California

Comeya Tribe

Comeya Indians. Apparently a collective name indefinitely applied to the Yuman tribes from San Diego eastward to the lower Rio Colorado. By many authors it has been assumed to be synonymous with Diegueno, which doubtless it was in part. Just what tribes it included can not now be told, but the term is here applied only to interior tribes, the Diegueno about San Diego being excluded. When visited by Anza, Garcés, and Font, in 1775, the “Quemayá” wore sandals of maguey fiber and descended from their own territory (which began at the mountains, in lat. 33 08 , some 100 … Read more

Chimalakwe Tribe

Chimalakwe Indians. Mentioned by Powers as an extinct tribe that once lived on New River, northern California, and included in his map, as by Powell with the Chimariko. The name Chimalakwe is undoubtedly only a variant of Chimariko, often pronounced Chimaliko. The Chimariko, however, did not occupy upper New River, which region, together with the adjacent territory about the headwaters of Salmon River, was held by a group of people belonging to the Shastan family, though markedly divergent from the Shasta proper in dialect. This Shastan group, the proper name of which is unknown, has been described by Dixon under … Read more

Castake Tribe

Castake Indians. One of several tribes formerly occupying “the country from Buena Vista and Carises [Kern] lakes and Kern River to the Sierra Nevada and Coast range, California. By treaty of June 10, 1851, these tribes reserved a tract between Tejon pass and Kern River and ceded the remainder of their lands to the United States. In 1862 they were reported to number 162 on Fort Tejon Reservation. Probably Shoshonean, though possibly Mariposan or Chumashan. Castac lake, in the Tejon pass region, derives its name from this tribe and affords a further clue to its former habitat.

Buena Vista Tribe

Buena Vista Indians (Spanish: pleasant view ). A descriptive name applied to one or more Shoshonean or Mariposan tribes living on Buena Vista lake, in the lower Kern River Drainage, California. By treaty of June 10, 1851, these tribes reserved a tract between Tejon Pass and Kern River, and ceded the remainder of their land to the United States.

Bankalachi Tribe

Bankalachi (Yokuts name). A small Shoshonean tribe on upper Deer Creek, which drains into Tulare lake, southern California With the Tübatulabal they form one of the four major linguistic divisions of the family. Their own name is unknown.

Bagiopa Tribe

Bagiopa Indians. A tribe of whom Fray Francisco Garcés (Garcés, Diary, 1900) heard in 1776, at which time they lived north of the Rio Colorado, where they are located on Font’s map of 1777. The fact that Padre Eusebio Kino, while near the mouth of the Rio Colorado in 1701, heard of them from other Indians and placed them on the gulf coast of Lower California on his map of that date, has created the impression that the Bagiopa were one of the Lower Colorado Yuman tribes; but because they were never actually seen in this locality by the Jesuit … Read more

Lassik Tribe

Lassik (Las’-sik, the name of their last chief). A people of the Athapascan family formerly occupying a portion of main Eel River, Cal., and its east tributaries, Van Dozen, Larrabee, and Dobbin creeks, together with the headwaters of Mad River. They had for neighbors toward the north the Athapascan inhabitants of the valley of Mad River and Redwood Creek; toward the east the Wintun of Southfork of Trinity River; toward the south the Wailaki, from whom they were separated by Kekawaka Creek; toward the west the Sinkine on Southfork of Eel River. They occupied their regular village sites along the … Read more

Wailaki Tribe

Wailaki Indians (Wintun: ‘northern language’). An Athapascan tribe or group of many villages formerly on the main Eel River and its north fork from Kekawaka Creek to within a few miles of Round Valley, California. After some fighting with the whites they were placed on Round Valley Reservation, where a few of them still reside. Their houses were circular. They had no canoes, but crossed streams by weighting themselves down with stones while they waded. They lived by the river during the wet months of the year, when their chief occupation was fishing, done at especially favorable places by means … Read more

Hupa Tribe

An Athapascan tribe formerly occupying the valley of Trinity river, California from south fork to its junction with the Klamath, including Hupa valley.  They were first mentioned by Gibbs in 1852; a military post was established in their territory in 1855 and maintained until 1892; and a reservation 12 miles square, including nearly all the Hupa habitat, was set apart in Aug. 1864. The population in 1888 was given as 650; in 1900, 430; in 1905, 412. They are at present self-supporting, depending on agriculture and stock raising. When they first came in contact with the whites, in 1850, the … Read more

Achomawi Tribe

Achomawi Indians: A division of the Shastan family formerly occupying the Pit River country of N. E. California.

Agua Caliente Tribe

The Agua Caliente, a small Shoshonean group in Southern California, historically resided along the headwaters of the San Luis Rey River.

California Indian Agencies and Schools

Agencies and Schools listed below are what were listed for the state.  Slight indent after an Agency list all schools in that jurisdiction. Bishop Day School, California Post-office: Bishop, California Telegraph address: Bishop, California; Western Union, ½ mile from school; thence messenger, ½ hour. Railroad station: Laws Station, on Nevada and California Rwy.; thence stage, 5 miles. Cahuilla School, California Post-office: Cahuilla, Gal. Telegraph address: Hemet, California; Western Union, 37 miles from school; thence telephone to Aguanda, 14 miles; thence courier or mail, 1 day. Railroad station: Hemet, California; thence hired team, 37 miles; or Temecula, California, on Southern Pacific … Read more

Hoopa Valley Reservation

Leader of White Deerskin Dance with crown of horns and Medicine Stone - Hoopa Valley

Report of Special Agent I. P. Fell on the Indians of Hoopa Valley reservation, Mission-Tule Consolidated agency, Humboldt County, California, December 1890, and January 1891. Names of Indian tribes or parts of tribes occupying said reservation: Hunsatung, Hupâ, Klamath River, Miskut, Redwood, Saiaz, Sermalton, and Tishtanatan. The unallotted area of this reservation is 89,572 acres, or 140 square miles. The outboundaries have been surveyed: It was established, altered, or changed by act of Congress approved April 8, 1864 (13 U. S. Stats., p. 39); executive order, Juno 23, 1876. Indian population June 1, 1890: 468. Situated in the extreme northwestern … Read more

Klamath River Reservation

Klamath Indian Shaman (Medicine Man) Crescent City, California

Hoopa Valley Sub-agency Report of Special Agent I. P. Pell on the Indians of Klamath River reservation, Hoopa Valley sub-agency, Humboldt County, California, January 1801. Names of Indian tribes or parts of tribes occupying said reservation: Klamath River [or properly Outlines and Enroes]. The unallotted area of this reservation is 25,1300 acres, or 40 square miles. This reservation has been surveyed. It was established by executive order of November 16, 1855. Klamath River reservation, Humboldt County, California, created by executive order November 16, 1855, is carried on the books of the Indian Office. The public land laws of the United … Read more

Indian Tribes West of the Rocky Mountains, 1822

In the Table is given, from the most authentic sources to which I have had access, which I believe to be the best existing in our country, a list of the Indian Tribes West of the Rocky Mountains. With the names, numbers, and places of residence, of these tribes, Messrs. Crooks &, Stuart, (to whom I am indebted for the body of information contained in the Table, as well as for that which follows it,) gave me a concise description of these Indians, and of their country, which I here insert. This description embraces several tribes, and their country, immediately … Read more