Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Population
3 Historical culture
Language
3.2
Family life
HISTORICAL CULTURE
3.4.1 Fishing
Fishing was a major source of food supply for the
Achomawi. The Sacramento sucker was described as
being of paramount importance to the Achomawi.[13]
Salmon was scarce for eastern groups, while those in
the lower Pit River found it in abundance. The salmon
was sun dried, lightly roasted or smoked, and then stored
in large bark covered baskets in slabs or in crumbled
pieces.[14]
3.3
3.4
Subsistence
3.5
Religion
The other two nets were generally used for capturing trout
and pike. The gill net, called tuwtifshi, was 40 to 60 feet
long and was weighted with stones to sink it. One end was
fasted to a tree and the other to a buoy; when a sh was
captured the buoy would move. The seine, talmmchi,
was six to feet in depth and extended across the stream
from one side to the other in calm water. Stones were
used to sink the lower edge, and buoys were used on the
upper edge. The sherman would sit in a canoe at one
bank, and a pulley was attached to the opposite shore.
When the net was tugged upon by the sh, the sherman
would haul in the oat line with the pulley to remove the
catch.[16]
[16]
Minnows were also caught for drying. They were captured with a sh trap made of willow rods and pine
root weft. Cylindrical in shape, the mouth of the trap
had splints converging inwards, which would prevent the
scape of the sh, were controlled by two weirs. A weir,
called tatpi, was placed in shallow streams to capture
trout, pike and suckers. A row of stakes were placed in
the bottom of the stream and stones, logs, stumps and dirt
was piled up against the stakes so that the water would be
dammed and have to pour over the weir and into a trap
on the other side. Another weir, the tafsifschi, was used
in a larger stream to catch allis (steelhead trout) when
they would return to sea in the fall. The tafsifschi consisted of two fence sections which extended from opposite river banks at a down-stream angle; almost meeting
mid-river. They were connected by a short section of wall
made by lashing horizontal poles close together across the
gap. This was the lowest point in the created dam, and
water would pour over carrying the sh into the basket
on the other side of the gap.[17] Salmon would be caught
by spear, seine, or in nets that hung above water falls or
dams.[14]
3.4.3 Gathering
Tule sprouts were gathered in the spring and acorns, a staple of California Natives, were obtained through trade,
due to the scarcity of oak trees in the area.[12][14] Acorns,
peanuts, pine nuts, seeds of wild oats and other grasses,
manzanita berries and other berries are prepared for either consumption, winter storage or for trade.
3.5 Religion
Adolescent boys sought guardian spirits called tinihowi
and both genders experienced puberty ceremonies.[12] A
victory dance was also held in the community, which involved the toting of a head of the enemy with women participating in the celebration. Elder men would fast to increase the run of sh and women and children would eat
out of sight of the river to encourage sh populations.[9]
Spiritual presences were identied with mountain peaks,
certain springs, and other sacred places.[19]
Achomawi shamans maintained the health of the community, serving as doctors. Shamans would focus on pains
which were physical and spiritual. These pains were believed to have been put on people by hostile shamans.
After curing the pain, the shaman would then swallow it.
Both men and women held the role of shaman. A shaman
was said to have a fetish called kaku[20] or qaqu.[21][22]
(The letter q was supposed to represent a velar spirant x,
as in Bach, in the system generally used at that time for
writing indigenous American languages.[23] The Achumawi Dictionary[24] does not have this word.) Dixon described the qaqu as a bundle of feathers which were believed to grow in rural places, rooted in the earth, and
which,when secured, dripped of blood constantly. It was
used as an oracle to locate pains in the body.[25] Quartz
crystal was also revered within the community and was
obtained
by diving into a waterfall. In the pool in the wa3.4.2 Hunting
terfall the diver would nd a spirit (like a mermaid) who
would lead the diver to a cave where the crystals grew. A
Due to the dry nature of the Achomawis land, deer
giant moth cocoon, which symbolized the heart of the
was not always abundant, hence their unique way of
world, was another fetish, and harder to obtain.[11]
hunting deer compared to other Californian Natives
Americans.[14] A deep pit would be dug along a deer trail,
covered with brush, the trail restored including adding 3.5.1 Puberty rites
deer tracks using a hoof, and all dirt and human evidence
taken away. The settlers cattle would also fall in these A girl would begin her puberty ritual by having her ears
pits, so much so that the settlers convinced the people pierced by her father or another relative. She would then
to stop this practice. The pits were most numerous near be picked up, dropped, and then hit with an old basket,
the river because the deer came down to drink and so the before running away. During this part, her father would
river is named for these trapping pits.[18] Deer hunting pray to the mountains for her. The girl would return in the
was always preceded by ritual. Rituals also existed that evening with a load of wood, another symbol of womens
did not involve the hunting process but involved the avoid- roles within the community, like the basket. She would
ance of deer meat. Adolescent girls would stu their nos- then build a re in front of her house and dance around it
trils with fragrant herbs to avoid smelling venison being throughout the night, with relatives participating; around
cooked while going through their maturity ceremony.[14] the re or inside the house. Music would accompany
Waterfowl, like ducks, were snared by a noose stretched the dance, made by a deer hoof rattle. During the ritacross streams. Rabbits would be driven into nets.[14]
ual time, she would have herbs stued up her nose to
3.6
The Achomawi used sinew-backed bows, that were noticeably atter than those used by the Yurok and other
California tribes. Body armor would be made of hard
elk or bear hide with a waistcoat of thin sticks wrapped
together.[10]
Arts
HISTORY
4.2 Canoes
The Achomawi made simple dugout canoes of pine or
cedar. Longer, thinner and less detailed than the Yurok
redwood boats and Modoc canoes, the canoes were produced simply for transportation and hunting.[10]
5 History
5.1 Early history
4.1
Basket-making
5.3
5.4
Present day
The majority of Achumawi people are enrolled in the federally recognized Pit River Tribe. The Achumawi are
one of eleven autonomous bands: Ajumawi, Atsugewi,
Atwamsini, Illmawi, Astarawi, Hammawi, Hewisedawi,
Itsatawi, Aporige, Kosealekte, and Madesi, that since
time immemorial have resided in the area known as the
100-mile (160 km) square, located in parts of Shasta,
Siskiyou, Modoc, and Lassen Counties in the State of
California.[29]
There is a Housing Authority that through Government
grants has developed community housing projects, such
as housing for low income families and elders. The Tribe
operates a Day Care center, and environmental program.
