HISTORY and Social Science
California History
Bering-Strait---ans-✔✔Many-people-believe-this-was-once-a-land-bridge-connecting-
Russia-and-Alaska;-the-first-Americans-used-this-to-settle-in-North-America
California-Indians---ans-✔✔Spoke-a-great-diversity-of-dialects.-Largest-concentration-of-
Indians-in-North-America.-Similar-physical-traits-and-features.-Primarily-hunter/gatherer-
societies.-Subsistence-was-based-almost-exclusively-on-availble-resources.
When-did-the-earliest-peoples-arrive-in-California?---ans-✔✔About-15,000-years-ago
Why-were-California's-indigenous-people-isolated-from-the-cultures-that-developed-on-the-
Great-Plains?---ans-✔✔Rugged-topography:
.-mountains
.-deserts
Were-California's-indigenous-people-isolated-from-the-cultures-in-Mexico?---ans-✔✔Yes.-
It's-the-topography-thing-again.
Travel-by-foot-within-a-region-was-easy-or-difficult?---ans-✔✔Difficult--topography
Why-did-California-have-a-patchwork-of-isolated-and-distinct-tribal-groupings?---ans-
✔✔Regional-relations-between-groups-were-limited-b/c-travel-was-difficult
The-geologic-period-during-which-people-crossed-the-Bering-Strait-land-bridge-into-North-
America?---ans-✔✔Late-Pleistocene-or-Early-Ice-Age-20,000-to-30,000-years-ago
Is-there-controversy-about-when-people-arrived-in-California?---ans-✔✔Yes.-Evidence-
from-the-archaeological-site-at-Calico-could-push-the-date-to-50,000.
California-Indian-Language---ans-✔✔Diverse-set-of-dialects-Remember-the-were-isolated-
by-the-topography
, Were-there-a-large-number-of-California-Indians-or-a-small-number?---ans-✔✔Large-
number:
.-Estimated:-150,000---300,000
How-did-the-California-Indian-dwellings-vary-with-location-&-climate?---ans-✔✔North:-
frame-&-plank
Southern-desert:-brush-shelters
Coast:-earthen-mounds
Relative-to-the-Plains-Indians,-were-the-California-Indians-warlike?---ans-✔✔No.
Were-the-weapons-of-the-California-Indians-very-sophisticated?---ans-✔✔No.-bow-and-
arrow,-obsidian-points-hunting-blades,-spears,-harpoons,-clubs,-and-throwing-sticks
What-did-the-California-Indians-eat?---ans-✔✔Acorns
.-Oak-trees-were-plentiful
Acorn-Preparation---ans-✔✔.-dry-
.-store
.-crack
.-leach-
before-eating
Transportation-reflected-geographic-factors.-What-2-kinds-of-boats-were-used?---ans-
✔✔South:-balsa-&-raft-type-boats
North:-plank-canoes
Shared-heritage:
How-was-lineage-traced?---ans-✔✔Paternal-side
Shared-heritage:
What-was-smoked-in-ceremonies?---ans-✔✔jimsonweed-Native-tobacco
Shared-heritage:
Were-sweathouses-used-by-men-only-or-both-men-and-women?---ans-✔✔Men-only
Shared-heritage:
Religions-involved:
.-myths-.-creation-stories
annnnd---ans-✔✔*-Shamanism
*-Influence-of-nature
Shaman---ans-✔✔The-single-person-who-takes-on-the-roles-of-priest,-counselor,-and-
physician-and-acts-as-a-conduit-to-the-supernatural-world-in-a-shamanist-culture.