Native Peoples of the East Bay
Mount Diablo dominates the landscape of the East Bay and, for many of the groups within its expansive view, it had profound and sacred importance. The Julpun recognized the mountain as the birthplace of the world. Hundreds of miles away in the Sierra, some Northern Miwok saw it as the place from which a supernatural being lit a previously dark landscape. Wintun spiritual leaders from north of Carquinez Strait prayed to the creator from its heights. Chochenyo speakers from the Mission San Jose area called the mountain Tuyshtak,
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The East Bay was not "wilderness” when Europeans first arrived. It had been inhabited for at least 10,000 years by people whose harvesting practices served to create a landscape shaped by human needs. The people burned grasslands to stimulate the growth of small seed-bearing plants for themselves and tender shoots for the deer. They burned and pruned basketry plants to promote sprouting of the long, straight, flexible shoots needed to make a shapely basket. When they dug bulbs, they loosened and aerated the soil, promoting the growth of more bulbs.
The presence of fresh water, shelter from the wind, and access to plant and animal foods influenced the location of villages. The Carquins netted sturgeon and salmon in the strait. People along the bay shore fished from tule boats, hunted geese and ducks in marshlands, and gathered shellfish from mudflats. They also trapped and hunted antelope, and elk farther inland. Plant foods included seeds, acorns, and greens. Baskets, hunting and fishing implements, dance regalia, and other material goods were skillfully made. Except when certain resources
European settlement brought severe disruption, dislocation, and suffering to native peoples. By 1808 most East Bay villagers were living at either Mission Dolores or Mission San Jose, where many died of European diseases. After the mission system was disbanded in the 1830s, the Ohlone became the labor force upon which Mexican rancho owners relied. When the Gold Rush began, East Bay and many other tribal peoples were used as laborers in the gold fields. In 1850, when California became a state, native peoples became subject to state laws which sanctioned the kidnapping and slavery of Indian people.
Ceremonial dances were the focal point of tribal and multi-tribal gatherings. These gatherings also included sporting events, gambling, games, socializing, and opportunity for trade. Dances remained important throughout the mission period and are still important today, for both social and ceremonial reasons. Despite two centuries of prejudice and almost overwhelming political and cultural conquest, elements of Indian life still persevere. Native peoples continue
Erected by East Bay Regional Park District.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Indigenous Peoples and Communities.
Location. 37° 57.137′ N, 122° 19.344′ W. Marker is in Richmond, California, in Contra Costa County. It is at the intersection of McBryde Avenue and Park Avenue on McBryde Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5755 McBryde Avenue, Richmond CA 94805, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the San Francisco Bay Area and on the Coast Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, on the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexico’s Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At
More about this marker. The marker is located in Alvarado/Wildcat Canyon Park, about 300 feet in from the park entrance,
in the picnic area, between the small pavilion and the stone bridge over the creek.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 2, 2020. It was originally submitted on March 2, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 517 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 2, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
