Kawia Tribe
The name Kawia refers to two distinct tribes in California: a Shoshonean tribe and an extinct Yokuts tribe. The larger Shoshonean Kawia inhabited areas from Banning to the Salton Sea and were first documented in 1776 by Fray Francisco Garcés. Their principal settlement was near San Gorgonio Pass. In contrast, the Yokuts Kawia lived along the Kaweah River but are now extinct, having been hostile to American settlers. Both tribes have contributed to the complex history of Indigenous peoples in the region.