The Customs of the Pomo Indians
- Society. The head of each family group (parents, children and dependent relatives) was a chief. Of these, one was named principal chief.
- Religion. The Pomo believed that the coyote was the great creator and that, at one time, animals possessed the power of speech.
- Basketry. Pomo baskets, made from slender willow shoots, are considered by many to be the finest in the world, and they are still being produced today.
- Women and Children. Midwives assisted women during childbirth, and the baby was washed in hot water, which was then tossed out by someone other than the father or mother.
- Marriage. A young man who wished to marry had to first ask permission of his father, who then would get consent from the girl’s parents.
- Death. Cremation was customary in the Pomo culture. The deceased was placed on a pyre, and as the body burned, all his clothing and personal items were thrown on ...
What were the religious beliefs of the Pomo?
Religious Beliefs. All the Pomo believed in a creator who made the world. Most equated this creator with Coyote, the animal and the mythological trickster. Some Eastern Pomo gave the creator a different name, separating him from the other roles of Coyote.
What are the Pomo known for?
The Pomo are a shamanistic people with a rich culture and complex customs. They are best known for their highly developed skill in the art of basketry. About 5,000 Pomo still reside in northern California today. The head of each family group (parents, children and dependent relatives) was a chief. Of these, one was named principal chief.
What kind of food did the Pomo tribe eat?
…Indian groups, such as the Pomo, Wintun, and Yurok. Their basic food was the acorn, which was ground and stored as flour. Many of the streams had salmon, and the Indians also gathered roots and berries and hunted wild fowl and deer.
What did the Pomo carry in their baskets?
Pomo children were cradled in baskets, acorns (a major food staple to the Pomo) were harvested in great conical burden baskets, and food was stored, cooked, and served in baskets—some even being watertight. There were even "baskets" that were made as boats to be pushed by men to carry women across rivers.
What did the Pomo tribe do for fun?
Many Pomo children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had more chores and less time to play, just like colonial children. But they did have toys and games. One Pomo game was the hand game.
What do the Pomo people wear?
Pomo people used tule reeds or shredded bark from redwood and willow trees to make their clothing. Only the more wealthy people had skirts or robes of deerskin. Women wore skirts that reached to their ankles. They also wore capes over their shoulders, covering the upper part of their bodies.
What is a Pomo woman?
Annie and her daughter Elsie Allen were Pomo—a Native people whose traditions dictated that women's intricately hand-crafted baskets were always buried with them or other relatives.
Does the Pomo tribe still exist?
The Pomo Indians traditionally lived in what is now northwestern California around the Clear Lake area north of San Francisco, and along the Russian River, in Lake, Mendocino, and Sonoma Counties. Today, there are about 5,000 Pomo living in several rancherias and reservations on or near the places of their origin.
What language did Pomo speak?
Northern Pomo is a critically endangered Pomoan language, spoken by the indigenous Pomo people in what is now called California. The speakers of Northern Pomo were traditionally those who lived in the northern and largest area of the Pomoan territory.
How old is the Pomo tribe?
The Pomo have lived in the hills and valleys north of present-day San Francisco for more than ten thousand years. Historians believe that early Pomo lived around the shores of Clear Lake, but a western branch split off from the rest, settling along the Russian River and near the Pacific Coast.
What crafts did the Pomo tribe make?
Featherless woven baskets of different sizes and shapes were made mostly by women for a variety of purposes: Pomo children were cradled in baskets; acorns--a major food staple--were harvested in great conical burden baskets, and wickerwork fish traps and quail traps--made by Pomo men--helped furnish other seasonal ...
Where is the Pomo tribe now?
The traditional land of the Hopland Band of Pomo Indians is located in the Sanel Valley, and the surrounding areas, of what is now southeastern Mendocino County in the state of California. This has been home to the Hopland People since the beginning of time.
What were Pomo houses made of?
Pomo along the coast of the Pacific Ocean traditionally lived in cone-shaped homes made from the wood and bark of redwood trees. The Pomo farther inland lived in larger rectangular houses built from poles, brush, and grass.
What are Pomo baskets made of?
The materials used in making these baskets are harvested each year. Swamp canes, saguaro cactuses, rye grass, black ash, willow shoots, sedge roots and redbud are all used in the weaving of these baskets. After being picked, they are dried, cleaned, split, soaked and dyed.
