California Native American Indian Series

We are Californians. Some of us were born here.

Some of us moved here. A few of us have ancestors

who lived here for hundreds of generations. Those

Native American or indigenous people of long ago lived

in tribes with special customs, cultures, and practices.

Each tribe was unique. The Mojave people were

distinctive as farmers, warriors, and artists.

Location

The Mojave tribe (mow-hah-vee) lived along the

banks of the Colorado River in what is today southwest

Arizona and southeast California. Most of the people

lived across the river from the modern town Needles,

California. It is estimated that before contact with white

men, the Mojave population was about 3,000.

Mojave Tribe

1 ©thankateacher

Resources

To understand the ways of Mojave tribe, you need

to need to remember their biggest influence: the

Colorado River. Before Hoover Dam was built, the river

flooded every year as the mountain snowpack melted.

The floods determined how and where the Mojave built

their homes and how they obtained their food.

The Mojave were one of the few tribes that

farmed. They figured out a very smart way to use the

floods to water their crops. They would wait until the

flood was at its highest, then plant seeds in the fertile

moist soil at the edge of the water. As the river

receded, the plants roots grew and followed the water.

The plants got just the right amount of water to grow

fast. If there was a drought and no flooding, the tribe

would suffer.

2

Culture

The Mojave spoke their own complex language

with many long words. In their culture, men would have

names like coyote, sun, moon, tobacco, owl, wind and

cloud. The women of each clan, however, would all have

the same name. Today there is interest in reviving the

Mojave language, and 22 elders can speak it.

Although the tribe was peaceful, some things were

worth a fight. If raiders stole their women or attacked the

tribe, the fierce Mojave warriors were not afraid to go to

battle. Their favorite weapon was a large heavy club that

they would use to clobber their enemy over the head. The

men were exceptionally strong, athletic and big.

3

Other tribes only fought during daylight. The

Mojave didn't believe in that and had no problem

attacking in the dark-a real advantage. They scalped their

enemies and took prisoners to be sacrificed later.

Housing

The Mojave tribe preferred spread out settlements

more than cozy villages. Several hundred people might be

scattered over a square mile or two. Because the region is

hot and dry, in summer the homes might have consisted

of nothing more than poles and a shade roof.

Sometimes homes were made of grass and covered

with dirt. Stilts were used to keep large baskets off the

ground so the stored food did not get wet. Although the

Mojave did not use sweat lodges, they did have a shared

teepee-like structure that stood 30 feet tall and could

sleep everyone on cold winter nights.

4

Leadership

Each village was ruled by a head man or chief who

inherited the position from his father. Sometimes, the chief

was chosen in a religious ceremony. Each chief was a

member of the tribal council. One of their jobs was to elect

a tribal chief. They discussed tribal problems and handed

out punishments for crimes like theft. This was rare

because the Mojave tribe members were a very honest,

sharing people.

Trade

Riches held little interest for the Mojave tribe.

Because they shared what they had with each other,

everyone had about the same level of wealth or poverty.

That doesn't mean the Mojave didn't trade however. Their

traders travelled as far as the Pacific Coast to exchange

goods. They traded corn and beans for shell beads that

they made into jewelry. They were famous for their coiled

pottery decorated with beautiful and colorful geometric

designs.

5

Religion

The Mojave had a rich religious life. They believed

the dream world was as real as the physical world. The

afterlife was a place where souls lived called the happy

hunting ground. The dead could also come back and

observe life on earth by inhabiting the body of certain

animals like coyotes, snakes, lizards, bob cats and

mountain lions. Not surprisingly, these animals were

never killed for food. Even a nearby rattlesnake would just

be shooed away!

Like most tribes, the Mojave had a creation

story that explained how the world came to exist. First

there was chaos. From the earth and sky a Great Spirit

was born. People sprang from the Great Mountain, but

before the Great Spirit could teach humans how to

survive, he was killed by his sister. Thus, people were left

to fend for themselves.

6

Ceremonies

Ceremonies were important to the Mojave tribe.

