The Aboriginal Population of the San Joaquin Valley, CaliforniaCook, Sherburne Friend
History
The Aboriginal Population of the San Joaquin Valley, California
Cook, Sherburne Friend
Indians of North America -- California -- San Joaquin Valley; San Joaquin Valley (Calif.) -- Population
For the above reasons the writer believes that a correction factor
should be applied to the Moraga-Muñoz data, and unless there is
specific reason to believe otherwise, the figures should be regarded as
indicating only about 50 per cent of the true population. Such a
correction should not be applied to the figures of other explorers,
like Cabot or Estudillo, who were far more careful in their methods of
estimate.
If, now, we apply a correction factor of 2, Moraga's estimate for
Telame I becomes 1,200, or the same as that found by Martinez for the
same village (Lihuauhilame). On the same basis Telame II (Telame of
Martinez) would have had 400 persons. Gelecto (unnamed by Moraga) was
"big" but probably not as big as Telame I. Hence we may assume an
intermediate value, say 800. The total for the Telame complex, or the
triad of villages, would have been 2,400.
In addition to the triad we have Uholasi and the "otras varias
rancherias" of Moraga. Since Moraga gives 100 for Uholasi we may
increase that number to 200. Among the other rancherias we have
Quihuame (or Quiuamine) and Yulumne, which were noted by later
visitors. Moraga, however, in saying "otras varias" clearly means more
than two, probably at least four. It is pertinent to note in this
connection that some of these may have disappeared during the turmoil
of 1806 to 1816 and that their surviving inhabitants may have been
absorbed by other, larger villages. Such an explanation would account
for the failure of Cabot and Martinez to refer to them. If we assume
four villages at the time of Moraga's expedition (and of course the
aboriginal number would have been no less), it is safe to consider them
as having been relatively small. According to the size scale of the
Kaweah villages as a whole 200 inhabitants could reasonably be ascribed
to each of them, or 800 for the group.
The aboriginal population of the Telamni and the Wolasi may therefore
be set as closely as we can get at 3,200. The Choinok appear to have
had only one rancheria. At least there is one and one only which recurs
repeatedly in the Spanish documents. This is Choynoque (Moraga, 1806),
Choynoct (Ortega, 1816), Choinoc (Cabot, 1818) or Choijnocko
(Estudillo, 1819). Moraga gave 300 as the population, as did also
Estudillo. The two values are comparable, if we remember the attrition
occurring between the years 1806 and 1816. We may then apply the
correction factor of 2 and get 600 as the most probable number in 1806.
Such a value is also consistent with the status of the Choinok as an
independent tribal entity of the Kaweah basin, although it does not
take into account any reduction in population prior to the expedition
of Moraga. There was doubtless such a reduction, but since we have no
direct evidence bearing upon the matter it will be better to let the
figure 600 stand.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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