Compare and contrast the attitudes towards land and natural resources held by indigenous Californians,the Spanish,the Californios,and the United States.
This Fine Province
For thousands of years, the indigenous people of California lived in what we today called the Golden State, developing distinctive communities and cultures. Then, between the years 1769 and 1850, California became a contested space. The Spanish Empire, the Californios, and the United States of America all sought to control California, as the indigenous peoples of the region worked to adapt to – and survive – the changes.
Each of these groups – indigenous peoples, the Spanish, the Californios and the United States – had an agenda for the land and resources of California.
Once you have read the sources, compose a thoughtful, well-written essay, in which you answer the following questions:
Compare and contrast the attitudes towards land and natural resources held by indigenous Californians,the Spanish,the Californios,and the United States.
What did each group want to do with the land and resources of California? What did each group think appropriate uses of the land were? And, what were the consequences of these ideas about land use when these groups came in contact with each other?
SOURCES:
Video: Indigenous Food and Medicine
Video: Indigenous California
Other sources will be attached as a PDF
