The California Culture tribes lived where there was plenty of food and the land would grow almost anything they planted. There was much rainfall to help plants grow. These native peoples were able to easily find food. They were able to find most of their needs where they lived. Some of the tribes were the Chumash, Pomo, and Salinan. They lived from the Oregon border to the border of Baha California, Mexico. The Sierra Nevada Mountains bordered them on the east. These tribes spoke as many as 100 different languages.
Homes (Shelters)
The native California people had large villages of up to 2,000 people. They arranged their homes in groups. Each home was made round using bent willow tree limbs that were covered in native grasses. Like many of the other Native American homes, these had a hole in the center to let out smoke from their fires. The hole also let in sunlight. In each home, beds were made with a divider between each one so people could have some privacy. Animal skins were used both as a blanket and as a mattress.
Food
California Culture peoples were able to hunt for animals and gather nuts, seeds, roots, tubers (like potatoes), and bulbs. The hunted for deer, birds, rabbits, bear, and other animals that lived in their area. Fish was one of their main meats and they learned to be good fishermen. They also hunted for sea lions, seals, and whales in the oceans.
The kind of seed from an oak tree is called an acorn. The California people harvested the acorns in the fall. This was usually done by women, but the children would help shake them out of the trees. The acorns were dried and then shelled. The women would pound them into a flour. Hot water was poured through them to get out the an acid (The acid could be used to tan hides.). Hot rocks were put in the basket that held the flour and water. The water was poured out and the flour dried. This flour kept the California Culture people very healthy.
Insects were also eaten. Caterpillars and grubs were removed from plants, boiled, salted, and eaten. Grasshoppers were collected, roasted, and eaten.
The only crop that scientists found that the California Culture people grew was tobacco for smoking.
Tools
California Culture tribes were all basket makers. The Pomos were known as the best basket makers of all the tribes. Their baskets were very large and quite thin. The baskets were often decorated with all kinds of things. The basket makers wove hats, boats, cooking pots and also baby carriers.
The men made stone tools which were used for hunting. Arrowheads and knives were chipped from stones. They used bows and arrows for hunting as well as spears. Other tools were made from bone or wood.
Clothing
The warm climate in California allowed the people to wear little clothing. Men often wore animal skin or bark breechcloths. Women would wear animal skins that had fringes on the bottoms and sleeves. They also wore bark aprons in the front and back. On their heads, they wore basket-type hats, a kind of hair net made of iris fiber, headbands decorated with feathers, or crown like feather headdresses. On their feet, they wore leather moccasins or yucca plant woven sandals. Many people just went barefooted. Jewelry made of shells was worn by both men and women. The people also could have tattoos on their bodies.
In cold weather they wore animal skin clothes made of rabbit skin, sea-otter fur, or even feathers.
Beliefs
The California Culture tribes believed that the world was full of magical beings that they could not see. One of these beings was a trickster named Coyote. He would play tricks on them. They believed that they had guardian spirits that were met only in their dreams. Each tribe had a Medicine Man (Shaman) who they believed could heal illnesses, scare away bad spirits, and give them medicines.