Mattole
The Mattole people are an Indigenous group historically located along the Mattole River near Cape Mendocino in California. Their language, Mattole, belongs to the Athapaskan language family. The Mattole economy was primarily based on fishing, hunting, and gathering, with salmon, acorns, and various seeds being staples. Cultural practices included the distinctive tradition of tattooing among men, who often adorned their foreheads. The arrival of European Americans in the mid-19th century led to significant upheaval for the Mattole, resulting in armed conflicts, the imposition of a reservation system, and the introduction of disease that drastically reduced their population.
By 1853, the Mattole were placed on the Mendocino Reservation, where their traditional practices were undermined by settlers' land management methods. In contemporary times, the Mattole, along with the Wiyot, are recognized as part of the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria, which became a federally recognized tribe in 1983. Despite this recognition, the Bear River Band has not received compensation for historical injustices. Today, the tribe focuses on providing essential services to its members, including housing, education, and healthcare, while working to preserve their cultural heritage.
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Mattole
Category: Tribe
Culture area: California
Language group: Athapaskan
Primary location:Around the Mattole and Bear Rivers in Humboldt County, California
Population size:600 (2021 Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria)
The Mattole people occupied an area along the Mattole River by Cape Mendocino, California. Where possible, villages were on one of these rivers. Their language, Mattole, was part of the Athapaskan language family. The Mattole’s main food was salmon, acorns, and other nuts and seeds, supplemented by hunting, trapping, fishing, and gathering numerous roots and tubers. Anadromous fish were important for winter food and trade. Mattole men were known for having tattoos on their foreheads.
By 1853, these groups had interacted with European Americans. They were assigned to the Mendocino Reservation in Mendocino County. Armed conflict continued between the natives and settlers, lumbermen, miners, and government agents, which, along with introduced disease, reduced the Indigenous populations. This conflict was exacerbated by the settlers’ forbidding the American Indians to practice controlled burning and by a general misuse of the land and resources by non-Indians. Today the Mattole people, along with the Wiyot, are part of the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria in Humboldt County, which reported a membership of 600 in 2021. The Bear River Band did not become a federally recognized American Indian tribe until 1983 and was never compensated for their historic loss of land or culture. Although relatively new, the Bear River Band strives to provide services to its members, including help with housing, employment, healthcare, education, and social services.
Bibliography
Bussell, Gordon, "The Mattole." TeacherWeb. TeacherWeb, n.d. Web. 30 June 2016.
"Our Story." Bear River Band of Rohnerville Rancheria, 11 Apr. 2019, www.bearriverrancheria.org/our-story. Accessed 25 Mar. 2023.