Difference between revisions of "Achomawi" - New World Encyclopedia
Rosie Tanabe (talk | contribs) (imported) |
(updated) |
||
| Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
[[Category:Ethnic group]] | [[Category:Ethnic group]] | ||
| − | [[Image: | + | {{Infobox Ethnic group |
| + | |group = Achomawi | ||
| + | |image = [[Image:Ahjumawi Indian woman.jpg|200px]] | ||
| + | |image_caption = Achomawi woman (circa 1920) | ||
| + | |population = | ||
| + | |region1 = {{flag|United States}} | ||
| + | |pop1 = 1,800 - Pit River Indians | ||
| + | |ref1 = {{lower|<ref>[http://infodome.sdsu.edu/research/guides/calindians/calinddictmp.shtml#pitriv]</ref>}} | ||
| + | |region2 = | ||
| + | |pop2 = | ||
| + | |ref2 = | ||
| + | |region3 = | ||
| + | |pop3 = | ||
| + | |ref3 = | ||
| + | |region4 = | ||
| + | |pop4 = | ||
| + | |ref4 = | ||
| + | |region5 = | ||
| + | |pop5 = | ||
| + | |ref5 = | ||
| + | |region6 = | ||
| + | |pop6 = | ||
| + | |ref6 = | ||
| + | |region7 = | ||
| + | |pop7 = | ||
| + | |ref7 = | ||
| + | |region8 = | ||
| + | |pop8 = | ||
| + | |ref8 = | ||
| + | |region9 = | ||
| + | |pop9 = | ||
| + | |ref9 = | ||
| + | |region10 = | ||
| + | |pop10 = | ||
| + | |ref10 = | ||
| + | |languages = Palaihnihan | ||
| + | |religions = | ||
| + | |related = | ||
| + | |footnotes = [http://infodome.sdsu.edu/research/guides/calindians/calinddictmp.shtml#pitriv San Diego State Univ.] | ||
| + | }} | ||
The '''Achomawi''' (also '''Achumawi''', '''Ajumawi''' and '''Ahjumawi''') were one of several bands of the Pit River tribe of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] who lived in northern [[California]], USA. They lived in the Fall River valley, Tule Lake and [[Pit River]] area near Montgomery Creek in [[Shasta County, California|Shasta County]] to [[Goose Lake]] on the [[Oregon]] state line. They were closely related to the [[Atsugewi]]. | The '''Achomawi''' (also '''Achumawi''', '''Ajumawi''' and '''Ahjumawi''') were one of several bands of the Pit River tribe of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] who lived in northern [[California]], USA. They lived in the Fall River valley, Tule Lake and [[Pit River]] area near Montgomery Creek in [[Shasta County, California|Shasta County]] to [[Goose Lake]] on the [[Oregon]] state line. They were closely related to the [[Atsugewi]]. | ||
The Achomawi spoke a [[Palaihnihan languages|Palaihnihan]] language. | The Achomawi spoke a [[Palaihnihan languages|Palaihnihan]] language. | ||
== Territory == | == Territory == | ||
| − | + | Historically, Achomawi territory was in the Pit River drainage area (with the exception of Hat Creek and Dixie Valley, which were Atsugewi). This region, from [[Mount Shasta]] and [[Lassen Peak]] to the [[Warner Mountains|Warner Range]], has a tremendous ecological diversity yielding a huge variety of foods, medicines, and raw materials. Total area was probably one hundred and seventy-five miles in length as the river flows, and began near Round mountain in the south to Goose Lake area to the north.<ref>[http://curtis.library.northwestern.edu/curtis/viewPage.cgi?showp=1&size=2&id=nai.13.book.00000192&volume=13#nav-Edward S. Curtis's The North American Indian,volume 13, page 129-Northwestern University Library- Digital Library Collections > The North American Indian]</ref> | |
Strictly speaking, Achomawi is the name of ''only that part of the group'' living in the basin of the Fall River <ref> Kroeber, A. L. 1925. ''Handbook of the Indians of California'', Dover edition 1976 p.307</ref> | Strictly speaking, Achomawi is the name of ''only that part of the group'' living in the basin of the Fall River <ref> Kroeber, A. L. 1925. ''Handbook of the Indians of California'', Dover edition 1976 p.307</ref> | ||
Other groups in the Pit River area : | Other groups in the Pit River area : | ||
| Line 39: | Line 78: | ||
== Basketry == | == Basketry == | ||
| − | + | [[Image:Achomawi basket-maker.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Achomawi basket-maker in 1923]] | |
