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The Miwok tribes were located in valleys of central California and near the Sierra Nevada. They would strictly hunt and gather. The animals they hunted varied from deer and elk, to rabbits and ducks. Simply because of the availability to nearby waterways, fishing was also an important food source. [6]

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The Miwok tribes, located in the valleys of Central California, were people who possessed extraordinary knowledge of the resources that were available to them. They passed this knowledge from generation to generation, all resources were used with care and thanksgiving so they would continue to be available. While the Miwok lived in California, they were colonized on three separate occasions. The first time the Miwok were colonized was from 1579 to the 1820’s. They were colonized by the Spanish who were led by Sir Francis Duke. The second to colonize the Miwok were the Mexicans the Spanish had colonized, the Mexicans overthrew the Spanish in the 1820’s. The third time the Miwok were colonized was during the 1850’s. They were colonized by Americans who moved to California for the Gold Rush Epidemic.

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Language

The Miwok speak the Moquelumnan language. This language is a part of the Penuntian indigenous language family and has 7 distinct dialectics.[12] The most predominant dialect as of 2020 is the Sierra Miwok dialectic. However, others include the plains, Sacalan, coastal, lake, and western dialects. [11]

Religion

Historically, Miwoks practice the Kuksu religion. Similar to other indigenous religions, it has animistic philosophy. Many of the central beliefs involve respecting the land, thanking animal spirits for giving their life to feed them, and to be grateful for the gifts of the Earth. Mythology points to Coyote as the creator and ancestor to all humans. However, the details of how Coyote created life vary widely by source, with some speculation that there is no explanation at all.[13]

Social norms

Similar to many west coast tribes, the Miwoks are very patriarchal. However, unlike many European cultures, they did not believe women were inferior. [9] Tribes were led by a male chief, often the eldest son of the preceding chief. However, this position slowly became more accessible to women. Tribal politics, marriages, and debates were often handled by these leaders.[10]

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In 1848, John Sutter discovered gold after the workers in his sawmill failed to dig deep enough, causing the water to get backed up [2]. The sawmill was on 50,000 acres of land near Sacramento: Nisenan land [2]. Many native men and women were working for Sutter where he paid them with pieces of tin that could later be redeemed at his store [2]. Sutter tried to keep his discovery a secret but soon many migrated west in search of gold [2].This caused the population to double with a majority being single men [2]. The native population decreased to 30,000 while also only having a 10 percent survival rate [2]. Gold among the natives had little value before the rush but they soon started collecting gold after realizing its trade value [5]. The Miwok and other tribes had known for centuries where to find gold [5]. As seen in the figure above, a Miwok woman is seen mining for gold with her breasts exposed [5]. This was common for women to do since they were on “evil-minded land” [5]. The women were in charge of washing the gold on the stream, while the men dug and the children brought baskets of the dug up mud to the women [5]. Many Miwok had their own mines but they were later forced to work for white miners [5]. Native women were also subjected to molestation from Sutter and other mine owners [1]. 80 percent of California’s native population was eventually wiped out from disease, displacement, and genocide as a result of the gold rush [1].

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The northern Miwok live in Rancherias in Northern California. These are patches of land that were bought solely for the tribe [4]. There are also Miwok living amongst native communities [4]. They have mostly integrated into modern American life. They speak English, whereas in the past, they spoke native Miwok [4]. Many elders speak the language and there are young people in the tribe currently learning the language [4]. The Miwok tribe have established communities in the rancherias, with many having their own churches, community centers, libraries, and tribal centers [3].

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Arts

The two largest art forms among miwok tribes are basket weaving and tattooing. [8][14] Distinctive facial tattoos, usually consisting of white lines, were placed onto the lower face using kū'ya root ash and flint rod.[14] Baskets were most frequently weaved with Salix plants, sometimes  stained with charcoal or clay for color. [8]

Food

Their diet primarily consisted of seeds or acorns ground into meals. When weather permitted, fish, deer, elk, and small mammals were also consumed. The miwoks are famously known for the hundreds of small holes they would dig into mountains to use as a mortar or bowl.[7]

Clothing

Miwoks most frequently wore dresses or kilts woven from grass or willow bark without shoes. However, in colder months, fur robes and moccasins would be crafted from the hides of deer or elk. Women often decorated their clothing with quills, beads and tassels. During ceremonies, flicker quill headphones which cover the forehead are worn.[7] Additionally, black or white horizontal lines would be tattooed across the face. Nose and ear decorations, similar to piercings, were also frequently worn.[14]