Native Peoples of the East Bay

Native Peoples of the East Bay. . Before the coming of Europeans, the land we now call California supported hundreds of tribal groups. The East Bay had about 25 independent tribal groups with well-defined territories. The people of these tribes spake dialects of three distinct languages: Ohlone (also called Costanoan), Bay Miwok, and Northern Valley Yokuts. Each tribe's leadership.and culture varied and each had three or four village locations, both permanent and seasonal. Village populations ranged from about 40 to 200. Individuals commonly spoke two or three languages and marriages occurred among neighboring groups.

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, meaning "at the day."

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 were ready to harvest, a relaxed atmosphere prevailed.

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 to practice traditional arts, dances, beliefs, and language, and maintain cultural communities. They are also involved in protecting ancient burial sites and find pride in preserving their heritage. ,