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
Viader on his first expedition, on August 20, went south-southeast from
Pescadero for 3 leagues and reached a village "cuyo capitan se llama
Tomchom." He then went 2-1/2 leagues southeast from the Jusmites and
reached "los indios Tugites." Both Tomchom and Tugites therefore appear
to have been in the same general area. For this reason Schenck has
placed the Tugites, as a tribe, directly south of the Jusmites and has
called Tomchom a village of the tribe. It is perhaps more likely that
there were two villages involved (rather than a tribe and an included
village), designated respectively Tomchom and Tugites. This view is
substantiated by the baptism data. Of the entire group 268 were
baptized, rather equally distributed between San Jose and Santa Clara.
Over half the conversions occurred in the year 1811. The San Jose book
lists 126 from "Tamcan" and 7 from "Tuguits." The Santa Clara book has
125 from "Los Tugites" and none under any other designation. It may
therefore be concluded that two villages, or subtribes, were involved,
one of which was taken to San Jose and the other to Santa Clara. A
total of 268 converts would imply a population of at least 500 persons
at the time of conversion and probably more aboriginally.
The village of Nototemnes is mentioned only by Duran in his diary of
1817. In the night of May 22-23 he passed "la rancheria de los
Nototemnes," but did not actually see the village or count its
inhabitants. However, the rancheria furnished 97 converts to Mission
San Jose. It must therefore have contained at least 200 people. Schenck
shows the Nototemnes as covering nearly two townships in the northern
delta region and calls them "a village plus." He cites, however, no
authority for this view other than Duran, and Duran, as mentioned
above, refers only to the rancheria of the Nototemnes. There is no
reason, consequently, for assuming more than one village for the tribe
or group.
In summary, the Bolbones tribal complex consisted of fully eight medium
to large villages. Those belonging to the Bolbones proper, four in
number, were estimated to contain 1,500 persons. The Jusmites were
allowed 300 persons, the Tugites 500, and the Nototemnes 200. The total
is 2,500, and the average village size slightly over 300 persons.
(Bolbones ... 2,500)
____________________
_Leuchas._--Schenck shows this tribe as living east of the San Joaquin
River 10 to 15 miles south of Stockton. He implies that the tribe
contained two villages, Coyboses and Pitemis (Aupimis), in addition
perhaps to other settlements. The mission books mention all three names
and show baptisms (figures in parentheses), which may be tabulated as
follows.
Baptisms, San Jose Baptisms, Santa Clara
__________________ _____________________
Leuchas "Leucha" (26), "Los Leuchas" (81),
1805-1812 1805-1809
(88 per cent in (85 per cent in
1805-1806) 1805)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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