California’s temperate weather and beautiful landscapes have made the state prime real estate for humans for more than 10,000 years. When European settlers first set eyes on the Golden State, about 300,000, or 13 percent, of this country’s indigenous population lived here. Today, California remains the state with the largest Native American population in the nation, with more than 600,000 people identifying as indigenous, and 110 federally recognized tribes and 81 tribes awaiting recognition.
Modern museums of indigenous people tell more than the tragic past of what happened after settlers arrived: They highlight the vibrant contemporary cultures’ resilience and modern contributions, rendering a more complete, accurate and respectful understanding of Native lives.
The list below is just a sample of the many places you can visit to learn more about California’s first inhabitants.
Santa Ynez Chumash Museum
3500 Numancia St., Santa Ynez
(844) 427-3558
The newest California museum to focus on indigenous history and culture, the Santa Ynez Chumash Museum opened last year in Santa Barbara County. The facility tells the story of the Chumash people, who lived in villages between San Luis Obispo and Malibu, including on the Channel Islands.
It focuses mostly on the local Samala, who are the only federally recognized Chumash Band in the country. Before getting their reservation in 1901, the Samala were indentured servants to Mission Santa Ines for 30 years, until Mexico broke up the Mission system in 1834.
Malki Museum
11-795 Malki Rd., Banning
(951) 849-7289
Founded in 1964 on the Morongo Band of Mission Indians Reservation in Banning, the Malki Museum is the first museum built in California by Native Americans on reservation land.
Its exhibits focus on the Western Cahuilla people who lived on or near the San Gorgonio Pass in Riverside County, as well as on other tribes, including the Serrano, who moved to the area, and still live on the reservation. The reservation was founded in 1865 as the Malki Reservation, then changed its name to Morongo in 1876.
Barona Museum
1095 Barona Rd., Lakeside
(619) 443-7003 ext. 219
Opened in 2000 on the Barona Indian Reservation, the museum covers the history and culture of the Kumeyaay people, who lived in San Diego County and northern Baja California.
In 1875, the U.S. government moved two bands of Kumeyaay, Los Conejos and Capitan, to the Capitan Grande Reservation in eastern San Diego County. In 1932, the local government evicted them all to build the El Capitan Reservoir. The Capitan Band then bought the Barona Ranch, which became their reservation, and renamed themselves the Barona Tribe.
Karuk People’s Center & Museum
64236 Second Ave., Happy Camp
(530) 493-1600 Ext. 2201
Opened in 2002 in Happy Camp, a small town in Siskiyou County not far from the Oregon border, the museum covers the history and culture of the Karuk people. The Karuk Tribe is one of the biggest in California.
Before European settlers arrived, they lived in villages along the Klamath River in not just the northernmost part of California, but also Southern Oregon. Unlike other indigenous groups, the Karuk were not confined to a reservation, but instead were spread out over different tracts of land held in trust by the U.S. government. Happy Camp is their tribal seat.
Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Cultural Center
2300 West Line St., Bishop
(760) 873-8844
Dedicated in Bishop in 1981, the center covers the history and culture of the Nuumu (also known as the Paiute) and the Newe (also known as Shoshone) People. Both groups lived in the Great Basin, which includes half a dozen Western states and Mexico’s Baja California.
In California, they lived in several places, including the Owens Valley, Death Valley, and Mono Lake. Recently, the center’s operations were taken over by the Bishop Paiute Tribe, who live on the biggest reservation in the area.
For more information, go to https://www.indian-affairs.org/tmdmaparchive.html.