California Americans Essay

CALIFORNIA INDIANS

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KAROK

Location: Northwestern California (western part of Siskiyou County)

Language: Hokan family

Population:
1770 estimate: 1,500
1910 Census: 800
The word Karok (also spelled Karuk) meant upstream, a name the people used to distinguish themselves from their neighbors downstream, the Yurok. Except for their language, the customs of the Karok were very much like the Yurok, resembling the people of the northern Pacific Coast (Oregon, Washington, Vancouver Island) more than those of the rest of California.
SETTLEMENTS
There were three main clusters of towns in Karok territory, all located along the Klamath River at the mouths of Camp Creek, Salmon River, and Clear Creek. A steep peak on the east bank of
Special fishing spots were claimed by individuals, who sometimes leased them to others for a share of the catch. The men built platforms over the stream and caught the salmon with a "lifting net" lowered on a frame. These nets, as well as smaller nets used to scoop fish out of the rapids, were made of fibers from the wild iris leaves. Harpoons were also used to spear fish and eels. After the main run of salmon occurred in the spring, the fish would be dried to provide a supply of food for the year.
Deer, elk, and bear were hunted for food by setting noose snares and then using dogs to run the animals into the snares. Small rodents and birds were also caught in traps made of twigs and netting. Sometimes the meat was cooked over an open fire, or sometimes with edible plant bulbs in an oven made of earth and stones.
Acorns were the primary plant food of the Karok, who cracked and dried them to remove the tannic acid, then made a dough by mixing the ground flour with water. This dough could be made into bread, or boiled in a basket to make a mush. The Karok gathered other nuts, seeds, and roots for their meals. They got salt from the coastal Yurok people, who obtained it from
The boats had square prows and round bottoms which worked well for travel in rushing rivers that had many rocks. The swift water lifted the boat so that the square end met no resistance, and rocks could be easily avoided by a stroke of the steersman's paddle. A second paddle, made from a pole 6 to 8 feet long with a narrow heavy blade at one end, was used by a boatman who stood in the boat.
TRADE
The Karok used dentalium shells, which they called ishpuk, as money, trading strings of shells for a boat or for a wife. Dentalium shells are tube-shaped, with hollow middles so they can be strung on a string, end to end. The longer the shell, the more valuable it was. The Karok said that a man's life was worth about 15 strings, though the value of a respected man was greater than that of a bad man. The worth of a wife depended on the wealth of her family.
Deerskins were also a sign of wealth for the Karok. A man who had many fine deerskins, especially very light-colored ones, would display them proudly at dances. Red woodpecker scalps were highly prized. They were used for decorating headdresses, and as a valuable item in a