What did the Pomo tribe eat?
The Pomo hunted deer (venison), elk, antelope, fowl, and small game such as rabbits and quail. The hunter-gathers collected other foods including buckeye nuts, pepperwood nuts, various greens, roots, bulbs, and berries. Most foods were dried and stored for use during the winter months.
What are Pomo houses made of?
They used wooden poles to make their homes. Small poles covered with earth and sod formed the roof. The Pomo's built their homes from material from their environment.
Where did the Pomo tribe come from?
The tribe is thought to have originally descended from people who lived in the Sonoma County in California. This would have been a coastal area filled with redwoods. Around 9,000 years ago, the first people to migrate to the Clear Lake began their journey which was the start of the Pomo tribe's development.
What did the Pomo tribe do in 1851?
Hoping to end the violence taking place throughout California, in 1851 the U.S. government sent agents to discuss treaties with Native American tribes. In these treaties, California tribes, including the Pomo, agreed to give up most of their lands to the U.S. government in exchange for a total of about 7.5 million acres that would be set aside for reservations.
Where did the Pomo live?
The Pomo have lived in the hills and valleys north of present-day San Francisco for more than ten thousand years. Historians believe that early Pomo lived around the shores of Clear Lake, but a western branch split off from the rest, settling along the Russian River and near the Pacific Coast.
What happened to the Pomo slaves?
Tired of being starved, beaten, and even shot, some Pomo slaves rebelled, killed both of their tormentors, and fled into the hills. U.S. Army soldiers sent to capture those responsible for the killings came upon a peaceful group of Eastern Pomo gathered on a small island on Clear Lake.
How many Pomo languages were there?
There were originally seven Pomo languages; three remain in use in the early twenty-first century. The 1990 U.S. census reported that 112 Pomo spoke their language in the home. Pomo language education programs and a growing number of published books on the subject are keeping interest in the language alive.
How many Pomo were there in the 1800s?
In the early 1800s there were between thirteen thousand and twenty thousand Pomo. In the 1990 U.S. Census, 4,766 people identified themselves as Pomo. The 2000 census showed 5,092 Pomo, and 8,011 people claimed to have some Pomo heritage.
Where did the Kashaya Pomo live?
The Kashaya Pomo lived along the Pacific coast in present-day northwest Sonoma County. They were the only Pomo group to encounter the Russians, who established Fort Ross in 1811 on Bodega Bay.
When did the Pomo Rancherias end?
1958: The state of California terminates the status of many Native American tribes, including the Pomo rancherias.
What religion is the Pomo?
Pomo religion. The indigenous religion of the Pomo people, Native Americans from Northwestern California, centered on belief in the powerful entities of the 'Kunula', a Coyote, and ' Guksu ', a spirit healer from the south.
What did the impersonators wear?
They wore bulky, feathery headdress or a large feather tuft on their head with a yellow headband. The nose was made with feathers and painted red. The impersonators carried a staff 6 to 8 inches long with a feather tuft at top, and provided a double bone whistle. He would whistle but not speak.
How long did the Guksu ceremony last?
Guksu ceremony. The ceremony called the Guksu ceremony lasted 6 days with the above dancers appearing once a day. The 6 days included of the ceremony called 'The Scarifying Ceremony' where children ages 5 to 10 were initiated with physical and mental tests administered by the dressed up dancers.
What was customary in Pomo culture?
Cremation was customary in the Pomo culture. The deceased was placed on a pyre, and as the body burned, all his clothing and personal items were thrown on the fire. The bereaved cut their hair close to the skull. A mother mourning a child would smear the top of her head with white clay for about one year.
What did the Pomo believe?
The Pomo believed that the coyote was the great creator and that, at one time, animals possessed the power of speech. Supernatural forces wielded great power in the Pomo culture, and harsh punishment could be doled out to anyone who broke the rules. The Pomo were a shamanistic people, who believed that shamans, or high priests, possessed magical curative powers. Unique to the Pomo are a special class of shamans called “bear doctors.” According to Pomo legend, these shamans received their power directly from grizzly bears and could take their form in order to carry out surprise attacks on their enemies.
Where do the Pomo live?
For hundreds of years, the Pomo have resided in California in an area just north of San Francisco. The Pomo are a shamanistic people with a rich culture and complex customs. They are best known for their highly developed skill in the art of basketry. About 5,000 Pomo still reside in northern California today.