| − | Achomawi basketry was of the twined type. Cooking vessels had broad openings, slightly rounded bottom and sides with willow rods for upright structure. Other types of baskets were the burdenbasket, cradle, serving-tray and the open- mesh beater basket for harvesting seeds. Achomawi made use of bear grass | + | Achomawi basketry was of the twined type. Cooking vessels had broad openings, slightly rounded bottom and sides with willow rods for upright structure. Other types of baskets were the burdenbasket, cradle, serving-tray and the open- mesh beater basket for harvesting seeds. Achomawi made use of bear grass (also called elk grass, Indian basket grass and bear lily, it is a member of the lily family, latin name: ''Zerophyllum''. The leaves are grasslike, 1 to {{convert|3|ft|m}} long and very durable) for an overlay |
of wheat-colored strands with black stems of maidenhair fern for background color.<ref>[http://curtis.library.northwestern.edu/curtis/viewPage.cgi?showp=1&size=2&id=nai.13.book.00000192&volume=13#nav- Edward S. Curtis's The North American Indian, volume 13, page 138-Northwestern University Library- Digital Library Collections > The North American Indian]</ref> | of wheat-colored strands with black stems of maidenhair fern for background color.<ref>[http://curtis.library.northwestern.edu/curtis/viewPage.cgi?showp=1&size=2&id=nai.13.book.00000192&volume=13#nav- Edward S. Curtis's The North American Indian, volume 13, page 138-Northwestern University Library- Digital Library Collections > The North American Indian]</ref> | ||
| Line 48: | Line 87: | ||
Estimates for the pre-contact populations of most native groups in California have varied substantially. ''(See [[Population of Native California]].)'' [[Alfred L. Kroeber]] (1925:883) estimated the combined 1770 population of the Achomawi and Atsugewi as 3,000. A more detailed analysis by Fred B. Kniffen (1928) arrived at the same figure. T. R. Garth (1978:237) estimated the Atsugewi population at a maximum of 850, which would leave at least 2,150 for the Achomawi. | Estimates for the pre-contact populations of most native groups in California have varied substantially. ''(See [[Population of Native California]].)'' [[Alfred L. Kroeber]] (1925:883) estimated the combined 1770 population of the Achomawi and Atsugewi as 3,000. A more detailed analysis by Fred B. Kniffen (1928) arrived at the same figure. T. R. Garth (1978:237) estimated the Atsugewi population at a maximum of 850, which would leave at least 2,150 for the Achomawi. | ||
| − | Kroeber estimated the combined population of the Achomawi and Astugewi in 1910 as 1,100. | + | Kroeber estimated the combined population of the Achomawi and Astugewi in 1910 as 1,100. [[Edward S. Curtis]], a photographer and author in the 1920s, gave a 1910 population of Achomawi at 984. |
| − | == | + | |
| − | + | ==Contemporary Achomawi== | |
| + | Known as the Pit River Indians or "Tribe," they are comprised of eleven (11) autonomous bands: Ajumawi, Atsugewi, Atwamsini, Illmawi, Astarawi, Hammawi, Hewisedawi, Itsatawi, Aporige, Kosealekte, and Madesi, that since time immemorial have resided in the area known as the 100-mile square, located in parts of [[Shasta County|Shasta]], [[Siskiyou County|Siskiyou]], [[Modoc County|Modoc]], and [[Lassen County|Lassen]] Counties in the State of California.<ref> Pit River Docket No. 347, (7 ICC 815 at 844), Indian Claims Commission</ref>. | ||
| − | + | There is a Housing Authority that through Government grants has developed community housing projects, such as housing for low income families and elders. The Tribe operates a Day Care center, and environmental program. The Pit River Tribe currently operates Pit River Casino, a Class III gaming facility located on 79 acres in [[Burney, California]]. | |
| + | Today there are around 1,800 tribal members living on the Alturas, Big Bend, Big Valley, Likely, Lookout, Montgomery Creek, Redding, Roaring Creek, and Susanville rancherias, as well as on the Pit River, Round Valley and X-L Ranch reservations.<ref>[http://infodome.sdsu.edu/research/guides/calindians/calinddictmp.shtml#pitriv San Diego State Univ. Library] accessed 22Oct.2008</ref> | ||
| − | + | On August, 1964, a Constitution was formally adpted by the Pit River Tribe. The Preamble states:<blockquote> | |
