Kitanemuk facts for kids
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 50 (2000) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 United States ( California) |
|
| Languages | |
| Kitanemuk language | |
| Religion | |
| animism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Serrano and Tongva |
The Kitanemuk are a group of Native American people from California. They used to live in the Tehachapi Mountains and the Antelope Valley. This area is in the western part of the Mojave Desert in southern California, United States. Today, some Kitanemuk people are part of the Tejon Indian Tribe of California. This tribe is officially recognized by the government.
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Kitanemuk Language
The Kitanemuk people traditionally spoke the Kitanemuk language. This language belongs to a larger group called Uto-Aztecan. It was similar to languages spoken by the Serrano and Tongva people. Sadly, the Kitanemuk language is no longer spoken today. A researcher named Alice Anderton helped to understand and rebuild parts of the language in 1988. She used old notes from John P. Harrington.
Population Numbers
It is hard to know exactly how many Kitanemuk people lived in California long ago. Before Europeans arrived, estimates for Native Californian groups varied a lot.
- In 1925, a researcher named Alfred L. Kroeber thought there were about 1,770 Kitanemuk people. He grouped them with the Serrano and Tataviam people, estimating their total at 3,500.
- Later, in 1978, Thomas C. Blackburn and Lowell John Bean estimated that there were between 500 and 1,000 Kitanemuk people alone.
By 1910, the total number of Kitanemuk, Serrano, and Tataviam people had dropped significantly. Kroeber estimated that only about 150 people remained.
History of the Kitanemuk
The Kitanemuk people first met Europeans in 1769. This was when a Spanish missionary-explorer named Francisco Garcés visited their lands.
Spanish Missions
Some Kitanemuk people were later moved to Spanish missions. These missions were like religious settlements. They included Mission San Fernando Rey de España in the San Fernando Valley and Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in the San Gabriel Valley. Some Kitanemuk may have also gone to Mission San Buenaventura near the coast. Because of this, the Kitanemuk are sometimes grouped with other Native Americans called the Mission Indians.
Later Challenges
In 1840, a serious illness called smallpox affected the Kitanemuk people. Many became sick.
Starting in the 1850s, the Kitanemuk became connected with special lands called reservations. These included areas at Fort Tejon and Tule River. By 1917, some Kitanemuk lived on Tejon Ranch. Others lived on the Tule River Reservation in Tulare County, California.
