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A Case Study of a Northern California Indian Tribe - Cultural Change to 1860 (1977) (109 pages)
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Page: of 109
Some of the other tribes that Sutter contacted may have been Nisenan. Sutter continued up the Sacramento River in search of a settlement Site and encountered valley
Nisenan tribes on the Sacramento River, ten miles north of the mouth of the American
River, and at the confluence of the Sacramento and Feather Rivers. These Indians "ran .
y
away as soon as they were discovered." Sutter finally settled on the south side of
the American River, about one mile upstream from its mouth, on land claimed by the
Ochecames Nisenan tribe. He used the following technique to encourage neighboring
Indian tribes to visit his camp.
Sutter laid out all sorts of gay colored trifles, handkerchiefs,
glass beads, sugar and gay colored ribbons where the Indians
could see them and indicated that they were for them. In this
manner, Sutter managed to get a few of them to come inside the
camp, where they were shown only kindness, and the next time a
rather large number of them appeared at the camp. 36
‘ Indians traded stolen horses, watermelons, musk melons and strings of fish for articles
of cast-off clothing and other trade goods. The Poosoone Nisenan tribe, who lived on
the north bank of the American River, opposite Sutter's camp, did not come in the first
year because they feared Sutter and were at war with the Indian tribe (probably Monet :
Nisenan) located on the south side of the American River, next to Sutter's camp. 37
In 1840, Sutter returned to Monterey to receive his Mexican citizenship and
was appointed Alcalde and Commander of the Northern California district, which included Nisenan territory, 28 The Mexican Government believed Sutter's representation
would give it more authority in an area claimed, but not controlled. Sutter was given
the following instructions on Indian policy.
-..Maintain the native Indians of the different tribes of those
parts, in the enjoyment and liberty of their possession without
molesting them and use no other means of reducing them to civilization but those of prudence and friendly intercourse, do not:
make war on them in any way.
In the summer of 1840, "cimarrones" from Mission San Jose attacked some
valley Nisenan villages and kidnapped the women while their men were away trapping
and hunting for Sutter. 40 sutter responded by making treaties of alliance with these
tribes (Sutter called them "loyal tribes"). He protected them from future raids by
"cimarrones" and they in turn supported his military campaigns against Indians in