When you walk out these doors, after this presentation, you will be in indian country. No matter where you go in this hemisphere, you will be in indian country. Why . Because virtually every square inch of the americans is the ancestral homeland of the american of the indian people. This ceremony continued until just before dawn, illuminated by central fire, celebrants moved in ancient rhythm. The rhythms clamshell necklaces the womens clamshell necklaces clicking gently against their heavy shell dresses. Male dancers and hunters supported their females in the heavy regalia. Meanwhile, seniors raised their voices skyward in this songs of the ancient feather. Between songs, the singers offered prayers of thanks with the creation of renewal of the world. Finally, the celebrants stopped and walked away under a full moon. Nearby they passed through small, round doorways into redwood plank houses with gently sloping roofs. Outside lake earl lapped gently at the shore. Inside, people slept next to kith and kin. The celebrants unaware that the men had established their own branch of californias expanding killing machine. Crescent citys coast rangers and mountain rangers had been well armed by california governor john bigler. In january of 1854, california state quartermaster general had sent the climate county judge 20 muskets, 10 rifles, and 1000 rifle cartridges. By november the coast rangers had 35 rifles, 3000 bullets, 2000 rifle ball cartridges and four sabres. Heavily armed militiamen now prepared to do one thing and one thing only, kill indigenous california. In the predawn hours of december 31, 1854, as many as 100 and 16 militiamen accompanied i an by unknown number of axillary auxiliaries quietly surrounded the village and took up concealed positions in the brush. At daybreak, men, women and children emerged to begin their day. The militiamen and vigilantes opened fire on men, women and children. They shot them down as fast as they could reload. Possessing only three guns, the indian people were unable to resist. A few plunged into lake earl. Two became targets while they slam across the lake, they encountered a second group of killers, sharpshooters lying in wait. When the firing stopped, perhaps hundreds were dead. Not more than five indian people survived this massacre. The attackers apparently suffered, but a single casualty in the state of california later and the state of california later paid these militiamen for their socalled work. Between the years of 1846 and 1870, Californias Indian population plunged from 50,000 from perhaps 150,000 people to 30,000 people. Diseases and starvation were important causes of these many deaths. However objection, unfree labor, mass deaths on federal reservation, individual homicide, battles and massacres also took thousands of lives and hindered reproduction. This was the case of genocide. In the year 1948, United NationsGenocide Convention decide defined genocide as acts committed with intention a national technical, racial or national, ethical ethnical, racial or religious group as such. Causing serious bodily, or mental harm to the group. Elaborately inflicting on the Group Conditions of life calculated to bring a part their physical destruction in a whole or in part. Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group, and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. The convention thus provides a clear, international recognize internationally recognized rubric for evaluating instances of genocide, including historical cases not subject to legal jurisdiction. First, perpetrators must have intent to destroy. Second, they must commit at least one of the five genocidal acts against the national , ethnical, racial, or religious group. Following the formulation of this new international treaty, scholars began reexamining the colonization of california by the United States. By the year 2000, more than 20 scholars had deemed california a case of genocide. Still relatively little has been written about the genocide, at least compared to other genocides in world history. Building on previous scholarship, an american genocide is the first year by year comprehensive recounting of the genocide that took place against the california indians under u. S. Rule. This topic calls for meticulous analysis because the stakes are high for scholars, california indians and all citizens of the United States. If some u. S. Citizens founded regions of california, if not the state of a whole, under deliberate attempts to annihilate california indian people, scholars will need to reevaluate and address new questions. Scholars could for example reexamine the assumption that in direct effect of colonization, like diseases, rather than deliberate actions, like mass murders mass murders were the leading cause of deaths between native californians and newcomers. Exceptional list interpretations of United States history lose of validity as researchers compare genocide in california to other genocide around the world. A careful study of the genocide that took place here, will also assist scholars in reexamining the larger hemispheric native American Population catastrophe. Where scholars document the genocide, it will be necessary to evaluate what roles, local governments and private individuals played, and whether or not the killings were part of a larger recurring regional pattern. Larger questions been then necessarily follow. What tended to catalyze genocide . Who ordered and carried out the killing . Why do we not know more about these events . The test did democracy drive the process of mass murder . The genocide play a role in modern canada, mexico, United States or other western hemisphere nations . Given its political, economical, at and health ramifications, it is urgent for californias onehitter 50,000 california indian people. 