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
_Calpella and Redwood Valleys._--This area is divided by Stewart into
two subtribes, the Masut of Calpella and the Katca of Redwood Valley.
This course is also followed by Kniffen who made a special investigation
of the Kacha (Katca). On the other hand Merriam included both groups in
his tribe, the Mah-soo-tah-ka-ah (his manuscript entitled "Northern Pomo").
The Kacha tribe all lived in the village given as Kacha by Kniffen and
as Kabelal by Barrett, Merriam, and Stewart. Kniffen says "there must
have been about 125 people in the valley...", but gives no supporting
data. He does, on the other hand, mention that the village had 12
houses (1939, p. 375). At the aboriginal Pomo number of 14.0 there
should have been 168 instead of 125 inhabitants. It is quite possible
that Kniffen was thinking in terms of the early 1850's and hence made a
low estimate. It appears to the present writer that 170 is preferable.
Masut is given by Barrett and Stewart as a village but by Merriam as a
tribe. Another village near by, Chom-cha-de-lah (Merriam) or
Chomchadila (Powers, Kroeber) is admitted by Stewart and in fact given
as the main village in his appendix (p. 57). Stewart also adds two
villages, Diskabel and Kobida. It is evident that there were several
villages closely clustered together. Stewart thinks there were four. Of
these Masut and Chom-chah-de-lah were apparently large and the others
perhaps small. We may allow 150 each for the larger ones and 50 each
for the smaller, making 400 in all.
The village of Matuku lay in the same territory. This is given the
status of tribe by Merriam but was involved in the migrational
movements between the Calpella region and Clear Lake. Hence its
population is difficult to evaluate. Perhaps 100 persons will be
adequate.
In near-by Coyote Valley lived the tribe called by Powers the
Shodokaipomo. This seems to be the general name for the subtribe and
perhaps also for one of their villages (Barrett and Merriam). In
addition, Merriam, following Barrett, lists Shah-chahm-kah-oo (called
Shashamkau by Kroeber). Powers (1877) in commenting on this group has
this to say: "Mr. Christy states that there were between three hundred
and four hundred (people) when he arrived." Since there is no specific
reason to doubt Mr. Christy's word, we may set the population of the
subtribe at 350. The total for the entire area is 1,020.
There are for the Calpella-Redwood Valley region 8 reasonably well
authenticated villages, as follows:
Kabelal (Barrett, Merriam, Stewart)
Masut (Barrett, Stewart)
Chom-cha-de-lah (Powers, Barrett, Merriam, Stewart, Kroeber)
Matuku (Barrett, Merriam, Stewart)
Shodo-kai (Barrett, Merriam, Powers)
Shah-chahm-kah-oo (Barrett, Merriam, Kroeber)
Diskabel (Stewart)
Kobida (Stewart)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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