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
The next region to be considered is the basin of the Kings River. Like
the Kaweah, this stream may be divided into three sectors. The first
comprises the delta and slough area southwest of Kingsburg and was the
home of the Yokuts tribes, Apiachi, Wimilchi, and Nutunutu (area 4A).
The second includes the valley margin and foothills, with the tribes
Wechihit, Aiticha, Choinimni, Chukamina, Michahai, and Emtimbich (area
4B). The third is in the higher foothills and embraces the territory of
the Mono groups, Wobunuch and Holkoma (area 4C).
The Kings River sloughs were first described in 1804 by Martin, who
mentions the tribe, or rancheria, of Notonto (Nutunutu) but gives no
population data. The next visitor was Moraga in 1806. In the diary of
the expedition, written by Father Muñoz, no mention is made of Notonto
but in the appended "List of rancherias visited in this trip and the
one in April" are included Notonto I with 300 persons and Notonto II
with 100. Estudillo saw the region in 1819 and said that Notonto (only
one village of this name is mentioned) had 303 men "todos gente robusta
y de armas." He also saw a few old women and children. Since the men
are of the same type ("robust warriors") and were carefully counted in
the same way as at Chischa, the same ratio of warriors to total
inhabitants may be used. A population of 866 is thus indicated or, in
round numbers, 850. Estudillo also says there were four chiefs, one
each of the "Notontos," Gumilche, Guchetema, and Tateguy. The Nutunutu
are thus clearly segregated from the Wimilchi (Gumilche). The other two
names cannot be traced and may indeed have been those of individuals.
The "guimilchis," in the meantime, had been seen in 1815 by Pico, who
says that they had at least two rancherias.
From the ethnographers we get indication of six villages: of the
Apiachi, the village of Wohui (Kroeber, Gayton, Latta); of the
Nutunutu, the villages of Chiau (Kroeber, Gayton, Latta), Hibekia
(Kroeber), Honotau (Gayton), and Kadestiu (Latta); of the Wimilchi, the
village of Ugona (Kroeber, Gayton, Latta). If these villages actually
existed in the early years of the nineteenth century, they can scarcely
have held less than 250 persons apiece and the population would have
been in the vicinity of 1,500.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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