Rain dances were vital to make sure the crops got

plenty of water. The harvest was such a big event that

villages from all over would gather together to

celebrate. But there were ceremonies for sad events

too. Funerals were highly religious and lasted long into

the night. If a dead warrior had a horse, the horse

would be killed and eaten at the funeral. This was done

so that the soul of the man would have his horse with

him in the happy hunting ground.

Unlike many tribes, a young man picked out his

future wife and paid her father for her. She would come

to the marriage able to cook, farm, harvest, make

pottery and take care of children. He would be able to

fight, hunt, fish and farm. They both would be good

storytellers and play musical instruments.

7

The wife was the boss of the home. If she felt her

husband was not doing his share of the work, she could

divorce him. All she had to do was put his belongings

outside their door...and he was not allowed back

in...ever!

Daily Life

Lice, those little bugs that lay eggs in hair, were a

constant problem. Women would comb through each

other's hair (and the kids too), pull out the lice and bite

them to kill them. Men simply slapped mud all over their

hair to smother the lice.

8

Food

Although the Mojave tribe did hunt and gather wild

food, they relied on farming primarily. They grew corn,

beans, pumpkins, and melons. They did eat meat but not

very much of it. Small game and rabbits were the most

common dinner a hunter might bring home. Fish were

plentiful however, and a favorite meal was fish corn stew.

Don't forget the region is very dry, so desert plants

like cactus and mesquite were part of their diet.

Caterpillars tossed on a pan over a hot fire puffed up just

like popcorn and made a tasty treat. If you were sick,

some nice pack rat broth was the Mojave equivalent of

chicken soup!

9

Clothing

As for all tribes, weather determined the amount of

clothing people wore. The Mojave needed very little; the

men wore just a loincloth, the women wore a skirt and

the kids wore nothing at all. No one wore moccasins.

Sandals were the only option to bare feet. Men twisted

their long hair into rolls that looked like dreadlocks and

women wore their long hair straight. Both men and

women would tattoo their faces with ink made from the

blue cactus. They also painted their bodies, faces, and hair

for special occasions.

10

The Mojave lifestyle did not require fancy tools.

They did not have canoes because they did not need them.

They would simply swim across the river. If they needed to

carry supplies or a kid or two from one bank to another,

they would plop it all into a large pottery bowl and float it

in front of them as they swam. Also, since the men were so

good with a club, they didn't use bows and arrows as much

as other tribes. The pottery plates and bowls made by the

women were used for cooking, storage and trading to

other tribes.

Cultures Collide

Everything changed with the arrival of the white man.

The construction of Fort Mojave in 1858 and the discovery

of high grade ore in local mountains brought all the usual

problems that spelled doom for the majestic Mojave

people. Alcohol, disease, and distrust combined with

drought and crop failure signaled the decline of a mighty

tribe. Today, 335 tribe members living in the Needles area

work hard to keep their rich heritage alive.

11

Tools

11

Discussion Questions 1. What made the Mojave different from other tribes? They were farmers, warriors and artists. 2. What was a resource that played a significant role in the life of the Mojave? The Colorado River allowed the Mojave tribe to successfully farm due to the annual floods . 3. Why do you think women had all the same name? Answers may vary. Men were warriors so the tribe is ruled by men. 4. Why do you think the settlements were spread out rather than cozy villages? Answer may vary. Resources were scattered and limited so people lived further apart in order to survive. 5. How does a person become the chief? Chiefs were always men who inherited the job from his father. Sometimes the chief was chosen in a religious ceremony, or sometimes was elected by the tribal council. 6. What did the Mojave need and what did they have that they offered for trade? They had extra corn and beans that they traded for shells to make into jewelry. 7. What was special about coyotes, snakes, lizards, bobcats and mountain lions? These animals were never killed for food because they were thought to be inhabited by the spirits of the dead. 8. What skills did both men and women both share? They both were good storytellers and could play instruments. 9. How did the Mojave take advantage of their desert resources? They ate cactus and mesquite, made pack rat soup, ate caterpillars ,and ate small game such as rabbits. They also ate a lot of fish from the Colorado River. 10.Describe how the Mojave dress for the weather. The children wore nothing, men a breech cloth and women a skirt. Sandals were worn. They did decorate their faces with tattoos and men wore their hair in dreadlocks and women wore their hair straight. 11.What happened to the Mojave when white man arrived? They were sickened by diseases that were brought by the white men. Mining began and there was a lot of distrust between cultures. The tribe started to die out but there are still 335 tribe members left today.

