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
_Koloko_ (Barrett). This village was said to have been located near
Cimela. Regarding it the following quotation from Barrett is
decisive (p. 272): "In addition to these villages along Russian
River which were occupied by the Wappo, names of four other sites
were obtained which, as far as can be learned, were not occupied by
the Wappo but were occupied by the Southern Pomo before the Wappo
took possession of this section, and for which only Pomo names
could be obtained." It is clear therefore that the village as such
had disappeared prior to the knowledge of Driver's informants, if
indeed these villages had ever been occupied by the Wappo.
_Malalatcali_ (Barrett). See Koloko.
_Acaben_ (Barrett). See Koloko.
_Gaiyetcin_ (Barrett). See Koloko.
From this list there emerge six villages as certain. Driver's
Koticomota, Netstul, Owotelpeti, Pipoholma, Unutsawaholma, and
Osoyukeju. Of these Osoyukeju, on the west bank of the river, may be
regarded as having replaced Barrett's three villages, Malalatcali,
Acaben, and Gaiyetcin, which evidently did not survive Pomo occupancy.
Driver and Barrett agree with respect to Koticomota and Pipoholma.
Netstul, Owotelpeti, and Unutsawaholma may be considered to have
replaced Cimela and Koloko. The status of Tsimitutsonoma, as indicated
above, is dubious, in spite of the fact that Driver's informants gave
it as a permanent town. In view of the doubt it is better to omit it
from consideration.
Directing our attention now to the six sure towns of Driver, we find in
his paper some very pertinent data with regard to their size and
demographic characteristics. The sizes and house numbers given on page
183 (Driver, 1936) are:
Koticomota: "large town"; 2 sweathouses.
Netstul: "large town"; 40 houses; 1 sweathouse.
Owotelpete: 40 houses; 1 sweathouse.
Pipoholma: 40 houses; 1 sweathouse.
Unutsawaholmanoma: 1 sweathouse; 11 houses in 1870; 17 houses
"formerly."
Osoyukeju: "small town"; 1 sweathouse.
Before discussing the house numbers in detail we should call attention
to Driver's analysis of the village Unutsawa-holma-noma. This analysis
(1936, pp. 201 ff.) he says is based upon "concrete genealogical census
data of about the year 1870." There can therefore be no argument
concerning the validity of the figures he presents. He found, in brief,
that in this village there were 11 houses, containing 21 families and
92 persons. The occupants per house ranged from 4 to 21 with an average
of 9, the families from 1 to 6 per house with an average of 2 (actually
1.91), and the persons per family averaged 4.5 (actually 4.38).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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