmakeshift1
Words: 552
Pages: 3

The California Natives have a long, and rich history dating back over 25 thousand years. From the Klamath tribe in the north, to the Mojave tribe in the southern desert, everywhere the eye turns, there are years worth of stories and past life. The simple life of the California Indian can be studied and appreciated everywhere from the Great California Valley to the southern Peninsula areas. Because of DNA evidence that shows a direct link, Historians believe that the California Indians are direct descendants of East Asian ethnic parties, such as the Mongolians, dating back 25-30 million years ago. The Indians migrated to this area over the frozen land bridge, Beringia, which connects Siberia and Alaska. It’s believed that there was, at one time, between 500,000 to 1 million natives in the state of California. Between these people, there were 21 distinct languages, between 135 dialects, and 62 separate recognizable tribes. The life of the California Indian was very simple in just about ever aspect. The community mostly revolved around the Family. Men were the hunters, and providers for the family, while women would cook, clean, make clothes, weave baskets, and maintain food storage facilities. Children basically lived life as kids, playing and fighting and eventually learning their trades. Young boys were generally initiated into manhood through hunting/survival tests, or different societal ceremonies and tests based upon the tribes history. For most Indian tribes, divorce was completely and was, in some cases, a normal part of the native life. Tribe chiefs were mostly ceremonial and served just as figurehead leaders for rituals, initiations, ceremonies, banquets, ect. According to most Indian folklore and stories, everything has a soul or a life essence of some sort. Good or bad, every rock, plant, bird, and other animal has a spirit that is meant to be respected and taken care of. Rather than the Chief, the Shaman, or Medicine man, had the true Ceremonial and religious power of the tribe. These shamans had the power to remove and place spirits into everything, from people, to object. They also used herbs, and other holistic and natural remedies to fix illness and