A stereotype is a widely held belief about a

particular type of person or people. There are many

stereotypes about Native American tribes. Not all

indigenous people lived in teepees, wore feathers in

their hair or scalped white settlers. Each tribe was

unique. The Mojave people were distinctive as farmers,

warriors, and artists.

Location

The Mojave tribe (mow-hah-vee) lived along the

banks of the Colorado River in what is today southwest

Arizona and southeast California. Most of the people

lived across the river from the modern town Needles,

California. It is estimated that before contact with white

men, the Mojave population was about 3,000.

Mojave Tribe

1 ©thankateacher

Resources

To understand the ways of Mojave tribe, you need

to need to remember their biggest influence: the

Colorado River. Before Hoover Dam was built, the river

flooded every year as the mountain snowpack melted.

The floods determined how and where the Mojave built

their homes and how they obtained their food.

The Mojave were one of the few tribes that

farmed. They figured out a very smart way to use the

floods to water their crops. They would wait until the

flood was at its highest, then plant seeds in the fertile

moist soil at the edge of the water. As the river

receded, the plants roots grew and followed the water.

The plants got just the right amount of water to grow

fast. If there was a drought and no flooding, the tribe

would suffer.

2

Culture

The Mojave spoke their own complex language

with many long words. In their culture, men would have

names like coyote, sun, moon, tobacco, owl, wind and

cloud. The women of each clan, however, would all have

the same name. Today there is interest in reviving the

Mojave language, and 22 elders can speak it.

Although the tribe was peaceful, some things were

worth a fight. If raiders stole their women or attacked the

tribe, the fierce Mojave warriors were not afraid to go to

battle. Their favorite weapon was a large heavy club that

they would use to clobber their enemy over the head. The

men were exceptionally strong, athletic and big.

3

Other tribes only fought during daylight. The

Mojave didn't believe in that and had no problem

attacking in the dark-a real advantage. They scalped their

enemies and took prisoners to be sacrificed later.

Housing

The Mojave tribe preferred spread out settlements

more than cozy villages. Several hundred people might be

scattered over a square mile or two. Because the region is

hot and dry, in summer the homes might have consisted

of nothing more than poles and a shade roof.

Sometimes homes were made of grass and covered

with dirt. Stilts were used to keep large baskets off the

ground so the stored food did not get wet. Although the

Mojave did not use sweat lodges, they did have a shared

teepee-like structure that stood 30 feet tall and could

sleep everyone on cold winter nights.

4

Leadership

Each village was ruled by a head man or chief who

inherited the position from his father. Sometimes, the chief

was chosen in a religious ceremony. Each chief was a

member of the tribal council. One of their jobs was to elect

a tribal chief. They discussed tribal problems and handed

out punishments for crimes like theft. This was rare

because the Mojave tribe members were a very honest,

sharing people.

Trade

Riches held little interest for the Mojave tribe.

Because they shared what they had with each other,

everyone had about the same level of wealth or poverty.

That doesn't mean the Mojave didn't trade however. Their

traders travelled as far as the Pacific Coast to exchange

goods. They traded corn and beans for shell beads that

they made into jewelry. They were famous for their coiled

pottery decorated with beautiful and colorful geometric

designs.

5

Religion

The Mojave had a rich religious life. They believed

the dream world was as real as the physical world. The

afterlife was a place where souls lived called the happy

hunting ground. The dead could also come back and

observe life on earth by inhabiting the body of certain

animals like coyotes, snakes, lizards, bob cats and

mountain lions. Not surprisingly, these animals were

never killed for food. Even a nearby rattlesnake would just

be shooed away!

