Existing comment:
The Nisenan:
Originally the Southern Maidu, or Nisenan, Iidnans inhabited the Coloma Valley. They lived here peacefully until 1847 where John Sutter's men built a sawmill. The discovery of gold the following year and the resulting gold rush destroyed the Indians' lives, homes, and culture. The well-worn bedrock mortar is one of the surviving relics of the Nisenan culture. Try to imagine women busily pounding acorns here, and children playing nearby. |