What are Pomo baskets made of?
Pomo baskets, made from slender willow shoots, are considered by many to be the finest in the world, and they are still being produced today. There are two types of baskets: twined, which are made by true weaving and are used for gathering and serving food, and coiled, which are often elaborately decorated with beads and feathers and are used for holding valuables and gifts.
What were the Pomo people?
Traditionally, the Pomo were a comparatively wealthy people, well supplied with food and other natural resources. Fish, waterfowl, deer, acorns, bulb plants, seeds, and other wild foods were plentiful.
What is the Pomo religion?
Traditional Pomo religion involved the Kuksu cult, a set of beliefs and practices involving private ceremonies, esoteric dances and rituals, and impersonations of spirits. There were also ceremonies for such things as ghosts, coyotes, and thunder. Pomo basket.
Where did the Pomo people live?
Pomo territory also included the adjacent coastlands and the interior highlands near Clear Lake. A small detached group lived in the Sacramento River valley surrounded by Wintun people.
What do the Pomo eat?
The Pomo Indians of Northern California, like many other Native tribes, depended on fishing, hunting, and collecting for their daily sustenance. Salmon, wild greens, gnats, mushrooms, berries, grasshoppers, rabbits, rats, and squirrels were among the foods they consumed. Acorns were the most significant food source for them.
What did the Pomo men do for a living?
Hunting and fishing were the men’s main occupations. Animals were utilized for more than just food; their skins were used for clothes and, in certain instances, to construct houses. They were typically in charge of the hard lifting, such as erecting permanent structures and sowing crops.
What exactly is Pomo cuisine?
Fish, especially salmon, is an essential dietary source. Deer (venison), elk, antelope, birds, and small game such as rabbits and quail were also hunted by the Pomo. Buckeye nuts, pepperwood nuts, different greens, roots, bulbs, and berries were among the numerous edibles gathered by the hunter-gatherers.
What route did the Pomo take?
What was Pomo transit like before automobiles? No, the Pomo people did not go by boat very frequently, and when they did, it was usually on rafts. Tule rushes were used by a few Pomo tribes to build magnificent reed boats. Of course, Pomo people and non-native people both utilize boats nowadays.
What was the Apache’s attire?
Leather or buckskin made up the majority of Apache attire. Men wore shirts and breechcloths, while ladies wore buckskin dresses. Fringes, jewels, feathers, and shells were sometimes used to embellish their clothes. They wore moccasins, which were soft leather shoes.
What was the Pomo tribe’s source of food?
The Pomo were an Indian tribe that resided along California’s northern coast and had to hunt, gather, and fish for their sustenance. Plants and berries were collected by the Pomo Indians in their region. They also hunted insects as well as tiny and big wild animals. They fished for shellfish and fish in the ocean, lakes, and rivers.
What was the Pomo tribe’s environment like?
tribe of pomo Because the Pomo people lived in California, the climate was moderate. They usually lived near rivers, so they benefited from many of the river’s advantages, such as attracting animals for easier hunting, bathing, better soil for agriculture, and drinking water.
Overview
World order
According to Pomo ceremony and tradition, the world contained six supernatural beings (or groups of spirits) who lived at the ends of the world: one in each of the four cardinal directions, plus one above in the sky, and one below in the earth:
• Guksu, also called Kuksu in different Pomo languages, was a supernatural bei…
Creation stories
Coyote ('Kunula') and Cougar set up for their sons to play a sports game. Most of Coyote's children died. The last two of Coyote's sons chased a ball into a sweathouse and were killed by the resident the Sun (a spirit being). Later through trickery and persistence Coyote retrieved the bodies of his two sons in a bag. Because he had trouble seeing in the darkness Coyote split open the bag and his son's two bodies created light and became the physical sun and the moon in the heavens.
Guksu ceremony
The ceremony called the Guksu ceremony lasted 6 days with the above dancers appearing once a day. The 6 days included of the ceremony called 'The Scarifying Ceremony' where children ages 5 to 10 were initiated with physical and mental tests administered by the dressed up dancers.
See also
• Kuksu religion
• Pomo traditional narratives
• Mount Konocti
• Frog Woman Rock
Further reading
• Barrett, S.A. A Composite Myth of the Pomo Indians.