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Mojave Desert Indians -
Historic Desert Indian Territories Map:
Kawaiisu Indians
The Kawaiisu were of Shoshonean lineage who spoke the Southern Numic subgroup of the Uto-Aztecan
language. Migrating from the
Great Basin, they had made the
Tehachapi
area their home for two to
three thousand years. They were a peaceful, gentle people with a great respect for their
surroundings, living and working in small family units. Being
hunter-gatherers,
the Kawaiisu roamed their
territory
in search of food. They traveled from the valley into the mountains
and even the desert to gather supplies for everyday use and to prepare stores for the winter. Young girls
learned to gather and prepare food early in life, and the young boys started hunting for the family at
about 9 years of age. The very young would play games to sharpen their hunting skills. Dolls were made
from clay or small rodent skins with the head attached and stuffed with grass. A game of hide and seek
was also very popular.
The Kawaiisu CultureHistoryThere is evidence that Native Americans lived in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains as ...Language & HomelandThe Kawaiisu language base is of the Southern Numic division of the Uto-Aztecan ...Contact with OthersAll native groups of the region had knowledge of resources to be ...Social OrganizationThe name Kawaiisu is taken from the language of the Yokuts, ...ShelterDwellings were fifteen to twenty-five feet in diameter. Smaller structures were ...DietThe Kawaiisu were primarily a hunter/gatherer subsistence culture. Although they ...Food PreparationAlthough some greens, seeds and berries were eaten ...BasketryOn warm winter days the women sat beneath the willows at ...Tools and ImplementsTools for hunting, harvesting, building, food preparation, tanning and sewing were made from ...Clothing and AdornmentsMade from skins, pelts, bark and tule, clothing was simple and ...RecreationKawaiisu children's activities were similar to games played by ...Stories and MythsStories were, and still are, told usually by an elder in the ...Rock ArtKawaiisu rock art consists of pictographs ...Natural HistoryAlso see: |
![]() Kawaiisu territory http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/ca/ric/ric01.htm |
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