Did YOU know? Part 2

This is the second of a three part series on the native Coastal Miwok Indians.

Did YOU know?

This image was retrieved from the Bel Aire School in Tiburon.  Their website highlights the culture of the Coastal Miwok.  These are examples of beautiful baskets the Miwoks made for holding acorns, seeds and roots which women in the tribe would gather for communal meals.  The water tight baskets were often made with tule reeds with quail head feathers on the rim and some contained abalone shells from decoration.

Archeologists continue to discover Miwok treasures in the San Francisco Bay Area which help to further our understanding of the peoples who preceded us.  A team of graduate students from University of California, Berkeley found three shell mounds on their excavation expedition at China Camp State Park in 2008.  Compared to over two hundred that Nels C. Nelson, a Berkeley alumni, discovered from his archaeological digs between 1906-1908.  By retracing Nelson’s steps, the Berkeley graduates are continuously shaping a better picture of the culture and landscape that aided the Miwok’s sustainability and existence to this day.

                It is also important to note that the students are in full disclosure of their excavation findings with the California Department of Parks and Recreation as well as with the descendents of the Coastal Miwok and Southern Pomo tribes represented by the Federated Indians of Graton Racheria.  The continuity between the three is essential as preservation of the park is important and respecting the Miwoks by releasing artifacts that have ceremonial value.  In 1992, a new Miwok chief was elected and his story shed light on how his Miwok past and European upbringing bridged the gap between western civilization and his native roots.

By Collections Intern, Sarah Jochumson