Also known as Costanoans, the Ohlone people traditionally inhabited the Northern California Coast, from San Francisco Bay through Monterey to the lower Salinas Valley.
It is believed that, prior to the arrival of Europeans, the Ohlone were divided into more than fifty distinct groups, each with their own territories, and they did not view themselves as a unified group. They spoke a variety of related languages within the Utian family of languages. Before the Gold Rush, the Northern California region was one of the most heavily populated regions north of Mexico.
Prior to the area's colonization by Europeans, the Ohlone lived in fixed villages of as many as 500, the average being 200. They moved temporarily to gather seasonal foods, such as acorns and berries. The Ohlone inhabited regions from the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California to the northern portion of Big Sur, and from the Pacific Ocean east to the Diablo Range.
Ohlone villagers traded with one another, and interacted through intermarriage, ceremonial events, and sometimes conflict.
In some Ohlone villages, people lived in dome-shaped homes constructed with woven or bundled mats of tules. In villages where redwood trees were available, they made conical houses from redwood bark attached to a frame of wood. Generally, Ohlone men didn't wear clothing in warm weather. When temperatures were cool, they would wear capes made of animal skins or feathers, while women generally wore deerskin aprons, tule skirts, or skirts made from shredded bark.
After the Spanish established missions in their area, Ohlone people were coerced to convert to Catholicism, and those who chose to leave the mission communities were forced to return. Spanish culture undermined Oholone social structures and negatively impacted their way of life. While some Ohlone villages had little contact with the Spanish, those that did were often referred to as Mission Indians and were blended with other Native ethnicities.
There were 81,000 recorded baptisms and 60,000 deaths from smallpox, measles, diphtheria, and other causes, such as the inability to acclimate to severe changes in diet and lifestyle.
When the Mexican government assumed control of the area, the Ohlone were supposed to receive land grants and property rights. In reality, most of the mission lands went to secular administrators or Mexican-owned rancherias.
Heavy losses came to the Ohlone people between 1780 and 1850, due to high infant mortality, diseases, and murder. California's first governor, Peter Hardeman Burnett, advocated for the extermination of California Indian tribes. During this period, the Ohlone were reduced to less than ten percent of their pre-colonial populations. By the early 1880s, only a fraction of their population remained.
Eight regional or linguistic subgroups of the Ohlone were recorded as follows: Karkin, Chochenyo, Ramaytush, Tamyen, Awaswas, Mutsun, Rumsien, and Chalon. These are mostly derived from local tribe names and are more representative than earlier designations based on the names of Spanish missions.
In 1925, the Hearst Museum of Anthropology declared the tribe extinct, leading to the loss of federal recognition and land rights.
In recent decades, however, descendants of the Ohlone people have come together to reorganize. The Mutson, the Lisjan Oholone, the Tamien Nation, the Ramaytush Oholone, and the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe are among the surviving groups of Ohlone today.
Ohlone tribes petitioning for federal recognition include the Tamien Nation, the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, the Amah Mutsun Band of Ohlone/Costanoan Indians, the Ohlone/Costanoan Esselen Nation, the Costanoan Band of Carmel Mission Indians, the Costanoan Ohlone Rumsen-Mutsen Tribe, the Costanoan-Rumsen Carmel Tribe, and the Indian Canyon Mutsun Band of Costanoan, Mutsun Indians, Chalon.
Estimations on the number of people claiming to be descendants of the Ohlone people range from 7,000 to 26,000.
This portion of our online guide focuses on the Ohlone people. Online resources for Ohlone tribes, recognized or not, as well as other Ohlone organizations, businesses, enterprises, schools, health facilities, museums, and events, are appropriate for this category.
