CENTRAL MIWOK

THEY LIVED ON LANDS EAST OF SONOMA AND SAN JOAQUIN RIVERS. THEY WERE HUNTERS AND GATHERERS - COLLECTED HUGE QUANTITIES OF PLANTS, SEEDS AND NUTS. THEY HUNTED A WIDE VARIETY ANIMALS. THEY BUILT SIMPLE CONICAL THATCH SUN SHELTERS DURING THE SUMMER. THEIR WINTER HOUSES WERE LARGE CIRCULAR SEMI SUBTERRANEAN BUILDINGS ENTERED BY LADDER THROUGH THE ROOF. THEY ALSO BUILT SMALL CONICAL EARTH COVERED SWEAT HOUSES AND AND SMALL BRUSH HUTS FOR WOMEN WHO WERE MENSTRUATING.

THE ASSEMBLY HOUSE WAS A LARGE CIRCULAR BUILDING NEVER USED TO SLEEP IN. IT AS USED FOR CEREMONIAL AND SOCIAL EVENTS AS WELL AS FOR DANCING . CONSTRUCTING IT INCLUDED HELP FROM FROM THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. IT TOOK SEVERAL MONTHS TO COLLECT THE TIMBERS. CONSTRUCTION TOOK ONLY 5 DAYS WITH EVERYONE HELPING. THEY DUG A CIRCULAR PIT INSIDE THE HOUSE ABOUT 4 FEET DEEP AND 50 FEET IN DIAMETER IN ORDER TO NOT HAVE FLOOD WATERS IN THE HOUSE. THEN THEY SANK FOUR POSTS AT THE CORNER OF THE A SQUARE IN THE CENTER OF THE PIT. HORIZONTAL POLES CONNECTED THEM. EIGHT SMALLER POSTS RESTED ON THESE FOUR POSTS ON THE OUTER RIM OF THE ASSEMBLY HOUSE FORMING AN OCTAGON. THEN THE ROOF BEAMS WERE ADDED AND MADE OF WILLOW TO FORM A FLATTENED CORN LIKE STRUCTURE WITH SMOKE HOLE IN THE CENTER. HORIZONTAL STICKS LASHED TO THESE SLOPING POLES SUPPORTING A THATCH OF BRUSH TOPPED WITH PINE NEEDLES. THE ROOF WAS TWO FEET THICK. THEY FINALLY ADDED A THICK COVERING OF DIRT TO SEAL IT FROM THE RAIN AND WIND.

THEY HAD AN ASSEMBLY PARTY AND CEREMONY AT THE END. THE BUILDING HAD A FIRE PIT IN THE CENTER. SAWED LUMBER WAS INTRODUCED TO THE INDIANS ABOUT IN THE 19TH CENTURY AND THEN THEY BUILT THEIR ROOFS WITH PLANKS AND SHINGLES. THE NOMLAKI ROUNDHOUSE WEST OF CHICO MAY BE THE OLDEST ONE IN CALIFORNIA.

ALL THE TRIBES HAD STORY ABOUT THE THEFT OF FIRE WHEN THE WORLD WAS NEW. THESE STORIES WERE TOLD IN THE ROUNDHOUSES. STORYTELLERS WERE TRAVEL FROM VILLAGE TO VILLAGE. THE VILLAGERS PAID THEM WITH FOOD, FUR, BASKETS, AND BEADS. THESE TALES MIGHT GO ON ALL NIGHT AND INCLUDED SONGS AS WELL. THE ANIMALS OF THE CREATION STORY LIVED ON EARTH BEFORE PEOPLE DID AND WERE THOUGHT OF AS NEARLY HUMAN.

THE MOUNTAIN PEOPLE DECIDED THAT THEY NEEDED FIRE. THEY HAD NOTHING TO HEAT THERE ROUND HOUSES WITH. THEY TALKED ABOUT HOW TO GET FIRE BUT THEY HAD NO GOOD IDEAS. ONE DAY LIZARD WAS LAZY AND HE TOLD COYOTE - I SEE FLAMES DOWN THERE IN THE VALLEY. THE VALLEY PEOPLE HAVE FIRE. WE NEED SOMEONE TO GET IT FOR US. WHITE FOOTED MOUSE IS THE BEST ONE TO STEEL IT. HE IS SWIFT AND HE PLAYS HIS FLUTE . THEY LIKED HIS FLUTE PLAYING THAT THEY GAVE HIM A BIG FEAST. THEN HE PLAYED FOR EVERYONE. EAGLE TOOK A BIG BLANKET AND COVERED THEIR DOOR. HE DID NOT TRUST THE MOUSE AND WORRIED THAT HE MIGHT STEAL SOMETHING. HE WAS NEAR THE FIRE AND BEGAN TO PLAY HIS FLUTE AGAIN. IT MADE EVERYONE FEEL HAPPY. SOON THEY FELL ASLEEP AS DID EAGLE. WHEN HE FINISHED, HE PUT 2 SMALL COALS IN HIS FLUTE . SOON HE WENT OUT AND CHEWED THROUGH THE FEATHER BLANKET AND HEADED FOR THE MOUNTAINS.

WHEN THE PEOPLE WOKE UP THEY SENT HAIL WHO WAS TO TRY TO FIND THE COALS THAT MOUSE TOOK. AS MOUSE RACED HOME HE SAW THAT THE OTHERS MIGHT CATCH HIM. HE PLACED A COAL IN A BUCKEYE TREE AND ONE IN THE RIVER. WHEN HAIL FROM THE VILLAGE CAUGHT UP WITH HIM HE HAD NO COALS. AFTER THEY LEFT, THE MOUSE PULLED THE COAL FROM THE TREE AND BROUGHT IT TO HIS VILLAGE AND THEY FINALLY HAD FIRE. FOR THE FIRST TIME THEY COOKED THEIR MEAT.

COYOTE NEARLY SQUELCHED THE FIRE WHEN HE PUT DEER MEAT ON TOP OF IT. THEN THE ROUNDHOUSE GOT COLD AGAIN. THE PEOPLE DECIDED TO DIVIDE INTO FIVE GROUPS. EACH SPOKE A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE. THUS COYOTE DROVE THE PEOPLE APART. TODAY PEOPLE CALL HIM GREEDY BECAUSE OF HI SELFISHNESS.

JEAN MONROE