J O S H UA L I G G E TT R O N A L D E . M C N A I R S C H O L A R

 P R O J E C T A DV I S O R

C H A R L E S E TT N E R , P H . D. 

D E PA R T M E N T O F A N T H R O P O L O G Y

Understanding the Tangled WebInteraction of Indigenous Peoples and Missionaries at Mission Nuestra Senora de la Soledad

SIMPLY:

AN ANALYSIS OF MISSION RECORDS

The Project

The Project:• This research is aimed at providing

a more vivid understanding of the many peoples who lived and died at Mission Soledad. Particularly, understandings of interactions At Contact

• The main goal of this line of research is to elucidate the various patterns found in the data of those persons of Esselen and Chalon ancestry, who were the primary groups housed at Mission Soledad.

• Involves examination of various mission records of Mission Soledad, to include baptismal and marriage records

• Note: there are no extant death records from Mission Soledad.

• Comprised of the Catholic Missions of the South Coast region, extending as far north as Chowchilla, south as far as Visalia and east as far as Fresno and Clovis, even into the foot hills near modern-day Coarsegold.

1792

1797

1812?

1840

MissionNuestra Senora de la

Soledad

Background• Nuestra Senora de la

Soledad, or Mission Soledad, was founded in 1791 and one of twenty-one Franciscan missions established in what was formerly known as “Alta California”.

• Recent work has been done on the inclusive region north to San Francisco Bay area, and south to San Jose. The principle investigator, Dr. Randall Milliken, identified the impact of the California Mission system. Particularly, Milliken identified how the tribes were brought into the mission system. On another note, Milliken also analyzed the various effects on the tribes or tribelets in question.

• This particular line of research, similar in kind, to the work of Milliken, takes up the study where he left off.

The Mission Records

The Mission Records

TRIBES – TRIBELETS – TRIBAL AREAS

Various Origins

Tribelets• Tribe: Arroyo Seco

• Tribelet: Rancheria de Arroyo Seco

• Tribal Area/Region:As Shown to the Right

• As put forth by Randal Milliken, Ph.D. in his article on Priest Valley (2006)

• In the loose regional community, clusters of family groups shared numerous short-term villages within extensive named territories. The territorial boundaries of such regions were vague, and the constituent villages lacked centralized leadership.

• Precise areas such as tribelet and village locations

• Vague, harder-to-define areas like communities, groups, and homelands

Pomo Tribelets

Esselen Territory

Baptismal TotalsAbove: The Aspasniajan Village of Pino

Middle: Conversion of Paiiu Village

Below: Village totals for Arroyo Seco Region, Graph of Village Totals

# of Converts Standard Origin Village Time Period First BapID

66 Ymmunajan Cuchúnu, rch. De, Cuchunu

4/30/1792 - 3/12/1806 SO0026

14 Ymmunajan Ymmuniajan, Ymmuiajan

5/26/1792 - 9/6/1799 SO0033

4 YmmunajanJappaymusnu, Japaimusnu, rch., Japaymoxno, rch.

6/17/1792 - 9/29/1794 SO0040

2 Ymmunajan Guayaguayasno, rch., Guayauyayas

6/17/1792 - 7/22/1797 SO0042

1 Ymmunajan - 6/17/1792 SO00431 Ymmunajan - 7/17/1792 SO0084

27 Ymmunajan Arroyo Seco * .. En, Arroyo Seco

8/14/1793 - 8/6/1805 SO0393

1 Ymmunajan Agualzo 7/14/1798 SO04231 Ymmunajan Playa, natural de 4/2/1802 SO08311 Ymmunajan Sierra 4/25/1807 SO1303

# of Converts Standard Origin Village Time Period First BapID

95 Aspasniajan Pino, Ranch. Del Pino

11/23/1791 – 8/6/1805 13 years, 11 months, 22 days

SO0001

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 100

100

1807

# of Converts Standard Origin Village Time Period First BapID

32 Piiau Piau, Piáu rumbo Chalon, … 7/15/1792 SO0071

792 1793

Mission Soledad Baptisms, 1770 - 1775

12/27/1770 1/17/1773 3/2/1773 6/1/1773 9/8/1773 2/1/1774 9/2/1774 3/8/1775 7/2/1775 7/25/1775 9/10/1775

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

1770 - 1773

1774 – 4/1775

5/1775 – 12/1775

Baptismal Totals

…AT A GLANCE

Marriage Records

A Sample of Marriage Records

Marriage # Date Husbands Origin Wife's Origin Husband's BapID Wife's BapID

SO0002 5/3/1792 Chatlon Macalachopos SO0140 SO0392

SO0014 12/1/1792 Chatlon Pinonay SO0140 SO0363

SO0081 8/6/1797 Chalon, R.a Junutca, R.a SO0362 SO0262

SO0084 9/11/1797 Chalon, R. Eslat, R. SO0029 SO0039

SO0097 8/24/1798 Arroyo Seco Chalon SO0019 SO0020

SO0104 12/16/1798 Chalon, rumbo de Pino SO0653 SO0662

SO0147 5/17/1800 Chalon, rumbo de Chalon, rumbo de SO0678 SO0681

SO0150 6/21/1800 Chalon, rumbo de Chalon, rumbo de SO0677 SO0680

SO0151 6/21/1800 Chalon, rumbo de Chalon, rumbo de SO0174 SO0153

SO0205 6/13/1802 Pino Arroyo Seco SO1663 SO1921

SO0529 2/11/1821 Chalon Tular SO0170 SO1604

SO0578 10/24/1822 Pitcatse Pitcatse SO0230 SO0336

Cantua CreekListed in Mission Records as “frente de San Benito”

Esselen GroupsStrong documentation

A Look at

N

While the goal of this line of research is to elucidate the patterns by which Native Americans were sought out by the forces of conversion coming from the missions of California, it is important to note that beyond the data, the numbers and the records are the lives of real people who lived, loved, and died.

While the missions brought certain boons to Alta California, disease and destruction of culture also entered the world of Native California due to the mission system

THERE ARE MANY MORE MISSIONS TO BEYONDMISSION NUESTRA SENORA DE LA SOLEDAD

THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY WILL LAY THE GROUND WORK FOR THE VARIOUS MISSIONS TO FOLLOW

THIS PRESENTATION IS THE FIRST REPORT ON A LINE OF RESEARCH THAT WILL EXTEND THROUGHOUT THE

REMAINING MISSIONS OF CALIFORNIA

The End…?

Questions