| − | + | "... for the purpose of securing our Rights and Powers inherent in our Sovereign status as reinforced by the laws of the United States, developing and protecting Pit River (Ajumawi - Atsugewi) ancestral lands and all other resources, preserving peace and order in our community, promoting the general welfare of our people and our descendants, protecting the rights of the Tribe and of our members, and preserving our land base, culture and identity,..."<ref>[http://www.narf.org/nill/Constitutions/pitconst/pitriverconst.htm | |
| + | Constitution of the Pit River Tribe]</ref> | ||
| + | </blockquote> | ||
| − | |||
| − | + | ==Notes== | |
| − | + | {{Reflist}} | |
| − | |||
| − | |||
| Line 72: | Line 112: | ||
| + | ==External links== | ||
| + | |||
| + | * [http://www.siskiyous.edu/shasta/nat/ach.htm Achumawi] | ||
| + | |||
| + | * [http://bss.sfsu.edu/calstudies/NativeWebPages/shastan.html Achomawi, Atsuwegi, & Shasta peoples] San Francisco State University's College of Behavioral and Social Sciences webpage. | ||
| + | * [http://www.farwestern.com/crookscanyon/page05.htm Achumawi] | ||
| + | *[http://www.narf.org/ Native American Rights Foundation, a non-profit legal assistance organization.] | ||
| + | * [http://www.fourdir.com/achomawi.htm Four Directions Institute, a nonprofit school.] | ||
| + | * [http://www.farwestern.com/crookscanyon/page05.htm Far Western Anthropological Research Group-A consulting firm. Their Achumawi page] | ||
| − | {{Credits|Achomawi| | + | {{Credits|Achomawi|246946960|}} |
Revision as of 22:49, 10 November 2008
| Achomawi | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Achomawi woman (circa 1920) | |||
| Total population | |||
| Regions with significant populations | |||
| |||
| Languages | |||
| Palaihnihan | |||
| Religions | |||
The Achomawi (also Achumawi, Ajumawi and Ahjumawi) were one of several bands of the Pit River tribe of Native Americans who lived in northern California, USA. They lived in the Fall River valley, Tule Lake and Pit River area near Montgomery Creek in Shasta County to Goose Lake on the Oregon state line. They were closely related to the Atsugewi. The Achomawi spoke a Palaihnihan language.
Territory
Historically, Achomawi territory was in the Pit River drainage area (with the exception of Hat Creek and Dixie Valley, which were Atsugewi). This region, from Mount Shasta and Lassen Peak to the Warner Range, has a tremendous ecological diversity yielding a huge variety of foods, medicines, and raw materials. Total area was probably one hundred and seventy-five miles in length as the river flows, and began near Round mountain in the south to Goose Lake area to the north.[2] Strictly speaking, Achomawi is the name of only that part of the group living in the basin of the Fall River [3] Other groups in the Pit River area :
- Madeshi, lowest on the river,
- Ilmawi, along the river's south side
- Chumawi, in Round Valley
- Atuami, in Big Valley
- Hantiwi, in lower Hot Springs Valley
- Astakiwi, upper Hot Springs Valley
- Hamawi, on the south fork of the Pit River
Food
Like other Northern Californians, the Achomawi lived by hunting, gathering and fishing.Their main foods are grasshoppers, plants, small animals and fish.
Fishing
One method of catching fish was the building of fish traps near the shore composed of lava stone walls, with an outer wall and inner walls that concentrate the issuing spring water to attract the sucker and trout The openings are then closed using a keystone, canoe prow or log. The inner walls trap the fish in the shallow gravel area directly in front of the spring's mouth where they are taken by spear or basket. The shallow gravel enclosure was also the spawning grounds for the sucker fish, which the Achomawi were careful to maintain for a successful spawn by opening the walls to release the fish. The fish were cleaned, and then sun-dried or smoked on wooden frames for either later consumption or trade with other groups. The harvest was done in the evening using torches for light to show the fish, which could number in the hundreds.[4]
Several fish traps can be seen along the shores of Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park.
Fish hooks and fish spears were made from deer bone, the fish spear being a two pronged bone that had a socket for the fitting of a wooden shaft.
