THE TRIBES OF CALIFORNIA The long winter night chilled the village near the California coast In the assembly house families gathered around a community fire An elderly man spoke He began sharing familiar tales His audience listened for hours They heard many of their favorite traditional stories After the elderly man was finished the listeners gave him gifts These storytelling traditions were hundreds of years old They would continue for hundreds more years extending into the present day The people of the California Native Nations are keeping traditional ceremonies and stories alive today
California's diverse landscapes include deserts mountains and lush forests Long before European settlers ever came to the area Native tribes had established more than 200 independent nations near California's mountains deserts and shores The landscapes plants and animals differ widely between these areas These differences have helped shape the cultures of the tribes Many members of California's Native Nations still live in these areas today
MAKING HOMES IN CALIFORNIA Thousands of years ago tribes in Northwest California such as the Hupa Natinixwe and Shasta created settlements near rivers and lagoons They traveled by either foot or canoe Northeast California was home to nations such as the Atsugewi and Modoc This area was rich in salmon acorn and deer Northern tribes also gathered obsidian to trade with other communities