The Pit River Tribe currently operates Pit River Casino,
a Class III gaming facility located on 79 acres (320,000
m2 ) in Burney, California.
Today there are around 1,800 tribal members enrolled
in contemporary Achumawi federally recognized tribes,
that are as follows:
Alturas Indian Rancheria[28]
Big Bend Rancheria[28]
Likely Rancheria[28]
Lookout Rancheria[28]
Montgomery Creek Rancheria[28]
7 References
[1] ACHOMAWI. Four Directions Institute. 2007. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
[2] Nevin, Bruce E. (1998), Aspects of Pit River phonology
(PDF), Ph.D. Dissertation (University of Pennsylvania)
[3] Merriam, C. Hart, The Classication and Distribution of
The Pit River Indian Tribes of California. Smithsonian Institution (Publication 2874), Volume 78, Number 3, 1926
[4] Carl Waldman (September 2006). Encyclopedia of Native
American tribes. Infobase Publishing. pp. 23. ISBN
978-0-8160-6274-4. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
[5] Alfred Louis Kroeber (9 July 2006). Handbook of the Indians of California. Kessinger Publishing. p. 308. ISBN
978-1-4286-4492-2. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
[6] Mithun 1999:470-472
[7] Golla, Victor (2011). California Indian Languages. University of California Press. pp. 84111. ISBN 978-0520-26667-4.
[8] Alfred Louis Kroeber (9 July 2006). Handbook of the
Indians of California. Kessinger Publishing. pp. 310
311. ISBN 978-1-4286-4492-2. Retrieved 21 November
2011.
[9] Alfred Louis Kroeber (9 July 2006). Handbook of the Indians of California. Kessinger Publishing. p. 313. ISBN
978-1-4286-4492-2. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
[10] Alfred Louis Kroeber (9 July 2006). Handbook of the Indians of California. Kessinger Publishing. p. 310. ISBN
978-1-4286-4492-2. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
[11] Achomawi. California Native American Page. San
Francisco State University. Retrieved 20 November
2011.
[12] Carl Waldman (September 2006). Encyclopedia of Native
American tribes. Infobase Publishing. p. 2. ISBN 978-08160-6274-4. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
The following three rancherias are shared with other [13] Subsistence. Achumawi. College of the Siskiyous. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
communities:
Roaring Creek Rancheria.[28][30]
Susanville Indian Rancheria[28]
XL Ranch[28]
See also
Achumawi language
Achomawi traditional narratives
Edechewe
EXTERNAL LINKS
8 Further reading
Evans, Nancy H.,1994. Pit River, in Native America in the Twentieth Century: An Encyclopedia, ed.
Mary B. Davis (NY: Garland Pub. Co).
Garth, T. R. 1978. Atsugewi. In California, edited by Robert F. Heizer, pp. 236243.
Handbook of North American Indians, William C.
Sturtevant, general editor, vol. 8. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
Golla, Victor. California Indian Languages. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011. ISBN
978-0-520-26667-4.
Jaimes,M. Annette, 1987. The Pit River Indian
Claim Dispute in Northern California, Journal of
Ethnic Studies, 14(4): 47-74.
Knien, Fred B. 1928. Achomawi Geography.
University of California Publications in American
Archaeology and Ethnology 23:297-332.
Kroeber, A. L. 1925. Handbook of the Indians of
California. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin
No. 78. Washington, D.C.
Mithun, Marianne. 1999. The Languages of Native
North America. Cambridge University Press.
Olmsted, D.L. and Omer C. Stewart. 1978. Achumawi in Handbook of North American Indians,
vol. 8 (California), pp. 225235. William C.
Sturtevant, and Robert F. Heizer, eds. Washington,
DC: Smithsonian Institution. ISBN 0-16-0045789/0160045754.
Tiller, Veronica E. Velarde, 1996. Tillers Guide
to Indian Country (Albuquerque: BowArrow Pub.
Co.): see X-L Ranch Reservation, pp. 30809.
There is a new later edition, 2005.
9 External links
Ocial website of the Pit River Tribe
A bibliography for the Achomawi from Shasta Public Libraries
Achomawi Bibliography, from California Indian Library Collections Project
10
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