Existing comment:
Devastation:
At the time of the Gold Rush, foothill tribes were weakened by disease and armed only with primitive weapons. They were unable to stop the tidal wave of people who invaded their homeland. It is estimated that as many as 300,000 Indians lived in California before contact with Europeans and Americans. By 1860 their population had fallen to less than 30,000 people. Those who remained were treated as aliens in their own land.
California's native people suffered terrible hardships during the Gold Rush. Miners polluted streams and rivers and killed game. They trampled plants and cut down trees upon which the Indians depended Indians not only endured the loss of their land but also ongoing prejudice and discrimination. Yet they survived. The number of Native Americans in California has returned to nearly what it was at the time of the gold discovery. They continue to celebrate their heritage and teach their children history, culture, and the wise use of natural resources. |