Like most tribes, the Mojave had a creation

story that explained how the world came to exist. First

there was chaos. From the earth and sky a Great Spirit

was born. People sprang from the Great Mountain, but

before the Great Spirit could teach humans how to

survive, he was killed by his sister. Thus, people were left

to fend for themselves.

6

Ceremonies

Ceremonies were important to the Mojave tribe.

Rain dances were vital to make sure the crops got

plenty of water. The harvest was such a big event that

villages from all over would gather together to

celebrate. But there were ceremonies for sad events

too. Funerals were highly religious and lasted long into

the night. If a dead warrior had a horse, the horse

would be killed and eaten at the funeral. This was done

so that the soul of the man would have his horse with

him in the happy hunting ground.

Unlike many tribes, a young man picked out his

future wife and paid her father for her. She would come

to the marriage able to cook, farm, harvest, make

pottery and take care of children. He would be able to

fight, hunt, fish and farm. They both would be good

storytellers and play musical instruments.

7

The wife was the boss of the home. If she felt her

husband was not doing his share of the work, she could

divorce him. All she had to do was put his belongings

outside their door...and he was not allowed back

in...ever!

Daily Life

Lice, those little bugs that lay eggs in hair, were a

constant problem. Women would comb through each

other's hair (and the kids too), pull out the lice and bite

them to kill them. Men simply slapped mud all over their

hair to smother the lice.

8

Food

Although the Mojave tribe did hunt and gather wild

food, they relied on farming primarily. They grew corn,

beans, pumpkins, and melons. They did eat meat but not

very much of it. Small game and rabbits were the most

common dinner a hunter might bring home. Fish were

plentiful however, and a favorite meal was fish corn stew.

Don't forget the region is very dry, so desert plants

like cactus and mesquite were part of their diet.

Caterpillars tossed on a pan over a hot fire puffed up just

like popcorn and made a tasty treat. If you were sick,

some nice pack rat broth was the Mojave equivalent of

chicken soup!

9

Clothing

As for all tribes, weather determined the amount of

clothing people wore. The Mojave needed very little; the

men wore just a loincloth, the women wore a skirt and

the kids wore nothing at all. No one wore moccasins.

Sandals were the only option to bare feet. Men twisted

their long hair into rolls that looked like dreadlocks and

women wore their long hair straight. Both men and

women would tattoo their faces with ink made from the

blue cactus. They also painted their bodies, faces, and hair

for special occasions.

10

The Mojave lifestyle did not require fancy tools.

They did not have canoes because they did not need them.

They would simply swim across the river. If they needed to

carry supplies or a kid or two from one bank to another,

they would plop it all into a large pottery bowl and float it

in front of them as they swam. Also, since the men were so

good with a club, they didn't use bows and arrows as much

as other tribes. The pottery plates and bowls made by the

women were used for cooking, storage and trading to

other tribes.

Cultures Collide

Everything changed with the arrival of the white man.

The construction of Fort Mojave in 1858 and the discovery

of high grade ore in local mountains brought all the usual

problems that spelled doom for the majestic Mojave

people. Alcohol, disease, and distrust combined with

drought and crop failure signaled the decline of a mighty

tribe. Today, 335 tribe members living in the Needles area

work hard to keep their rich heritage alive.

11

Tools

Name: Tribe:____________________ Where is your tribe located? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What does your tribe eat? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Describe your tribe’s housing. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Describe one of your tribe’s ceremonies? Explain the purpose of the event. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What does your tribe value? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name: Tribe:____________________ Describe a myth, legend or belief of your tribe. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What is something unique about your tribe. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Write a paragraph about how your tribe uses their natural resources. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name: Tribe:____________________ Where is your tribe located? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What does your tribe eat? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Describe your tribe’s housing. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Describe one of your tribe’s ceremonies? Explain the purpose of the event. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What does your tribe value? _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name: Tribe:____________________ Describe a myth, legend or belief of your tribe. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What is something unique about your tribe. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Write a paragraph about how your tribe uses their natural resources. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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