Tribes+of+Central+Valley+of+California

=Maidu=

The clothing worn by the Maidu were bear or deer skin for types of dresses for women and skirt-like shorts for the men. These Native Americans used every part of the animals they had caught.

The main food the Maidu found in Central Valley was granaries, rabbits, elk, deer, acorn mush, corn, and olf. In order to catch the elk and other animals, the Maidu different " tools to catch these animals. Some of the tools'' used spears that were differently used; from throwing them at pumpkins for target practice and then, hunting for the meal they

//__Transportation__//
The Maidu would travel by canoe made from dried reeds from and by foot.

__//Shelter//__
Wooden frames with bark with brush and dirt were the building mateirel of the Maidu. The Maidu would build their houses about forty cm. under the ground.

__//Culture//__
__Trading:__ The Maidu used to trade salmon, salt, wild tabacco, sugar pine nuts,nuts of the digger pines, beads, berries, and furs. Trading between tribes was a way to get what they want during the winter when the food is scarce. Sometimes, the Maidu would string money if they were desprite. __Religion__: __Marriage__:In the hills, little money was passed. The young man indirectly declared his suit by repeatedly visiting the girl's home and pointedly engaging in conversation on indifferent topics with her father. Having given due notice in this way, he went hunting or fishing, regularly bringing his catch to the girl's home, without however, uttering a formal declaration. Acceptance of gifts encouraged him to continue. After he had sufficiently shown his capacity and good will, he visited once more. A seperate bed was now provided for him and the bride, apparently without any words having yet been spoken on the matter, and the couple was considered married. __Musical Instruments__: The Maidu used all three central Californian forms of the rattle. The shaman's instrument was of Attacus cocoons containing gravel. The split-stick rattle went with dances, especally of the Kuksu organization. The deer-hoved rattle was particulary associated with girl's adsolescence ceremony, as is the case in the greater part of California. __Hunting__: While hunting, the Maidu would put on deer skin that had had no guts inside it. They would climb inside it and approuch the stag which was big and muscule bound. Of course, they had to take very careful aim or the stag would realize the Maidu were " a wolf in sheep's clothing.'' __Use of Land__: __Games__: __Language__: __Money__: The common currency was the Pomo disk bead, transmitted by the Wintun, and perhaps coming from the south also. The beads from the west often were traded unsmoothed, so that the Maidu performed much of their own money polishing, but the clamshells came to them broken and strung, not as wholly raw material. Baked magnesite cylinder beads also came from the west, but completely finished and very precious. Haliotis was another __Wars & Battles__: These Native Americans mostly have problems with trespassers. If hunters trespass on their neighbor's land, it could begin a war. Sometimes, several triblets, banded together to go to war with an enemy tribe that had trespassed their land.It was a chief who decided whether to go to battle, or to workout a peaceful solution. If a village decided to go to war, it's the chief led his warriors to the appointed place of the battle. Attacks usually were led at dawn, with smoke signals and fires used as a warning of the battle to come. On the chosen battleground, men would stand with the sides of their bodies facing the enimy line. Warriors dodge arrows, spears, sticks, and rocks shot at them from sling shots. __Political Organization:__ The political organization of the Maidu was such that a group owned certain territory in common, acted largely as a unit, but actually resided in settlements. The area claimed by each village community was definitely known and sometimes marked. There is no trace of any system of social or political classification other than the village communities, nor of any fictitious or esoteric kinships groups.

Back to Main Page of Tribes of California

__Culture__
The Yokuts have many dance ceremonies that are held outside. Brush fences surround the dance area. Eagle feathers from baby eagles are important to the ceremonies.

__Food__
The San Joaquin valley also provided a variety of food for the Yokuts. Fishing was done all through the year, especially by northern valley tribes. Lake trout, perch, chubs, suckers, salmon, and steelhead were caught in lakes and rivers. Waterfowl, such as geese, ducks, rabbits,squirrels, turtles, and mud hens were caught in snares in tule marshes.

__Shelter__
Larger wooden poles into a tall and long rectangular framework. Large rectangular mats were woven out of tules, and these lashed to the sides of the framework to create a wall within the structure. Individual family spaces were created with other tule mats and these included separate doors and fireplaces. The side of this longhouseswas provided with a sun shade and most domestic activities.

__Transportation__
The only transportation was walking, running, and canoeing.

__Clothing__
Yokuts wore many pieces of clothing. Yokut women wore a skirt in two pieces. The skirts were made of tule reeds, marsh grasses, and rabbit skins. Men wore a piece of deer skin around their hips. Both rabbit skins and mud hen skins were used to make robes.

__Economy__
Here are some of the things that they traded. The Yokuts got seashells from the people who lived on the coast, and made them into money. They had called it keha. Pieces of clamshell were shaped into small circles and holes were punched in the middle. After that, they were strung on strings. Cylinders of clamshells called humma were valude even more. Northern valley Yokuts also traded with the Costanoans for mussels and abalone shells, and with the Miwoks for baskets, bows, and arrows.

media type="youtube" key="qjiaXmsRdUM" height="352" width="433"

Back to Main Page of Tribes of California