CSET Practice Test On California Indians

Major Indian Cultures in California

The Northwestern Culture Area This area extended from
California to Alaska. This is an area with a bold and
craggy coastline and dense woodlands of towering coast
redwoods. Rainfall here is far greater than elsewhere in
the state. In this area. a family's social status was
determined by its possession of objects such as woodpecker
scalps, large obsidian blades, white deerskins, or strips
of the tubular mollusk shells known as dentalia.
Leadership in this area rested upon the richest men, who
surrounded themselves with their relatives. Tribes in this
area include: Yurok, Hupa, and Shasta.

The Northeastern Culture Area Desolate areas where food
was often scarce and the people had to spend a large
portion of their time hunting small game and gathering
seeds and roots. Much of this area was only thinly
settled. Tribes include: Achumawi and Atsugewi.

The Central Culture Area Along the central coast and
throughout the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys the
climate was mild, and plant and animal life was abundant.
Tribal dress and housing reflected the mild climate. In
basketry the people of this area exceeded all others in
skill and accomplishment. Tribes in this area include:
Yokuts, Miwok, Maidu, and Pomo.

The Great Basin This area includes most of the lands along
the eastern border of the state. This area is at the
western end of a much larger culture area that extends
across Nevada and Utah. Food and water are scarce in much
of this area. The tribes in this area had to move
frequently in search of such food as desert rats and
rabbits. Tribes include: Tubatulabal and the Owens Valley
Paiute.

The Colorado River Culture Area The Indians in this area
supplemented their hunting and gathering activities with
agriculture. They grew corn, beans, and pumpkins in the
fertile flood plains along the river. The tribes in this
area traded extensively with many tribes, some even as far
away as the San Joaquin Valley. Tribes in this area
include: the Quechan (Yuma), Halchidhoma, and Mohave.

The Southern Culture Area Some of the most populous tribes
in California were located in this area. Villages along
the southern coast, sustained by sea life, contained as
many as two thousand residents each. Tribes in this area
include: Kumeyaay (Diegueno), Cahuilla, Tongva
(Gabrielino), and Chumash.