Miwok facts for kids
Historical distribution of Miwok peoples in California
|
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 1770: over 11,000 1910: 670 1930: 491 current: 3,500 |
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| Regions with significant populations | |
| California: Sierra Nevada Mountains, Central Valley, Marin County, Sonoma County, Lake County, Contra Costa County | |
| Languages | |
| Miwok languages | |
| Religion | |
| Shamanism: Kuksu Miwok mythology |
|
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Subgroups: |
The Miwok (also spelled Miwuk or Me-Wuk) are groups of Native American people. They originally lived in what is now Northern California. They traditionally spoke different Miwok languages. The word Miwok means people in their languages.
Contents
Miwok Groups
Experts divide the Miwok people into four main groups. These groups lived in different areas and had slightly different cultures. The Miwok themselves did not use these names before Europeans arrived.
- Plains and Sierra Miwok: These groups lived on the western side of the Sierra Nevada mountains. They also lived in the Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley, and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
- Coast Miwok: This group lived near the coast in what is now Marin County and southern Sonoma County. This includes the Bodega Bay Miwok and Marin Miwok.
- Lake Miwok: They lived around the Clear Lake area in Lake County.
- Bay Miwok: This group lived in the area that is now Contra Costa County.
Recognized Miwok Tribes
The United States government, through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, officially recognizes eleven Miwok tribes in California. Being "federally recognized" means the government has a special relationship with these tribes.
- Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians
- California Valley Miwok Tribe (once called the Sheep Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians)
- Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians
- Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (once called the Federated Coast Miwok)
- Ione Band of Miwok Indians, from Ione, California
- Jackson Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians
- Middletown Rancheria (this tribe includes people of Pomo, Lake Miwok, and Wintun heritage)
- Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Shingle Springs Rancheria (Verona Tract)
- Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians of the Tuolumne Rancheria
- United Auburn Indian Community of Auburn Rancheria
- Wilton Rancheria Indian Tribe
Other Miwok Groups
Some Miwok groups are not officially recognized by the United States government. This can make it harder for them to get certain support and services.
- Miwok Tribe of the El Dorado Rancheria
- Nashville-Eldorado Miwok Tribe
- Colfax-Todds Valley Consolidated Tribe of the Colfax Rancheria
- Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation
- Calaveras Band of Mi-Wuk Indians
- Miwok of Buena Vista Rancheria
- River Valley Miwok Indians (once called Historical Families of Wilton Rancheria)
Miwok History
Most experts believe that the first people came to the Americas from Asia about 20,000 years ago. They likely crossed a land bridge called Beringia. However, some researchers, like Otto von Sadovszky, think the Miwok and other northern California tribes might have come from Siberia by sea around 3,000 years ago.
Miwok Culture and Daily Life
Before Europeans arrived in 1769, the Miwok lived in small groups. They did not have one main leader for all the tribes. They had domesticated dogs and grew tobacco. Mostly, they were hunter-gatherers, meaning they found their food in nature.
Food and Meals
The Sierra Miwok gathered acorns from the California Black Oak trees. They even helped these forests grow in places like Yosemite National Park. They would burn smaller plants to make more room for the oak trees.
They ate almost every kind of edible plant, including bulbs, seeds, and mushrooms. Animals were hunted using arrows, clubs, or traps. Grasshoppers were a very special food. Miwok groups near the Stanislaus River also enjoyed mussels. Coastal Miwok people mostly ate food from the land, but they also dove for abalone in the Pacific Ocean.
The Miwok ate when they were hungry, not at set meal times. They stored food for later in special flat-bottomed baskets.
Beliefs and Spirituality
The Miwok have creation stories and myths that are similar to other Native American groups in Northern California. They had totem animals, which were linked to either land or water. These totem animals were seen as important ancestors, but not as literal parents of humans.
Miwok Languages
Traditional Sports
Miwok people played games that included both young men and women. One unique game was played on a field about 110 yards long, called poscoi a we'a. It was similar to soccer. The goal was to get an elk hide ball through a goalpost. Girls could kick the ball, pick it up, and run with it. Boys could only use their feet. However, if a girl was holding the ball, a boy could pick her up and carry her towards his goal.
Miwok Population Changes
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In 1770, there were an estimated 11,000 Miwok people in total. This included about 500 Lake Miwok, 1,500 Coast Miwok, and 9,000 Plains and Sierra Miwok. Some historians believe this number might be too low.
By 1910, the U.S. Census reported only 671 Miwok people. In 1930, the number was even lower, at 491. Today, there are about 3,500 Miwok people.
See also
In Spanish: Miwok para niños
- Kule Loklo
- Saklan
- Lucy Telles
- Utian languages
