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| California Native American tribes | |
|---|---|
| Name | California Native American tribes |
| Regions | California |
| Languages | Yurok language, Hupa language, Tolowa language, Karuk language, Miwok languages, Maidu language, Pomo languages, Yokuts language, Shasta language, Yurok language |
| Religions | Kuksu, First Peoples' spirituality, Yurok ceremonies |
| Related | Indigenous peoples of North America |
California Native American tribes are the diverse Indigenous peoples who inhabited the region now known as California prior to and following European contact. They include hundreds of distinct tribal groups such as the Chumash, Yurok, Konkow, Miwok, Pomo, Hupa, Karuk, Maidu, Tongva, Cahuilla, Mojave, Yuman peoples, Ohlone, Yokuts, and Shasta. Their histories intersect with events and entities like the Spanish colonization of the Americas, the Mexican–American War, the California Gold Rush, and the passage of laws such as the Indian Reorganization Act and the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968.
Indigenous presence in California predates the Clovis culture and is evidenced at sites like San Dieguito–Pinto culture localities, Channel Islands archaeological sites, and the Coso Rock Art District. Contact histories involve explorers and institutions including Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, Sebastián Vizcaíno, Spanish missions in California, Mission San Juan Capistrano, and military figures tied to the Mexican–American War and the Bear Flag Revolt. The California Gold Rush and statehood of California accelerated conflicts, displacement, and laws such as the Act for the Government and Protection of Indians (1850); legal and violent episodes included massacres at places like Yontoket Massacre and legal disputes culminating in decisions like United States v. Santa Rosa Indian Community and legislative acts like the Indian Appropriations Act. Resistance and adaptation involved leaders and events tied to Ishi, Klamath River War, Round Valley Reservation establishment, and activism linked to organizations including the American Indian Movement.
Cultural systems feature practices such as basketry by groups like the Pomo and Hupa, maritime economies of the Chumash and Tlingit-adjacent Yurok fishermen, acorn processing among Miwok and Maidu, and processionals like Kuksu and regional dances. Social structures include village networks documented by ethnographers like Alfred L. Kroeber, Jane H. Hill, and Theodora Kroeber. Material culture and art intersect with collections in institutions such as the Field Museum of Natural History, the Hearst Museum of Anthropology, the Smithsonian Institution, and exhibitions at the Getty Center. Spiritual and ceremonial life connects to oral traditions recorded by figures like Edward S. Curtis and contemporary revival efforts by tribal governments such as the Hoopa Valley Tribe and the Yurok Tribe.
California is one of the most linguistically diverse regions in North America, home to families including Penutian languages, Uto-Aztecan languages, Athabaskan languages, Yuman–Cochimí languages, and isolates like Chumashan languages. Prominent tongues include Yurok language, Hupa language, Tolowa Dee-ni’ language, Karuk language, Miwok languages (including Northern Miwok), Pomoan languages, Yokuts language, Esselen language, and Tongva language. Language loss and revitalization involve programs such as university partnerships with University of California, Berkeley, the Humboldt State University language programs, community initiatives supported by entities like the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and efforts exemplified by teachers trained via the Master-Apprentice Program.
Tribal territories span ecological zones from the Sierra Nevada and Central Valley to the Pacific Coast and Mojave Desert, encompassing nations like the Karuk Tribe, Yurok Tribe, Hoopa Valley Tribe, Quechan Tribe, Chemehuevi Tribe, Morongo Band of Mission Indians, Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians, Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians, Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, Yokuts tribes, Wintun peoples, and the Costanoan peoples. Reservation and land-holding patterns involve parcels such as Round Valley Indian Reservation, Hoopa Valley Reservation, Yurok Reservation, Coleville Rancheria, Graton Rancheria, and urban interrelations with municipalities like Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Sacramento.
Federal recognition involves processes overseen by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and legal frameworks such as the Indian Reorganization Act, the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Landmark litigation and policy include decisions like United States v. Kagama, the impact of Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe on jurisdiction, and statutes such as the Indian Child Welfare Act. Recognition disputes and restoration efforts have involved petitions resulting in recognition for groups including the Graton Rancheria and contested cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Contemporary economies incorporate enterprises such as tribal gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, hospitality ventures, environmental stewardship partnerships with agencies like the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the National Park Service, and cultural tourism tied to sites like Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park and Mendocino National Forest. Issues include land restoration linked to Tribal Forest Protection Act initiatives, water rights conflicts referencing Klamath River and regulatory bodies like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, public health challenges addressed by the Indian Health Service, and activism around cultural repatriation under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
Prominent leaders and figures include historical persons such as Ishi, Toypurina, Estanislao, Chief Tenaya, Captain Jack (Kintpuash), modern leaders and activists like Lucy Thompson, Grace Hudson (collector and artist associate), Corrina Gould, Deb Haaland, and tribal chairs of nations including the Yurok Tribe and Hoopa Valley Tribe. Notable tribes include the Chumash, Tongva, Pomo, Miwok, Hupa, Karuk, Yurok, Maidu, Yokuts, Shasta, Cahuilla, Mojave, Quechan, Chemehuevi, Luiseno bands, and the Morongo Band of Mission Indians.