KILIWA INDIANS IN MEXICO

THE KILAWA PEOPLE ARE ABORIGINAL TO BAJA, CALIFORNIA., MEXICO THEIR TERRITORY IS SOUTH OF THE PAIPAI. THE NAKIPA HAVE A SEPARATE ETHNOLINGUISTIC. THE NAKIPA HAVE A SEPARATE ETHNOLINGUISTIC GROUP FROM THE KILIWA. THEY BOTH SPOKE THE SAME LANGUAGE.

THE ARCHAEOLOGIST HAVE FOUND CLOVIS POINTS IN THEIR AREA DATING TO 11,000 YEARS AGO. PRECONTACT KILIWA INDIANS COMES FROM ACCOUNTS OF EARLY EXPLORERS SUCH AS CABRILLO AND VIZCAINO FROM 18TH CENTURY.

THE ABORIGINAL POPULATION WAS ABOUT 1300, WITH THE SOUTHWEST TERRITORY IN 2000 ABORIGINAL KILIWA SUBSISTENCE WAS BASED ON HUNTING AND GATHERING. MANY PLANTS WERE USED FOR FOOD RESOURCES, MEDICINE, CRAFTS, AND HOUSE BUILDING. THEY ROASTED AGAVE IN PITS AND IT WAS IMPORTANT FOOD. IN FALL THEY HARVESTED ACORNS AND PINE NUTS AS A MAJOR ACTIVITY.

RABBITS AND DEER WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT ANIMAL FOOD RESOURCES, AS WELL AS ANTELOPE, BIGHORN SHEEP, MAMMALS AND MOUNTAIN LIONS. BIRDS, FISH, AND SHELL FISH AND QUAIL WERE HUNTED. THEY THEY MADE LONG DISTANCE JOURNEYS TO HARVEST FISH AND SHELLFISH. QUAIL WERE DRIVEN INTO NETS.

DURING THE HISTORIC PERIOD THEY RAISED CROPS AND LEARNED HOW TO COLLECT HONEY.
THEY BUILT SEMISUBTERRANEAN HOUSES WITH WILLOW POLES, AND SWEAT HOUSES. THEY HUNTED WITH WILLOW BOWS AND ARROWS AND STONE POINTS, AND AGAVE NETS. THEY USED METATE AND MANOS FOR GRINDING. THEY WOVE AGAVE SANDALS.

KINSHIP WAS PATRILINEAL INHERITANCE. ALL KILIWA WERE BELIEVED TO BE DESCENDED FROM FOUR MYTHIC BROTHERS, THE SONS OF THE CREATOR. THEY PLAYED GAMES, RACED WITH BALLS AND DID DICE AND GAMES CALLED PEON. THEY MADE MUSIC BY SINGING, AND USING FLUTES, RATTLES, AND CLAPPERS, AND BULLROARERS. CEREMONIES WERE CONDUCTED DURING RITES OF PASSAGES. SHAMANS WERE BELIEVED TO BE EFFECT CURES OF DISEASE OR INJURIES. THEY COULD BRING RAIN. BIRTH INVOLVED TABOOS BOYS HAD THEIR NOSE PIERCED AT AROUND 15 YEARS OF AGE. GIRLS WERE INTIATED AT THEIR FIRST MENSES. THEY LAID IN ASHES ON AND OFF FOR FIVE DAYS AND IN COLD WATER FOR 5 DAYS ON AND OFF.

MARRIAGE HAD LITTLE CEREMONY. DEATH WAS THE MOST ELABORATE CEREMONY. THEY HAD MOURNING CEREMONIES. TALKING TO THE DEAD AND BURNING THEIR POSESSIONS WERE FORMAL ACTIONS.

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