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
Applying the above principles, we may assign 150 inhabitants to
Boo-tah-kah-chut-te ("big roundhouse"), 50 to Che-ah-po-y-chut-te
("fair-sized but no roundhouse"), and 200 to She-ko-ki-chut-te ("two
big rancherias and roundhouse"). Two houses, or say 30 persons, may be
allocated to the other 10 sites of Merriam. The total would then be
700, which, reduced by one-third, gives as a final value 470.
For the Mato-pomo as a whole the population figure is 1,250. It is
difficult to see how a much lower figure could be set for the area.
For the Northern Pomo collectively there has been derived a population
estimate of 5,040. It is of interest to compare this figure with the
values cited by Heintzelman.
This officer listed eight names which can be indentified as falling
within the group being discussed. They are as follows.
1. _Si-dam._ This is _sedam_ of Barrett (1908, p. 141) and of
Stewart (1943, p. 41), located in Potter Valley.
2. _Po-ma Pomes._ This is _pomo_ of Barrett and Stewart, likewise
in Potter Valley.
3. _Kal-il-na-pomas._ This group was located between Martoo
(Sherwood) and Metumki (Little Lake) valleys and is possibly
equivalent to kalal-nokca, a village below Ukiah (Barrett, personal
communication). However the habitat specified by Heintzelman does
not support Barrett's surmise. The group undoubtedly lived much to
the north of Ukiah.
4. _She-bal-na-pomas._ These were in Sherwood Valley and are
referred to by Barrett (1908, p. 147, fn.) as the Shi-bal-ni Pomo.
5. _Calli-tal-pomas._ Dr. Barrett is unable to identify the name
but the people lived in the same vicinity as the tribes mentioned
previously. It is possible that they may have been the _kabelal_ of
Stewart (1943. p. 39).
6. _Yo-pomas._ Dr. Barrett thinks (personal communication) that
this term may signify _Yo kai pomo_ ("south valley people") who
would have lived near Ukiah. But Heintzelman states that they lived
between Kinomo (Round) Valley and Martoo (Sherwood) Valley, and
hence must have been Northern Pomo.
7. _Maa-to-ma-pomas._ With regard to these people Dr. Barrett
writes me as follows: "Possibly refers to Little Lake or Willits
Valley people _mtomkai_, or _bitomkai_ (1908, p. 128, fn.), or to
_mitoma_, on a knoll in the town of Willits (ibid., p. 145)." The
latter hypothesis appears the more probable (Stewart, 1943, p. 36
ff., discusses this subtribe at length). Heintzelman adds the
information that the Maa-to-ma-pomas are divided into seven tribes,
of which the _Sho-he-shas_ are the most numerous. Barrett (1908, p.
146, fn.) thinks that the latter people are the Chow-e-chak of
M'Kee. Heintzelman further says that the territory covered extends
from Metumki (Little Lake) Valley to the coast.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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