Buldam, California facts for kids
Buldam was once a village of the Pomo people in Mendocino County, California. It was located on the north side of the Big River, close to where the river meets the ocean. This spot was also east of the town of Mendocino that exists today. We don't know the exact location of Buldam anymore.
The Pomo people often named their communities by adding "-pomo" to the name of their main village. So, the people living at Buldam were known as the Buldam-pomo.
Contents
Discovering Buldam: A Look at Its History
Buldam is an important place to learn about the history of the Pomo people. Understanding its past helps us see how Native American communities lived and changed.
When Was Buldam Founded?
Some stories from the Pomo people say that Buldam was started around 1851. It was founded by people from the Mitom Pomo group. They had to leave their homes in places like Nabo because new settlers from Europe were moving into the area.
Early Conflicts and Disputes
When Buldam was founded, it led to a disagreement between the Mitom Pomo and the Pomo people from Point Arena. This conflict might have been about who owned the land around Buldam.
Different Stories About Buldam's Past
Other historical accounts suggest that Buldam might be older than 1851. These stories mention that in 1850, a ship called the Frolic crashed about 4 miles (6.4 km) north of the Big River. People from Buldam are said to have helped recover items from the shipwreck. This would mean Buldam existed before 1851.
There is also another story about what caused the dispute between the Point Arena Pomo and the Buldam Pomo. This story involves a serious incident that affected one of the Point Arena Pomo individuals.
Images for kids
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The north bank of the Big River (left side of the picture), looking upriver from the California State Route 1 bridge. The wooden poles you see were left by the logging industry later on.
