Native Ohlone
The Ohlone
Central California, from Point Sur to the San Francisco Bay, was home to the densest population of Indians north of Mexico.
The term Ohlone, which is commonly used today to refer to the Native Americans of this region, is actually a modern English word.
The Ohlone, as we refer to them, consisted of approximately 10,000 people belonging to about 40 separate tribelets living in multi-site villages. Each tribelet had its own territory, its own language and customs which, while often resembling those of neighboring groups, were distinct.
The Ohlone People
The Ohlone, a modern name not used by the Indian tribes, were the last wave of Native American immigrants to occupy this valley before the European invasion.
Hunger-gatherers who lived off the bounty of the land, the Ohlone lived in small multi-site villages which often numbered less than 300 people and which were usually between 10-20 miles apart. By this time Indian populations in California had established complex trade routes across the west, bringing items into the valley that were not normally found here. Examples include obsidian from the Napa area and trade beads from the southern tribes where missions were first established.
Native American Presence in the Valley
Native Americans have a long and lasting presence in the Amador-Livermore Valley. The earliest prehistoric presence dates to approximately 3370 BCE while the last community located at the Alisal Rancheria near Highway 680 and modern Happy Road, disbanded in 1911.
Prehistoric inhabitants were hunter-gatherers, living off the natural resources available in both the uplands and the wetlands of the valley. Large game animals included bear and elk while the marshes provided abundant fish and fowl. Acorns, berries, and small grass seeds would also have been a part of the Indian diet.
Central California, from Point Sur to the San Francisco Bay, was home to the densest population of Indians north of Mexico.
The term Ohlone, which is commonly used today to refer to the Native Americans of this region, is actually a modern English word.
The Ohlone, as we refer to them, consisted of approximately 10,000 people belonging to about 40 separate tribelets living in multi-site villages. Each tribelet had its own territory, its own language and customs which, while often resembling those of neighboring groups, were distinct.
The Ohlone People
The Ohlone, a modern name not used by the Indian tribes, were the last wave of Native American immigrants to occupy this valley before the European invasion.
Hunger-gatherers who lived off the bounty of the land, the Ohlone lived in small multi-site villages which often numbered less than 300 people and which were usually between 10-20 miles apart. By this time Indian populations in California had established complex trade routes across the west, bringing items into the valley that were not normally found here. Examples include obsidian from the Napa area and trade beads from the southern tribes where missions were first established.
Native American Presence in the Valley
Native Americans have a long and lasting presence in the Amador-Livermore Valley. The earliest prehistoric presence dates to approximately 3370 BCE while the last community located at the Alisal Rancheria near Highway 680 and modern Happy Road, disbanded in 1911.
Prehistoric inhabitants were hunter-gatherers, living off the natural resources available in both the uplands and the wetlands of the valley. Large game animals included bear and elk while the marshes provided abundant fish and fowl. Acorns, berries, and small grass seeds would also have been a part of the Indian diet.