Bay Miwok (Karkin)
The Bay Miwok (also called the Karkin), refers to a cultural and linguistic group of Miwok a Native American people in Northern California. The Bay Miwok ethnic group lived in Contra Costa County. Some of their members the Karkin were formerly identified with the Ohlone (initially the Costanoan), but turned out to be Miwok. The Carquinez Strait derives from the word Karkin.
Description
The Bay Miwok (Karkin) lived by hunting and gathering, and lived in small bands without centralized political authority. They spoke Bay Miwok also known as Saclan and/or Karkin. They were skilled at basketry. According to Miwok mythology, The Bay Miwok believed in animal and human spirits, and worshipped animals as ancestors. Coyote was seen as the their ancestor and creator god.[1]
Population: Historically, the Bay Miwok population was not mentioned or counted as Miwok apart from the Valley and Sierra Miwok in older references, while Karkin were counted as Ohlone or Costanoan. They were probably counted as part of the 9000 Plains and Sierra Miwok in the 1770s.[2]
Authentic Villages
There were five tribelets that the villages were named after, they were: Saclan, Chupcan, Volvon, Julpun, and Tatcan. [1]
History
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Notable Miwokans
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External links
- Access Genealogy: Indian Tribal records, Miwok Indian Tribe
- Native Tribes, Groups, Language Families and Dialects of California in 1770 (map after Kroeber)
Notes
References
- Anderson, Beverely J. Mini History of Contra Costa County.
- Bohakel, Charles A.. The Indians of Contra Costa County The Costanoan and Yokuts Indians.
- Emanuels, George. California Indians, An Illustrated Guide.
- Forester, Maria The Bay Miwok of Contra Costa County. Retrieved on 2006-09-16.
- Kroeber, Alfred L. Native American research and population data.
- Native American History, East Contra Costa Historical Society & Museum Web site. Retrieved on 2006-09-16.
- Tullus, Margo Diane. Diablo's Children, The History of Contra Costa County.