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Indian Vaqueros in Alta California

By Damian Bacich

Vaqueros were the most important workers in the mission and rancho eras. And some of the first vaqueros were Native American. Learn more about these unique figures on the California frontier. What Does “Vaquero” Mean? The word vaquero is usually translated as “cowboy” in English, and literally means “someone in charge of cows.” It also […]

Filed Under: Daily Lives, Mexican Rule, Native Americans, Spanish Missions Tagged With: horses, Ranchos, soldados, Vaqueros

Indian Life at Mission San Gabriel Arcángel

By Damian Bacich

What was daily life like for Native Americans at Mission San Gabriel Arcángel? What did they eat? What jobs did they do? An introduction to life at Alta California’s 4th Spanish Mission. Who Founded Mission San Gabriel? Mission San Gabriel Arcángel was the 4th mission established in Alta California. The mission was founded on September […]

Filed Under: California Indians, Daily Lives, Native Americans, Spanish Missions Tagged With: Gabrielino, Interrogatorio, Mission San Gabriel, Pedro Benito Cambón, Somera, Tongva

Missions and Misconceptions: Interview with Marie Christine Duggan (Part 1)

By Damian Bacich

The story of the Spanish missions in California isn’t always what it seems. By delving into Mexico’s National Archives, Dr. Marie Christine Duggan uncovered facts that provide a unique inside view of mission life. From murder trials to Indian militias, we talk about some of the lesser-known aspects of California mission history. Marie Christine Duggan […]

Filed Under: California Indians, Daily Lives, Franciscans, Native Americans, Podcast Episodes, Soldiers and Presidios, Spanish Missions Tagged With: Blacksmiths, Chumash, Militias, Vaqueros

Adopted by Indians: A True Story (Review)

By Damian Bacich

Author: Thomas Jefferson Mayfield Editor: Malcolm Margolin Illustrators: Hilair Chism, Rick Jones Paperback: 144 pages Publisher and Year: Heyday Books, 1997 As we perused the gift shop of a local history museum, I noticed my son was reading one of the books. Of course, if my children find a book about history that interests them, I pay […]

Filed Under: Books, California Indians, Daily Lives Tagged With: Bay Area, California Indians (Standard 1), Choinumne, Daily Lives (Standard 5), Native Americans, Primary Sources

Life at a California Mission: A Native American Perspective

By Damian Bacich

In the 1830’s, a young man named Pablo Tac wrote about his experiences growing up at Mission San Luis Rey. It is one of the only firsthand accounts written by a Native American who lived at a mission.

Filed Under: 4th Grade, California Indians, Daily Lives, Indians featured, Native Americans, Primary Sources, Resources Tagged With: Agapito Amamix, Antonio Peyri, California Indians (Standard 1), Daily Lives (Standard 5), Luiseño, Native Americans, Pablo Tac, Pala, Primary Sources, San Diego

Grit and Grace on the Golden Gate: The Unforgettable Juana Briones

By Damian Bacich

Juana Briones lived in Spanish, Mexican and U.S. California and she left her mark on all three. Now she is receiving the attention she deserves.

Filed Under: Californios, Daily Lives, European Settlements, Hispanic Heritage, Resources, Soldiers and Presidios, Spanish Exploration and Colonization Tagged With: Juana Briones, women

The Castro Adobe: A Californio Landmark Restored

By Damian Bacich

The Castro Adobe: A Californio Landmark Restored

If you want to see a precious California landmark in the process of being saved for future generations, mark your calendar to visit the Joaquín Castro Adobe near Watsonville.

Filed Under: Californios, Daily Lives, Field Trips Tagged With: Adobes, Californios, Castro Adobe, Santa Cruz County, Watsonville

Settlers on the California Frontier (Part 2): The Californios

By Damian Bacich

What type of culture developed among settlers in Alta California? What did they call themselves? How did they live under Mexico and Spain? And how did they respond to American rule?

Filed Under: Californios, Daily Lives, European Settlements, Mexican Rule, Mexican War for Independence, Spanish Exploration and Colonization Tagged With: Californios, Daily Lives (Standard 5), U.S.-Mexico War

Settlers on the California Frontier (Part 1)

By Damian Bacich

Who settled California? What was their life like? What were the first towns?

Filed Under: Californios, Daily Lives, European Settlements, Spanish Exploration and Colonization Tagged With: Anza, Branciforte, Californios, Daily lives, Frontier, Hijar-Padrés, King Carlos III, Los Angeles, Pueblos, San Francisco

Indian Life at the California Missions — Santa Inés

By Damian Bacich

How did native people live at Mission Santa Inés? What was daily life like? What languages did they speak? What foods did they eat? How did they dress?

Filed Under: California Indians, Daily Lives, Primary Sources, Spanish Missions Tagged With: California Indians (Standard 1), Chumash, Daily Lives (Standard 5), Mission Santa Inés, Santa Inés, Santa Ynez

Indian Life at the California Missions — San Carlos Borromeo

By Damian Bacich

How did native people live at Mission San Carlos Borromeo? What languages did they speak? What foods did they eat? How did they dress?

Filed Under: California Indians, Daily Lives Tagged With: Mission San Carlos Borromeo, Native Americans, Primary Sources

Podcast Episode 002 — “You Have to Carry This On”: What it Means to Be a Californio

By Damian Bacich

What it Means to be a Californio

In this episode, I speak with Greg Bernal-Mendoza Smestad, a direct descendant of the families who settled Alta California over 200 years ago.  Greg talks to us about their journey, the character of those people who risked their lives to come to come north, and the legacy they passed on.

Filed Under: Daily Lives, European Settlements, Podcast Episodes, Spanish Exploration and Colonization Tagged With: Anza, Bay Area, Californios, genealogy, living history, National Park Service, San José

Native American Life at the California Missions: An Overview

By Damian Bacich

Indian Life at the California Missions

How did native people live at the Spanish missions in Alta California? What were their jobs? What did they eat? An in-depth look at Native American life in the California missions.

Filed Under: 4th Grade, California Indians, Daily Lives, Indians featured, Spanish Missions Tagged With: California Indians (Standard 1), Daily Lives (Standard 5), Native American Jobs

Mission Leveled by Quake, Tsunami Seen off Central Coast

By Damian Bacich

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

Tsunamis are a fact of life in seismic California, as mission history reminds us. Dr. Dan Krieger is Professor Emeritus of History at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and a leading expert on the California missions. He relates the story of  a tsunami that occurred off California’s central coast while Father Luis Gil y Taboada was stationed at […]

Filed Under: Daily Lives, Franciscans, Spanish Missions Tagged With: Mission La Purisima

Indian Life at the California Missions – San Miguel Arcangel

By Damian Bacich

One of the things people often ask about is what life was like on the California missions, especially Indian life. Some of the most important accounts of California Indian life at the missions come from the Interrogatorio (Questionnaire) that the Spanish Government sent to the priests of the California Missions in 1813.

Filed Under: California Indians, Daily Lives Tagged With: California Indians (Standard 1), Daily Lives (Standard 5), featured, Mission San Miguel, Primary Sources

I’m Dr. Damian Bacich, and I started the California Frontier Project. Learn more about me and the project here.

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