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Coast Miwok History Walk

Miwok China Camp

This event is expired.

China Camp State Park
101 Peacock Gap Tr
San Rafael, CA 94901

Join us as we walk through Back Ranch Meadows and discuss the deep relationship that Coast Miwok people have had with the plants and animals at China Camp. 

When Spaniards arrived to colonize the bay area in the 1700’s, they described Miwok peoples as hunter-gatherers. They did not see fences and rows of crops characteristic of European agriculture, and assumed the Miwok people just passively found what they ate.  In reality, the Coast Miwok had been tending the land for food and resources for thousands of years. From carefully setting controlled burns to clear deadfall and promote new growth, to scattering seeds in strategic areas, to pruning and selective ‘weeding’ – the forest was a dynamic garden that was altered to enhance food and resource production.  Just about every plant had a purpose and a season to harvest, and preparations were guided by great ancestral knowledge of ritual and process.

Join naturalist Jerry Coe as he discusses the history of the Coast Miwok people and how they survived and thrived  within the landscape. Coast Miwok people still live in the Bay Area today, with the largest group at Graton Rancheria in Sonoma County. For more information about California’s indigenous history, visit the California Native American Heritage Commission website.

Please Note: We do not require masks to participate, however we do ask that only people who have been vaccinated can attend the event. Group sizes will be limited, so register early.

Phone: 
(415) 456-0766
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