The Costanoan Tribe
by Ethan K.

Costanoan Indians lived on the coast of central California. Costanoan tribes (Coast people) had lived thousands of years ago before the white men came. Most Costanoan homes were dome shaped, made from willow branches that were woven around supporting poles. The willow frame was covered with a tule brush, leaving a small hole at the top to let out the smoke. The homes ranged from 6 to 20 feet in size.

The Costanoan Indians were called hunters and gatherers. They ate many kinds of food. Everyone is responsible for bringing food to the village. The women were known as gatherers and they collected vegetables, fruits and nuts. The men were known as hunters. They hunted raccoons, ducks, geese, doves, quail, squirrels, rats, lizards, snakes, rabbits and moles. A few types of sea creatures they ate were fish, shellfish, seals, clams and oysters. They used nets, traps, spears and sling shots when hunting for smaller animals and when hunting for larger animals such as deer, antelope and bear, they used bow and arrows. Acorns were the most important food in the Costanoan Indian's diet.

Costanoan men were efficient hunters. They can really get close to their prey. Their powerful deer-sinew bows allowed them to hunt solo, not in a group of spear carriers. This led to major changes in hunting and social patterns among the Indians around 1100 A.D., including great increases in wealth, as shown by huge abalone pendants, fancy headdresses, quartz crystals, and a new religion called Kuksu. It was because of their efficient hunting skills and wealth that earned them the respect of other Indian tribes.

Costanoan women were skilled basket weavers, but did not make pottery. They considered basket making an important part of a Costanoan woman's life. A girl's first basket was something to be proud of. Each woman had her own designs, patterns, colorings, and decorations. They used plant fiber for weaving materials and for coloring the baskets. It took months and even years to complete a basket, but taken care of, a basket could last a lifetime. Their baskets were made so well that they could hold water. It was a fine art that took a lot of patience and skill.

Costanoan men did not wear clothing in warm weather. In cold weather, they wore animal skin capes or feather capes. Women commonly wore deerskin aprons, tule rush skirts or shredded bark skirts. On cool days, they also wore animal skin capes. Both wore ornamentation of necklaces, shell beads and abalone pendants, and bone wood earrings with shells and beads. The ornamentation such as tattoos, ear and nose piercings, often indicated status within their community.

Kuksu (religion) included elaborate acting and dancing ceremonies in traditional costume. The men of the tribe practiced rituals to ensure good health, bountiful harvest, hunts, and good weather. Ceremonies included an annual morning ceremony, puberty rites of passage, and shamanic intervention with the spirit world. A male secret society met in underground dance rooms and danced in disguise at the public dances. At the end of the harvest season, the Costanoan Indians performed a communal harvest presentation ceremony where the harvest of fruits and vegetables, especially acorns, were gathered and store for common use.

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