California and Intermountain Seed Gatherers
The California and Intermountain Seed Gatherers were Indigenous tribes known for their resourcefulness and deep connection to their environment. They lived in areas with diverse landscapes, from coastal regions to deserts. These tribes were skilled at gathering seeds, nuts, and berries and making acorn flour. They also created beautiful baskets and tools from natural materials. They believed in many spirits and held special ceremonies to honor them. Despite facing many challenges, including changes brought by settlers, the California and Intermountain Seed Gatherers have preserved their culture and continue to share their traditions today.
Location and Environment
The California Indigenous peoples lived between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. This area had a mild climate and an abundance of food. The California tribes had one of the largest populations in North America, west of the Great Plains. Over 200,000 Indigenous people lived in California. Between 1851 and 1852, around 400 chiefs signed eighteen treaties with the United States. They gave up 75 million acres of land. After this, thousands died from disease and hunger, reducing their population to 15,000.
The Intermountain Indigenous peoples lived between California and the Rocky Mountains in the Great Basin. This land was mostly desert and had only a small number of Indigenous people living in it.
Housing and Shelter
The people settled in small villages. Depending on where they lived, their homes were either round or rectangular huts. The river tribes lived in dome-shaped huts, sometimes covered with earth. The southern tribes built huts with poles and covered them with rush mats or layers of rushes or grass. The central tribes lived in semi-underground homes with conical roofs covered with bark. The central tribes also lived in thatched roundhouses. The huts varied in size and could hold one or many related families.
All villages had a sweat lodge, where the men met and slept. The sweat lodge was made by digging a hole in the ground and covering the top with dirt. The women and children slept in the huts in the winter. Mats supported by poles or brushes were used as shelter during the summer. Some villages had a large structure of earth and grass, which was used for councils and ceremonies.
Clothing and Adornments
In the summer, men wore loincloths or no clothing. Women wore short skirts made of fibers from bark, grass, tule, and sometimes deerskin. In the winter, capes that hung down to the skirts were worn. Both men and women went barefoot except during snow. Skin moccasins were worn during the winter. Fur and fiber blankets were also worn during the winter. Tattooing was used as a substitute for clothes for some southern tribes.