Nets were another method employed to snare trout, pike and sucker and the Achomawi made five different types , three of which were bag-shaped dipnets , a seine and a gill net. Of the three dipnets, the Lipake was the smallest, a round bag with an oval hoop sewn at the mouth that was used to scoop the sucker fish into while diving underwater.[5]
Hunting
Hunting techniques differed from other California Native Americans. A deep pit would be dug along a deer trail, covered with brush, the trail restored including adding deer tracks using a hoof, and all dirt and human evidence taken away. The settlers' cattle would also fall in these pits, so much so that the settlers convinced the people to stop this practice. The pits were most numerous near the river because the deer came down to drink and so the river is named for these trapping pits. [6]
Gathering
Acorns, pine nuts, seeds of wild oats and other grasses, manzanita berries and other berries were prepared for either consumption, winter storage or for trade. The plant commonly called camas (Camassia Quamash) was (and still is) an important food source of many Native American groups and was widely traded. Used as a sweetener and food enhancer, the bulbs were pit-cooked for more than a day traditionally.[7]
Basketry
Achomawi basketry was of the twined type. Cooking vessels had broad openings, slightly rounded bottom and sides with willow rods for upright structure. Other types of baskets were the burdenbasket, cradle, serving-tray and the open- mesh beater basket for harvesting seeds. Achomawi made use of bear grass (also called elk grass, Indian basket grass and bear lily, it is a member of the lily family, latin name: Zerophyllum. The leaves are grasslike, 1 to 3 feet (0.91 m) long and very durable) for an overlay of wheat-colored strands with black stems of maidenhair fern for background color.[8]
Population
Estimates for the pre-contact populations of most native groups in California have varied substantially. (See Population of Native California.) Alfred L. Kroeber (1925:883) estimated the combined 1770 population of the Achomawi and Atsugewi as 3,000. A more detailed analysis by Fred B. Kniffen (1928) arrived at the same figure. T. R. Garth (1978:237) estimated the Atsugewi population at a maximum of 850, which would leave at least 2,150 for the Achomawi.
Kroeber estimated the combined population of the Achomawi and Astugewi in 1910 as 1,100. Edward S. Curtis, a photographer and author in the 1920s, gave a 1910 population of Achomawi at 984.
Contemporary Achomawi
Known as the Pit River Indians or "Tribe," they are comprised of eleven (11) autonomous bands: Ajumawi, Atsugewi, Atwamsini, Illmawi, Astarawi, Hammawi, Hewisedawi, Itsatawi, Aporige, Kosealekte, and Madesi, that since time immemorial have resided in the area known as the 100-mile square, located in parts of Shasta, Siskiyou, Modoc, and Lassen Counties in the State of California.[9].
There is a Housing Authority that through Government grants has developed community housing projects, such as housing for low income families and elders. The Tribe operates a Day Care center, and environmental program. The Pit River Tribe currently operates Pit River Casino, a Class III gaming facility located on 79 acres in Burney, California. Today there are around 1,800 tribal members living on the Alturas, Big Bend, Big Valley, Likely, Lookout, Montgomery Creek, Redding, Roaring Creek, and Susanville rancherias, as well as on the Pit River, Round Valley and X-L Ranch reservations.[10]
On August, 1964, a Constitution was formally adpted by the Pit River Tribe. The Preamble states:
"... for the purpose of securing our Rights and Powers inherent in our Sovereign status as reinforced by the laws of the United States, developing and protecting Pit River (Ajumawi - Atsugewi) ancestral lands and all other resources, preserving peace and order in our community, promoting the general welfare of our people and our descendants, protecting the rights of the Tribe and of our members, and preserving our land base, culture and identity,..."[11]
Notes
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ S. Curtis's The North American Indian,volume 13, page 129-Northwestern University Library- Digital Library Collections > The North American Indian
- ↑ Kroeber, A. L. 1925. Handbook of the Indians of California, Dover edition 1976 p.307
- ↑ John W. Foster Senior State Archaeologist Native Fish Traps Along the Shore of Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park
- ↑ S. Curtis's The North American Indian, volume 13, page 137-Northwestern University Library- Digital Library Collections > The North American Indian
- ↑ Stephen Powers * Tribes of California*, p. 269 (Regents of the University of California, forward by R. Heizer, 1976)
- ↑ United State Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service- Plant Guide Common Camas [2]
- ↑ Edward S. Curtis's The North American Indian, volume 13, page 138-Northwestern University Library- Digital Library Collections > The North American Indian
- ↑ Pit River Docket No. 347, (7 ICC 815 at 844), Indian Claims Commission
- ↑ San Diego State Univ. Library accessed 22Oct.2008
- ↑ [http://www.narf.org/nill/Constitutions/pitconst/pitriverconst.htm Constitution of the Pit River Tribe]
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Garth, T. R. 1978. "Atsugewi." In California, edited by Robert F. Heizer, pp. 236-243. Handbook of North American Indians, William C. Sturtevant, general editor, vol. 8. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
- Kniffen, Fred B. 1928. "Achomawi Geography." University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology 23:297-332.
- Kroeber, A. L. 1925. Handbook of the Indians of California. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin No. 78. Washington, D.C.
External links
- Achomawi, Atsuwegi, & Shasta peoples San Francisco State University's College of Behavioral and Social Sciences webpage.
- Achumawi
- Native American Rights Foundation, a non-profit legal assistance organization.
- Four Directions Institute, a nonprofit school.
- Far Western Anthropological Research Group-A consulting firm. Their Achumawi page
Credits
New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:
The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:
Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.
