Tataviam facts for kids
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 United States ( California) |
|
| Languages | |
| Tataviam language, English language, Spanish language |
|
| Religion | |
| Traditional tribal religion, Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Gabrielino-Tongva, Chumash, Serrano, Kitanemuk, Luiseño |
The Tataviam are a Native American group living in Southern California. Their name means "people on the south slope" in the Kitanemuk language. Today, their tribal government is based in San Fernando, California. It includes leaders like the Tribal President, Rudy Ortega Jr., and other important groups like the Tribal Senate.
The Tataviam people traditionally lived in what is now northwest Los Angeles County and southern Ventura County. This area includes the upper part of the Santa Clara River, the Santa Susana Mountains, and the Sierra Pelona Mountains. They are a unique group, different from the nearby Kitanemuk and Gabrielino-Tongva people.
Contents
History of the Tataviam People
Where the Tataviam Lived
The Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles, is thought to be the main area where the Tataviam lived. In 1776, a Spanish priest named Padre Francisco Garcés wrote about them. He noted that they were a different group with their own language and culture, separate from the Kitanemuk and Fernandeño people.
Daily Life of the Tataviam
The Tataviam people had two main types of homes: summer and winter settlements. This allowed them to move around and find the best resources. They gathered plants for food, including Yucca whipplei and wa'at, which are juniper berries.
The Tataviam Language
For a long time, people studying Native American languages found it hard to understand the Tataviam language. Some early word lists were actually from a different language, a Chumash dialect. Later, researchers like Alfred Kroeber and John P. Harrington collected words that were from an Uto-Aztecan language. This language is now believed to be the true language spoken by the Tataviam people.
Further studies showed that the Tataviam language was part of the Takic branch of the Uto-Aztecan family. It was closely related to the languages spoken by the Kitanemuk and Serrano tribes. Sadly, the last known person who spoke the Tataviam language passed away before 1916.
Neighbors of the Tataviam
Other tribes living nearby, like the Chumash, called the Tataviam "Alliklik." In the Chumash language, this name might have meant "grunter" or "stammerer." This was probably because of how the Tataviam language sounded to the Chumash people.
Spanish Arrival and Changes
The Spanish first met the Tataviam during their trips in 1769 and 1770. By 1810, almost all Tataviam people had been baptized at Mission San Fernando Rey de España. Like many other Native American groups, the Tataviam faced many challenges. They suffered greatly from new illnesses brought by the Spanish, which caused many people to get sick and sadly pass away.
Tataviam Land Becomes Part of the United States
After the Mexican Cession in 1848, the land where the Tataviam people lived changed from being under Mexican rule to becoming part of the United States. The United States government decided to group the Tataviam with other Native American villages in the same area. This area is now known as the Fort Tejon Indian Reservation.
See also
In Spanish: Tataviam para niños
