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What is the California Culture Like? The California Culture tribes lived where there was plenty of food a The native California people had
large villages of up to 2,000 people. They arranged their homes in
groups. Each home was
Food
Back to Top The kind of seed
from an oak tree is called an acorn. The California
The only crop that scientists found that the California Culture people grew was tobacco for smoking.
Tools
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In cold weather
they wore animal skin clothes made of rabbit skin, sea-otter fur, or even
feathers. Page constructed by B. Jones - Technology Instructor Specialist with the Bellevue, Nebraska Public Schools (BA and MS in Elementary Education and Curriculum and Instruction) Updated: 10/25/2005 01:35:02 PM
Some of this information came from Bryn Mawr College's
website:
http://www.brynmawr.edu/anthropology/nnac/california.html. |
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the land would grow almost anything they planted. There was much
rainfall to help plants grow. These native peoples were able to
easily find food. They were able to find most
of their needs where they lived. Some of the tribes were the Chumash,
Pomo,
and Salinan. They lived from the Oregon border to the border of Baha
California, Mexico. The Sierra Nevada Mountains bordered them on the
east. These tribes spoke as many as 100 different
languages.
made
round using bent willow tree limbs that were covered in native grasses.
Like many of the other Native American homes, these had a hole in the
center to let out smoke from their fires. The hole also let in
sunlight. In each home, beds were made with a divider between each
one so people could have some privacy. Animal skins were used both
as a blanket and as a mattress.
nuts,
seeds, roots, tubers (like potatoes), and bulbs. The hunted for deer,
birds, rabbits, bear, and other animals that lived in their area.
Fish was one of their main meats and they learned to be good fishermen.
They also hunted for sea lions, seals, and whales in the oceans.
people harvested the acorns in the fall. This was usually done by
women, but the children would help shake them out of the trees. The
acorns were dried and then shelled. The women would pound them into
a flour. Hot water was poured through them to get out the an acid
(The acid could be used to tan hides.). Hot rocks were put in the basket
that held the flour and water. The water was poured out and the
flour dried. This flour kept the California Culture people very
healthy. 
Insects were also eaten. Caterpillars and grubs were removed from
plants, boiled, salted, and eaten. Grasshoppers were collected, roasted,
and eaten.
known as the best basket makers of all the tribes. Their baskets were
very large and quite thin. The baskets were often decorated with all
kinds of things. The basket makers wove hats,
boats, cooking pots and also baby carriers.
The men made stone tools which were used for hunting. Arrowheads and
knives were chipped from stones. They used bows and arrows for
hunting as well as spears. Other tools were made from bone or wood.
would
wear animal skins that had fringes on the bottoms and sleeves. They
also wore bark aprons in the front and back. On their heads, they
wore basket-type hats, a kind of hair net made of iris fiber, headbands
decorated with feathers, or crown like feather headdresses. On their
feet, they wore leather moccasins or yucca plant woven sandals. Many
people just went barefooted.
Jewelry made of shells was worn by both men and women. The people
also could have tattoos on their bodies.