The Aboriginal Population of the North Coast of CaliforniaCook, Sherburne Friend
History
The Aboriginal Population of the North Coast of California
Cook, Sherburne Friend
Indians of North America -- California; Indians of North America -- Statistics
If we total all the Yukian divisions, including the Coast Yuki and the
Huchnom, we get 9,730 persons. Similarly, the Athapascan tribes
collectively give 15,450. The combined total is 25,180. Some of the
groups, such as the Tanom and Huchnom, may have been overestimated, but
this will be compensated by underestimates for other groups, such as
the Onkolukomnom. If we accept as valid the published ethnographic data
of Barrett, Kroeber, Foster, and Gifford, together with the manuscript
material of Merriam, it is very difficult to fix the population of the
Athapascan and Yukian stocks at a figure much below 25,000.
In this connection it is interesting to consider the estimates of
Heintzelman, because his figures for the Kato and for the Huchnom have
been shown to conform in general to those derived from village lists.
Many of Heintzelman's Indian names cannot now be identified and his
localities are frequently vague and obscure. However, a reasonably
clear line can be drawn between the Pomo and those tribes living north
of the Pomo.
The first five groups mentioned in the report are unequivocally Pomo.
Then come the "Bi-lo-ki, Po-mes" with the six divisions previously
mentioned called Tar-toos, Si-dam, Po-ma Pomes, Si-mas, Di-no-kis, and
Du-che-calla-os. The Si-dam and Po-ma Pomes are Potter Valley Pomo. The
Tar-toos are Huchnom. The Si-mas are probably southeastern Yuki. The
Di-no-kis and Du-che-calla-os cannot be identified by Dr. Barrett
(personal communication) and are therefore probably not Pomo. Since the
whole group was said by Heintzelman to reside "between Clear Lake and
the heads of Eel, Russian and Trinity Rivers" these two unidentified
divisions may be ascribed to the Yuki. The numerical aggregate of the
four Yukian divisions is 2,450.
Following the Bi-lo-ki on Heintzelman's list are the Me-che-pomas who
inhabit the east part of Kinamoo Valley and the "Eel River Mountains,"
40 miles northeast of the proposed site, i.e., Fort Bragg. Covelo is
almost exactly 40 airline miles northeast of Fort Bragg. Barrett (1908,
p. 249, fn.) says that the Pomo name for Round Valley is maca-kai, and
quotes another variant, Me-sha-kai. In a personal communication he
states his belief that Round Valley is here referred to. Along with the
Me-che-pomas Heintzelman lists the Be-dar-ke-sill, which he says are
found in the south part of Trinity County and the north part of
Mendocino County, 50 miles from Fort Bragg. Since the name cannot be
identified, the people may be allocated on the basis of location alone
to the southern part of the Wailaki. The aggregate population of these
two groups is given as 2,100.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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