150,000 california indian people. Should they prepped for control of land were genocidal events took place . Will genocidal tribes marshall in cases involving tribal sovereignty and federal recognition . How should they commemorate victims of mass murder, while also emphasizing successful accommodations, resistance, survival and ongoing cultural renewal . The psychological issues are also fraud. What happened if a tribal member are also fraught. Learns that he or she is the descendent of both perpetrators and victims . How might california indian people reconcile increased knowledge of the genocide that took place here, sometimes at the hands of agents of the federal government where there are often with their often intense patriotism. What role might acknowledge genocide have on trauma, something that is so prevalent in many california indian communities today. And that traumas connection to present day physical illnesses, substance abuse, domestic violence, and suicide. The question of genocide in california under United States rule also poses explosive questions for all u. S. Citizens. Should government officials tender public apologies . As president S Ronald Reagan and george h. W. Bush did in the 1980s for the forcible relocation comment and internment of some 100 20,000 120,000 japaneseamerican, many of them california citizens during the second world war. Should federal officials offer monetary compensation along the lines of the more than 1. 6 billion dollars that Congress Paid out to 82,210 of these japanese americans and their heirs . Might california officials decrease their cut of california indians seven point 3 billion in annual gaming revenue as a way of paying reparations . A better understanding of genocide here in california might also impact the federal governments dealings with the scores of california indians communities currently seeking federal recognition. The question of commemoration is closely linked. Will nonindian people tolerate, or support the public commemoration of mass murders committed by some of the states forefathers with the same kind of monuments, museums and state legislative days of remembrance that today commemorates the Armenian Genocide and holocaust . Will genocide against california indians joined these mass murders in Public Discourse . These questions are important but can only be addressed in very limited ways. Without a copper has an understanding of relations between california indians and newcomers between 1846 and 1873. Sporadic mass killings in california punctuated the initial years of u. S. Rule here. James marshalls 1848 gold strike precipitated a local strike. Oregon men played a leading role in increasing violence against california indian people. They rarely had connection to californias Hispanic Society and economy in which Indigenous People played an important role. Many of the new comers from oregon sought california indians as a dangerous and pediment to impediment to the acquisition of wealth. In 1849, oregonians attack on in 1849, oregonian attacks on california indians increased in both frequency and lethality. Particularly in the clans where the northern mines were already one 1849er explains oregon people had been used to shooting indians and they shot them freely. Theodore johnson entered the epicenter of this local genocide setters malware marshall first found his gun gold. In the central mines, johnson and others recounted multiple massacres, scalping and slayings of surrendered california indians. Due to spotty primary source coverage, we will never know the exact numbers of california indian people murdered by whites in and around the mines and the early 1850s. It is probable that hundreds, if not thousands suffered violent deaths. What was clear to contemporary observers was the exterminate ory nature of such killings, both in their intent and in their impact. The slaying of two anglo ranchers near clearlake in december 1849 mark the turning point for the larger statewide genocide. In response to this double henna double homicide, vigilantes and Army Soldiers killed as many as 1000 army people, or more between december 1849 and may 1850. Vigilantes first murdered and massacred large numbers of Indigenous People in the napa and sonoma valley. After authorities arrested some of these vigilantes, californias Supreme Court let them go on bail. It was in fact our states very first Supreme Court case. Meanwhile, the United States army also sought to avenge the death of these two white ranchers. In an article titled horrible slaughter of indians one wrote of a massacre on clearlake using information provided by an army captain. They poured in fire indiscriminately upon men, women and children. Informant,said the as grass before the sweep of the e. De scyth little or no resistance was encountered and the work of witchery was of short duration. Neither age nor sex was spared. It was the order of extermination fearfully obeyed. Hundreds died in this atrocity. Other killings followed and the officers involved were promoted. A new actor was at work large scale extended vigilante and u. S. Army killing campaigns tolerated by both state and federal authorities. As the gold rush continues, immigrants surged into california. Before the gold rush, there were perhaps 13 or 14,000 nonindian people in california. 