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The Coast Miwok: People of the Northern California Coast (Part 2)

By Damian Bacich

Read Part 1 here. First Encounters with Europeans Early Explorations The Coast Miwok people’s encounters with Europeans date back to the sixteenth century. In 1579, the English privateer Francis Drake made landfall along the northern California coast. There, he probably met Coast Miwok people. Portuguese explorer Sebastião Rodrigues Soromenho — also known as Sebastián Rodríguez […]

Filed Under: Native American Life Tagged With: California Indians (Standard 1), Coast Miwok, Native Americans, Sonoma

The Coast Miwok: People of the Northern California Coast (Part 1)

By Damian Bacich

The Coast Miwok are indigenous people of the area north of San Francisco Bay. Coast Miwok Territory The name “Coast Miwok” refers to the Native American communities who lived along the California coast north of the San Francisco Bay, in what is today Marin and parts of Sonoma Counties. The terrain of that area is […]

Filed Under: Native American Life Tagged With: Coast Miwok, Native Americans, Sonoma

Mission San Rafael Arcángel: The Hospital That Became a Mission

By Damian Bacich

Originally built as a hospital outpost for Mission Dolores, Mission San Rafael Arcángel grew to become a successful mission in its own right. Nearby China Camp State Park offers a complementary glimpse into California’s unique history.  

Filed Under: Missions Tagged With: Chief Marin, China Camp, Coast Miwok, Gen. Mariano G. Vallejo, Juan Amorós, Luis Gil y Taboada, Mission San Francisco de Asís, Mission San Rafael

Fr. José Altimira and Mission San Francisco Solano

By Damian Bacich

California's Last Mission

Fr. José Altimira was a Spanish Franciscan priest who founded Mission San Francisco Solano, the last — and most controversial —  of the Alta California missions.

Filed Under: Missions, Podcast Tagged With: Coast Miwok, Fr. José Altimira, Mission San Francisco Solano, Sonoma, Wappo

Native Americans in the Rancho Era: Roberto-Suñol and Olompali

By Damian Bacich

In 19th-century California, some Indians sought to recover their native lands by requesting grants from the Mexican government. The Roberto-Suñol Adobe and Olompali State Historic Park commemorate two men who did just that.

Filed Under: Mexican California Tagged With: Adobes, Bay Area, California history, California Indians (Standard 1), Coast Miwok, living history, Miwok, Native Americans, Ohlone, Rancho Era, San José, State Park

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