Hi liamsi,
The 21 missions were built approximately one day apart from San Diego
in the south to Sonoma in the north. They were placed this way to
provide a safe place in which travellers could stay. The purpose of
the missions was to promote Christianity.
As for the Native Californians, the missions were 'safer' for those
who lived there, but not 'safe' in the true sense of the world. As
with indigenous peoples all across North America, contact with the
steadily-arriving Europeans was not a good experience.
You can see a map which shows the locations and names of each mission
on this site:
California Mission Internet Trail
http://www.escusd.k12.ca.us/mission_trail/MissionTrail.html
Below the map you'll see a chart which lists the missions in order of
their construction (first column) and alphabetically (second column).
A click on these links takes you to further information -- some more
detailed than others -- such as Founding Father, the Natives, etc.
'#1 San Diego de Alcala, San Diego,' in particular, has an extensive
amount of information about the Natives who inhabited the region.
You'll learn how they lived before contact, what happened when the
Spaniards arrived with their guns and diseases, and how life changed
for them when they relocated within the mission walls. Their history
echoes that of all the tribes along the chain.
"We were considered "less than human" in the eyes of the Padres and
soldiers: slavery, torture, overwork, and murder were acceptable. To
escape would mean disfigurement, humiliation, torture, or death. It
was easier to survive at the missions, despite the terrible treatment.
When the mission was rebuilt, it included the surrounding high walls
like those of other missions. These walls were built not to keep
others out but to keep our brothers in."
History of the San Diego Natives the KUMEYAAY
http://www.lightspan.com/asp/linkout/linkout.asp?loc=http://www.escusd.k12.ca.us/mission_trail/MissionTrail.html
The northernmost mission Indians were practically extinct within two
decades of the founding of #21 Francisco Solano. "However, plagues of
small pox and cholera decimated the Suisune and reduced their numbers
from 40,000 in 1835 to 200 pitiful survivors by 1841."
The Suisun Indians of Suisun Valley
http://members.aol.com/bellavue/suisun_indians.html
There are so very many websites with good information in a variety of
formats. It could be very time-consuming for you correlate it all
together. I've found one site which seems to provide everything in one
place. It's an entry in the Catholic Encyclopedia and maintained by
Kevin Knight of New Advent.
It begins with a list of "... the twenty-one missions in order from
south to north, with name of founder, location, and date of founding."
Following that you'll find information about the tribes, including
their languages, art, customs, rituals, and vital statistics.
Mission Indians (of California)
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10369a.htm
Thanks for the good question. This search was enjoyable and
interesting to me.
Regards,
revbrenda1st
Search strategy:
California missions Indians
://www.google.ca/search?q=California+missions+Indians&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&meta=
"San Francisco Solano" natives
://www.google.ca/search?q=%22San+Francisco+Solano%22+natives&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&start=10&sa=N
mission Indians
://www.google.ca/search?q=mission+Indians&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&meta= |
