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
For the Yokaia, originally settled at Cokadjal, Stewart says: "The
population ... has been variously estimated at from 500-1,000
persons...." Since such estimates are likely to be somewhat low, and in
view of the size of Canel, we may take the upper limit, 1,000
inhabitants.
The status of Lema (Ciego) is dubious. Stewart says the people had no
chief and the tribe was composed of "soldiers." The town was very well
known at the time of white occupation, however, and must have held at
least 150 persons.
The Yobakeya at Koloko were also warlike and Stewart calls them a
"small group." But he also says that one of his informants told him
there were about 60 survivors of the tribe in his youth (approximately
1865). This fact argues an aboriginal membership of at least 300
persons.
For the Yo-ki-ah linguistic subdivision of the Northern Pomo as
presented by Merriam the collective population is thus estimated at
2,950.
_Point Arena._--The Point Arena area is a large territory comprising
300 square miles along the coast. Stewart designates its occupants the
Bokaya and includes three subtribes centering in the villages of Kauca,
Pdahau, and Lacupda. Merriam separates two groups, the Bo-yah, which
included Kauca and Pdahau, and the Kan-no-ah, or the Lacupda people
("Tribe List of Bo-yah" and "Tribe List of Kan-no-ah").
One of Stewart's informants, a woman born about 1880, said that the
aggregate population was 380. This appears much too low. Merriam lists
29 villages, of which many are taken from Barrett without confirmation.
On the other hand Stewart says (p. 48) regarding Pdahau: "there is no
doubt that other villages were occupied contemporaneously with it,
although it was impossible to get the exact status of all the sites
mentioned by Barrett." Hence the acceptance of some of Barrett's and
Merriam's villages must be considered.
Merriam's list includes Stewart's three main villages. It also includes
Itcetce and Kodalau, which Stewart says were settled after the American
occupation. Merriam also gives the following, some of which are on
Barrett's list:
1. Kah-bim-mo ("permanent village")
2. Kah-sha-lem ("permanent village, large town. Inhabitants moved
many years ago to Cha-cha. Used as slaves by man named Shoemaker.")
3. Kah-sil-shah-ko ("acorn camp and winter rancheria")
4. Kah-ya-a-lin ("acorn camp and winter rancheria")
5. Kup-pish-ko ("permanent village")
6. Shah-dah ("permanent village")
7. We-chahl (of the Kan-no-ah, "very large permanent village")
The remaining 17 village names are credited to Barrett without comment
or confirmation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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