Wintun
The Wintun are a Native American group originally from Northern California, known for their patrilineal social structure where family served as the core economic and political unit. They traditionally lived in riverine villages and constructed subterranean lodges, relying on a mixed diet that included hunting large mammals, fishing, and gathering various wild plants such as seeds and acorns. The Wintun first encountered European Americans in 1826, which marked the beginning of significant challenges for their communities, including disease outbreaks and violent conflicts fueled by the Gold Rush in the mid-19th century. Tragically, these events led to substantial population declines and forced relocations to reservations, such as the Mendocino Reservation in 1859. By the 1870s, the Wintun adopted the Earth Lodge religion as a part of their cultural resilience. In contemporary times, the Wintun are represented by several tribal groups, with a combined membership of 3,866 reported in the 2010 Census. While some groups, such as the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, maintain distinct identities, others continue to navigate the complexities of modern tribal affiliation. Overall, the Wintun's history reflects the broader struggles of Native American communities in the face of colonization and ongoing cultural preservation.
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Wintun
Category: Tribe
Culture area: California
Language group: Wintun (Penutian)
Primary location: Trinity River, northwestern California
Population size: 3,866 (2010 U.S. Census)
For the patrilineal Wintun, the family was the basic economic and sociopolitical unit. One of the Native American cultures of California, they lived in riverine villages with subterranean lodges. They hunted all large land mammals as well as trapping birds, rodents, and insects. Fishing was an important source of food, in addition to seeds and acorns. Numerous plants, roots, and tubers were dug and stored for winter.
The Wintuns’ first contact with European Americans occurred in 1826, as recorded by Jedediah Smith and Peter Ogden. From 1830 to 1833, trapper-introduced malaria reduced the Wintun population by approximately 75 percent. The discovery of gold exacerbated White-Indian tensions, resulting in violent incidents, particularly a “friendship feast” given by local Whites who poisoned the food and killed a hundred Wintun. Violence against the Indians continued in the form of arson and massacres. In 1859, approximately one hundred Wintun were sent to the Mendocino Reservation. Throughout the 1860s, the Wintun were hunted down, captured, and sent to reservations. By 1871, they had adopted the Earth Lodge religion. In the twentieth century, the construction of various dams further dispersed the Wintun, with the Clear Creek Reservation being removed from trust status.
According to the 2010 United States Census, 3,866 people reported that they were members of the Wintun tribal grouping. Individual populations of Wintun groups in the 2017-2021 American Community Survey included—the Cachil Dehe Band of Wintun Indians of the Colusa Rancheria, population 52; the Cortina Indian Rancheria of Wintun Indians, population 15; and the Rumsey Indian Rancheria of Wintun Indians, known since 2009 as the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, population 10. These population totals include individuals who reported multiple tribe, or tribal grouping affiliations and those who reported being American Indian and Alaska Native alone or with any combination of other races.
Bibliography
“Government.” Colusa Indian Community, www.colusa-nsn.gov/government/. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.
“History.” Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, www.yochadehe.org/heritage/history. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.
Knudston, Peter M. The Wintun Indians of California and Their Neighbors. Naturegraph Publishers, 2003.
Lowery, Linda. Native Peoples of California. N.p.: Lerner, 2017. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 7 Sept. 2016.
Sleeper-Smith, Susan. Why You Can’t Teach United States History without American Indians. U of North Carolina P, 2015. ebook PUBLIC Library Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 8 Sept. 2016.
"2010 Census CPH-T-6. American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes in the United States and Puerto Rico: 2010." US Census Bureau, 8 Oct. 2021, www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/cph-series/cph-t/cph-t-6.html. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.
"2010 Census—Tribal Tract Reference Maps." United States Census Bureau, Geography Division, 19 Aug. 2011, www.census.gov/geographies/reference-maps/2010/geo/2010-census-tribal-tract.html. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.