MAIDU INDIANS

THEY ARE IN THE CENTRAL SIERRA NEVADA IN THE DRAINAGE AREA OF THE FEATHER AND AMERICAN RIVERS. MAIDU MEANS PERSON. KROEBER ESTIMATED THAT THE TRIBE HAD ABOUT 9000 PEOPLE IN 1770. THEY WERE EXCEPTIONAL BASKET MAKERS. THE SIZE OF THEIR BASKETS WERE THIMBLE SIZE TO 10 FEET IN DIAMETER. THERE STITCHES ARE SO FINE YOU NEED A MAGNIFYING GLASS TO SEE THEM. TO WEAVE THE BASKETS THEY USED DOZENS OF PLANTS - BARKS, ROOTS, SEDGES, AND STEMS. THEY FREQUENTLY USED FERN ROOTS, RED BARK OF REDBUD, WHITE WILLOW TWIGS, AND TULE ROOTS, HAZEL TWIGS, YUCCA LEAVES, BROWN MARSH GRASS, SEDGE ROOTS, GRASS ROOTS.

THEY WERE ONLY HUNTERS AND GATHERS AND LIKE THE POMO AND MIWOK TENDED THE VEGETATION NEAR THEIR VILLAGE AND TENDED THE OAK TREES IN ORDER TO STORE LARGE QUANTITIES FOR HARDER TIMES. MUCH OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT WAS RICH IN IN PLANTS AND ANIMALS AND FISH IN RIVERS. THEY USED BASALT ROCK MORTARS AND PESTLES TO GRIND ACORNS.

THEIR HOUSES WERE SEMI-UNDERGROUND AND WERE 20 - 40 FEET IN DIAMETER. THE HOUSE FLOOR WAS DUG AND POLES WERE BUILT FOR A FRAMEWORK AND EARTH WAS PLACED ON TOP OF THE LOG FRAMEWORK. THEY BUILT A CENTRAL FIRE. SUMMER DWELLINGS WERE BUILT WITH SAPLINGS POSTS AND COVERED WITH BRUSH AND SOME DIRT WITH AN OPENING TO THE EAST. THEY LIVED IN SMALL VILLAGES WITH NO CENTRALIZED POLITICAL ORGANIZATION. THERE WERE MEN WHO HEALED THE KUKSU CULT. THEY NEGOTIATED MATTERS THAT AROSE BETWEEN VILLAGES.

THEIR RELIGION IN HISTORIC TIMES WAS BASED ON THE KUKSU CULT BUT GENERALLY DID NOT EXERCISE DAY TO DAY AUTHORITY. IT WAS A MALE SECRET DAY TO DAY AUTHORITY. IT WAS A MALE SECRET SOCIETY CHARACTERIZED BY BIG HEAD DANCES. THEY SPEAK A PENUTIAN LANGUAGE. MANY OF THEIR PEOPLE ARE NATURAL ARTISTS.

THE FIRST ANGLO CONTACT WAS IN 1830'S AND THEIR DISEASES KILLED MANY MAIDU. THE MINERS AND SETTLERS RESULTED IN A LACK OF NATIVE'S LANDS TO GATHER RESOURCES. IN SOME CASES IT RESULTED IN STARVATION. THE NEW STATE PASSED DISCRIMINATORY LAWS TO ALLOW RAIDS BY SLAVE TRADERS, A POLICY OF DEPORTATION TO RESERVATIONS, EXTERMINATED THOSE WHO REFUSED HERDING TO THE ROUND VALLEY RESERVATION IN 1863. THE COMCO MAIDU RECEIVED FEDERAL RECOGNITION.

WIKIPEDIA.COM