1860 census people counted over 360,000. They came primarily in search of wealth, but in seeking to access gold, eat, dress, acquire labor and satisfy their sexual desires, immigrants placed immense pressure on california indian communities. It triggered an explosion of ranching, hunting, mining and perhaps most distractedly, destructively, slave raiding. These activities generated shockwaves that had a devastating impact upon california indians. Californias new leaders a magnified that impact. During a period of martial law, u. S. Army officers made indians into secondclass officers with secondclass subjects with few rights. Californias 1869 constitution made it nearly impossible for california indians to vote. In 1850, californias legislator First Legislature banned indians from voting and then board indians from giving evidence for and against whites in criminal cases and banned them from serving as jurors. They barred them from serving as attorneys. In combination, these laws shut indians out of participation in, and protection by the states legal system. Inuction played a major role Californias Indian population decline. In 1850, legislators passed the infamous act for the government and protection of indians, which legalized the white custody of indian miners, and indian prisoner leasing, while courts and jurors could summarily reject indian testimony. Indians could thus be forced into unpaid work on trumped up charges. Here we see an ad. I will read it to you and guess you cant see it a 16yearold Southern California indian female at the price of a pound of gunpowder and a bottle of brandy. In 1860, legislators expanded the 1850 act to legalized indenture of any indian or indians, whether children are or grown persons, including prisoners of war. These laws triggered a boom in violent kidnapping of indians, while separating men and women during peak reproductive years, both of which accelerated the california population decline in indians. Some were treated as disposable laborers. One los angeles lawyer recalls that los angeles had its slave market, and thousands of honest, useful people were absolutely destroyed in this way. Indeed, between 1850 and 1870, las indian population fell from 3693 to just 219. Escape was one way that california indian people defied servitude. Whites sometimes responded with lethal force. For example lucy young, pictured , here, escaped servitude multiple times recollected young women had been stolen by white men, come back shot through liver and life. She tied up with cotton. Never die neither. Others were less fortunate. After one california indian said fled her lord and master with her indian boy, whites massacred a village of indians. Two years later, a rancher became so incensed after his indian servant visited his family half a mile away that he slaughtered the whole family of six persons, boy and all. State policymakers failed to intervene, while almost all law officials turned a blind eye. Congress, meanwhile, made california indians particularly vulnerable to immigration. Federal agents signed 18 treaties, with 119 california indian communities, obligating them 700,488,000 acres of the state. U. S. Senators in washington, d. C. , reputed these treaties. In 1853, congress authorized five military reservations, not to exceed 25,000 acres each, and conferred no legal recognition or land title on california indian nations. The results were 44 old the results were fourfold. First, reservations were not patented, and jurisdiction over indian reservation land was left uncertain. Second, california indians did not become explicit wards of the federal government. Third, because jurisdiction remained uncertain, confusion and conflict between and among state and federal authorities prevailed. Finally, United StatesArmy Major Generals 1857 interpretation of california reservations legal status denied them protection. And i quote until these are effected, they United States has no right to prevent whites from entering the reserves, or even from takinghem indians, squaws and children. Federal officials thus made california indian people particularly vulnerable to kidnapping, slavery, assault, and mass murder. The establishment of the state militia system now marked the rise of killing machines. Between 1850 and 1861, 3414 militiamen enrolled in 24 separate volunteer state militia expeditions, killing at least 1342 california indians. However, the impact extended beyond these numbers. This was a widely publicized state endorsement of indian killing. This created a grant of public impunity for indian killing, and inspiring many more vigilante killings. In january 1851, californias governor declared a war of extermination will continue to be waged until the indian race becomes extinct. Soon thereafter, state legislators put the power of the purse behind antiindian militia campaigns. In february, state legislators voted to borrow 500,000 a great deal of money at that time for past and future antiindian militia operations. Meanwhile, the state began building up an arsenal of arms donated by the United States army. Then, in may of 1852, following a spate of lethal anticalifornia indian militia operations, the state passed a 600,000 bond measure to support additional operation, even as vigilante killings of california indians multiplied. What we see here is a copy of one of the bonds issued, and the bond certificates have all been detached. This was a remunerative investment, and it was guaranteed by the state of california. For some california indian leaders, the pattern of discriminatory attacks was all too clear. After attacks in 1854, one indian leader announced we have lived here in peace, but we cannot get along with these white people. They come and they kill my people for nothing. Not only my men, but they kill our wives and children. He concluded they will hunt us down like we hunt the deer and the antelope. Sally bell provided a rare california indian eyewitness account of a massacre that took place during the 1850s. Bell remembered about 10 00 in the morning, some white man white men came. They killed my grandfather and my grandmother. I saw them do it. They killed my baby sister and cut her heart out and threw it in the brush, where i ran and hid. My sister was a baby. Just going around. Just rolling around. I did not know what to do. I was so scared, i guess i just had their along time with my Little Sisters heart in my hands. It was a terrifying time to be a california indian. The United States congress now endorsed such killings. In 1854, the United States congress allocated over 924,000 to reimburse california for past militia campaigns and a new surge of militia and vigilante killings followed, even as state leaders perfected the killing machine. A state quartermaster and adjutant general wrote a book of tactics, and distributed it to his militia officers, who became increasingly efficient indian kill