OHLONE INDIANS

THEY LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY ON DOWN TO MONTERREY BAY. THEIR ANCESTORS LEFT MIDDEN MOUNDS CONSISTING OF HUGE PILES OF SHELLS, ANIMAL BONES AND CHARCOAL, FISH BONES, AND OBSIDIAN CHIPS AND TOOLS. THESE DATE TO AT LEAST 1000 YEARS AGO. THE OHLONE NATIONS INCLUDED THE KARKINS, THE COCHENYO, RAMAYTUSH , THE TAMYEN, THE ASASWAS, THE MUTSEN, THE RAMSEN, AND THE CHALON. MANY SCHOLARS BELIEVE THE OHLONES CAME FROM THE NORTH AND THEY SPEAK A PENUTIAN LANGUAGE.

IN 1970 WHEN THE SPANIARDS ARRIVED THEIR WERE 5 TO 10,000 OHLONE. THEY TRADED WITH THE OHLONE WITH THE OHLONE. IN 1769 SPAIN INVADED THEIR COUNTRY AND ESTABLISHED MILITARY FORTRESSES. BETWEEN 1770 - 1846 THE OHLONE BECAME PART OF THE SPANISH EMPIRE AND LATER THE REPUBLIC OF MEXICO. THE NATIVE AMERICANS HUNG ONTO THEIR ROOTS FOR A 100 YEARS OF HATRED AND DISCRIMINATION IN THE 1850'S THE OHONES BEGAN TO REESTABLISH THEMSELVES AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT GROUPS IN CALIFORNIA. THEIR WAY OF LIFE INCLUDED ANNUAL BURNING OF OPEN SPACES THAT SURROUNDED THE TREES TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR WILD GRASSES AND FLOWERS TO GROW. THEY COLLECTED MANY OF THESE SEEDS AND THE ANIMALS THEY HUNTED ATE SOME OF THEM ALSO. THEY HUNTED SEA LIONS, SEALS, AND SEA OTTERS AND COLLECTED SHELLFISH AND WHEN A WHALE WASHED UP ON THE SHORE THEY'D EAT THAT TOO. THEY CARVED WOODEN BOWLS, SPOONS, BOWS, PADDLES, AND POSTS.

THE CHIEF AND COUNCIL OF THE ELDERS OF THIS COMMUNITY WERE THEIR LEADERS. THEIR TRIBLETS WERE THE BASIC POLITICAL DIVISIONS. BOTH MEN AND WOMEN COULD BECOME SPIRITUAL LEADERS. THEY WERE BELIEVED TO HAVE SPECIAL ABILITIES THAT COULD BE USED FOR FOR BOTH GOOD AND EVIL. THEY KNEW MANY RITUALS.

IN THE 1770 THERE WERE 40 - 50 COMMUNITIES OF SEVEN LANGUAGE COMMUNITIES. THEY TRADED BETWEEN THESE COMMUNITIES AND DISTANT GROUPS IN ORDER TO GET LUXURY ITEMS. ABALONE, SALT, SHELL JEWELRY, AND CINNABAR WERE TRADED TO THE CENTRAL VALLEY. THE OHLONES ACQUIRED BLACK VOLCANIC GLASS, OBSIDIAN, SHELL BEADS AND SPECIAL WOOD FOR BOWS.

THEIR RELIGION WAS COMPLEX. SOME THOUGHT THAT HUMMINGBIRD, EAGLE, AND COYOTE MADE THE HUMAN RACE. THEY HAD MANY STORIES ABOUT HOW THEIR WORLD CAME INTO BEING. SOMETIMES THE PLOTS WERE VERY SERIOUS. MOST HOLIDAYS AND SPECIAL EVENTS WERE CONNECTED TO THEIR RELIGION .

BY 1810 THE OLD NATIVE WAY OF THE OHLONES HAD NEARLY VANISHED AS IT WAS OVERCOME FROM THE SPANISH MISSION LEADERS AND EUROPEAN CONTROLLERS. IN 1833 THE MISSIONS WERE ELIMINATED BY THE ORDER OF TH MEXICAN GOVERNMENT. IN 1924 ALL NATIVE AMERICANS WERE GRANTED CITIZENSHIP.

JACK WILLIAMS