California Indians engaged in widespread resistance to Spanish colonization…
Colonization and Governance
The Spanish plan for governance and maintenance of the missions in California was supposed to be carried out over a ten year period…….
SANFRANCISCO-DE SOLANO Cultural Impacts
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The Spanish attempted to force Indians to assimilate into Spanish culture and give up their traditional way of life. Indians were forced to change their religious beliefs, diet, and daily routines, though many Indians resisted. Missionaries required Indians to study Christianity, Spanish language, and Spanish customs in order to assimilate into Spanish life. California Indians were forbidden from speaking in their native languages, practicing traditional religious ceremonies, and eating traditional foods. Sugar and milk was introduced to the diet of Indians working the missions, leading to tooth decay, life threatening infections, diabetes and other health issues. Within two years of living in the missions, many Indians lost all of their teeth.
Native Life
Mission San Rafael Arcangel was built in the ancestral territory of the Coast Miwok and near the homelands of the Wappo and Pomo Tribes……..