Recommended Resources
The unrecognized Ohlone tribe has about six hundred enrolled members, from various surviving lineages, most descending from the Native people baptized at Mission San Juan Bautista. The tribe's history, governance, and culture are outlined on the website, which also introduces the Humunya Foundation, which was developed to support the activities and needs of the tribe, as well as its Land Trust, preserving the tribe's traditional homelands, which are listed on a map.
https://amahmutsun.org/
Founded by Ohlone chefs as a pop-up cafe, and as a semi-permanent cafe in 2022, Cafe Ohlone is in Berkeley, California, where it features a seasonal menu of California Indian cuisine, and believed to be the only Ohlone restaurant in the world. General information about the Ohlone people is provided, along with the cafe's culinary offerings, a profile of the restaurant, its location, an overview of its food, an introduction to its founders, schedules, and reservation policies.
https://www.makamham.com/
The Ohlone tribe, headquartered in Pomona, California, does not have state or federal recognition. The tribal address, map, telephone and fax numbers, office hours, museum hours, and email address are published on the site. Tribal projects, initiatives, and activities are reported, along with a calendar of events, a digital museum, language classes, a youth council, youth programming, and land stewardship programs. Volunteer and partnership opportunities are featured.
https://www.costanoanrumsen.org/
Indian Canyon Nation / Costanoan Indian Research
CIR is a non-profit organization situated in the land of the Indian Canyon Chualar Tribe of the Costanoan-Ohlone People in Hollister, California, also known as the Indian Canyon Mutsun Band of Costanoan-Ohlone People or the Indian Canyon Nation. CIR is owned by the ICN and serves as its non-profit and administrative arm. The site includes solicitations for support via Patreon or direct donations to Costanoan Indian Research. The mission statement and history of the organization are set forth.
https://www.costanoan.org/
The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe is the largest of several San Francisco Bay groups that identify as Ohlone. Although not recognized by the state or federal government, they are the descendants of the Verona Band of Alameda County. The website includes a tribal history, reports on current initiatives and projects, notices of upcoming events, a photo gallery, and contact data. Other resources include announcements, genealogy information, and enrollment policies.
https://www.muwekma.org/
Ohlone Costanoan Esselen Nation
With about five hundred enrolled members, the Ohlone Costanoan Esselen Nation is not currently recognized by state or federal governments, although from 1906 to 1908, it was recognized as the Monterey Band of Monterey County. The tribe's profile is set forth, OCEN ancestors and military veterans are acknowledged, and its traditional language, such as vowels, standard greetings, and stresses, is briefly outlined. Photographs from annual gatherings from 2006 to 2012 are included.
http://www.ohlonecostanoanesselennation.org/
Rumsen Ohlone Tribal Community
Members of the Rumsen Ohlone Tribal Community are lineal descendants of Rumsen Ohlone people indigenous to the lower Carmel River Valley, Monterey, and the neighboring coastline to the Point Lobos area. Its five affiliated ancestral villages were Achista, Tucutnut, Ishxenta, Echilat, and Shokronta. The site specifies family lineages and includes ancestral and contemporary stories, poetry, educational resources, and notices of regular or upcoming tribal events.
https://www.rumsenohlone.com/
Founded in 2012, the urban land trust is designed to return traditionally Chochenyo and Karkin lands in the San Francisco Bay Area to indigenous stewardship. The Ohlone people have lived in what is now known as the Bay Area since 4000 BCE, disrupted in the 18th century and beyond by Spanish soldiers and missionaries, the Mexican occupation, and Californian genocide campaigns. Its programs, rematriation work, engagement opportunities, and creative collaborations are featured.
https://sogoreate-landtrust.org/
The Tamien people are one of eight linguistic divisions of the Ohlone (Costanoan) American Indian people. Traditionally inhabiting the Santa Clara Valley, its name comes from the Ohlone name for the first Mission Santa Clara (Mission Santa Clara de Tamine) on the Guadalupe River. Although the tribe is not recognized by the federal government, it operates as a tribe and a sovereign nation. Tribal programs and services are set forth, along with volunteer opportunities, events, and contacts.
https://www.tamien.org/
