Stanger's Among Us (1849-1864)

The Konkow Valley Band of Maidu Indians believed, the Maidu (people) were made in their traditional areas in Butte and Plumas Counties in Northern California,based in the Foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. Although the Konkow people were from the North Fork to the West Branch of the Feather River, they had problems off and on with neighboring tribes but nothing ike what was to come. In 1849, while out at his mill, John Sutter and one of his ranch hands discovered the Yellow Stone that would soon have all the newcomers heading to California looking for it. When Gold Fever struck the Konkow homelands and there was an abundance of pale, mossy faced people who smelled strange and a strange native tongue. Now we must remember in 1942 Columbus landed in the East coast, the invasion of the Indigenous people had started. It then worked its way across the planes like the plague, moving north and south it didn’t matter what was in its way all was consumed in time. Even though the whites made their way to California for the Gold Rush, no one from any of the Konkow villages had yet to encounter one. But slowly they worked their way into the Konkow Country. Along with miners, ranchers, fur trappers and so-called scholars began to arrive and along came sickness. These Scholars broke the Indigenous human beings of the area down into groups, The Southern Maidu( Nisanean), The Mountain Maidu, The Concow (KonKow and other neighboring tribes) By only studding the Konkow, scholars didn’t see how Sub Tribelets, inside of the Konkow area played a major part in our culture, language and political mindset. Yes, there were many villages, even large cities and districts but also there where Bands, subtribes not so much like a different tribe but more like the United States political system we have today. Si it started with a Nopani, he was the highest of them all. He is like the President of the Konkows, controlling or managing the whole Konkow area. Then comes the Shaman or Indian doctor (Yomi) He is the society leader, who healed the people with plants and has dreams of the future. Finally, we have the Yeponi( Headman ) He would be looked up to by the tribal members and settle disputes and make arraignments and if a law was broken, he would figure out the punishment. Our community today can trace their bloodline back to two Nopani’s, a few Yeponi’s and a few Doctors. In 1852, Mo-lay-yo, headed to Bidwell’s Ranch and signed the treaty (even though it was unratified) we still have documentation of it, a copy of it is at Chico State. And Tome-ye-nem was from the other side of the family and he was rounded up in 1864 and sent to Round Valley Indian Reservation with documentation working for Grant and his soliders.

Konkow Traditional Dancers and Singers

 Konkow Traditional Dancers and Singers

              Butte College Big Time 2023

In 2016 the Konkows along with other outside tribes formed a traditional dance group for the first time in over 100 years. With the change in the tribal government, it didn't last long with lack of participation and knowledge being one of the main reasons. It wasn't until 2020 when the new leadership the Vice Chair stepped up and formed another dance group and created language classes. It was what the youth needed at that time and by the time they had their first dance there was 4 singers and 10 dancers (male and female mixed). As the years passed and the dance group got more recognition, they went from a single dance in Concow at a music festival to getting invitations to join other tribes at their traditional ceremonies. This was a great honor and such a huge step for the tribe not only socially but spiritually. The dancing brought back traditions that were almost lost through the years. The girls and women have learned to make and gather stuff to make their regalia batsawi and paswani (head pieces) and they reason they wear and use it. The boys also have done the same, learning how to make feather capes and flicker bands to wear during the ceremony. While learning about their culture they also would implement their language making a connection to what they were making, even though a lot of things were lost in time during the genocide of the tribes there was finally a rebirth of the tribe’s culture and beliefs. Since then, the Konkow have been dancing year around traditional and non-traditional for the public, making appearances at schools and events and telling their story to anyone wanting to learn. That they have always been here and will always be. They are filled with so much culture and knowledge of their past and elders it's almost like the gap in time never happened and they never stopped their ways.

Present Day: Land Back

 In over 100 years the Konkow Band of Maidu Indians has never been able to own or maintain any parts of their traditional homelands.  In 2022 the Konkow Valley Band of Maidu Indians was given over 10 acers of land in their traditional territory in Concow. This wasn't from the state or the federal Government but from good people who seen some wrongs made threw out history and wanted to try to make a right. The people from Concow Campground (Concow Partners) have stepped up given some of their land and friendship to the Konkow tribe. To be able to have a say about our land, to build a traditional village to tend to native plants is something our family for generations has never experienced. We sing, we dance, we give thanks to the Kodoyampa (Earth Maker or Creator) like it used to be.... like should be. Being a non-federal tribe make the LAND BACK MOVEMNT hard, we don't get the help or benefits like the four other tribes (Federal) in our area. So, when the group from the campground stepped up and made a proposal to give us land, it was a feeling like no other all the years of trying to be heard was coming out loud and clear. Working together to restore the ecosystem and start to rebuild the village is our main mission. This huge step our first of of many projects for the Konkow people. Want to say thanks to The Ground Up and Concow Partners. Oooo for helping us keep our traditions alive for our future generations. 

Konkow Dancer

  

 Four Generations of Konkow Maidu Women dancing in our homelands for the first time in over 100 years.

Traditional Village Names and Locations

Butte County Tribes or Bands locations 

 

Kodoyampa: The Earth Maker

One day after Kodoyampa made land, he and He-No (Coyote) sat eating, Kodoyampa said,"I think we need to make other creatures,". He-No replied the two legged! So that night Kodoyampa went and found two smooth yellow sticks and placed one under each arm pit .... when they both awoke in the morning, there was two beautiful humans one man and one woman, He-No then tried the next night to mimic Kodoyampa,  he couldnt wait and he kept on waking up to find nothing had happened. It wasnt till right before the light of break He-No finally fell asleep. And while asleep he was was woke up all of a sudden by two big thumps to his rib, when he awoke, he seen two women one with two eyes but very ugly and the other had ONE BIG EYE.... This is why we hear of stories from long ago with creature's human like with one eye and why we have good looking and not so good-looking people, thanks to He-No. 
 

The Earth Maker also established seasons, Kum-men-ni(rain season), Yo-ho-men-ni(leaf season), I-hi-lak-ki (dry season) and Mat-men-ni(falling leaf season). He also gave the  Kuksu the first song and he (Kuksu) brought renewal beliefs songs, dances and made a Kum or Roundhouse or Dance house to have ceremony in. This is why during each season the Konkow people dance, sing (PRAY) and celebrate each season giving thanks to Kodoyampa, Kuksu, to the earth, wind, stars and sun... the plants and animals that make it possible to survive.

We the Konkow Valley people have been here since the Earth Maker created this earth for us. We have always been, and we will always be here in Kojomk'awi . This is our homeland and even threw Cultural Genocide, and removal of our people to reservations and boarding schools, we have returned to our homelands and pieced together what culture we could with the help from Kodoyampa and our ancestors. Oooo

THE KONKOW VALLEY BAND OF MAIDU INDIANS OF CALIFORNIA

 The Archeological record that migration into what today is called Butte and Plumas Counties, in California, started around 500 AD, but we the Konkow say this is the land that Kodoyampa created us in. Like the biblical " Garden of Eden" the Konkow Valley (Kojomk'awi) is just that as the traditional name applies. What the scholars don't say or talk about are the petroglyphs or Rock Art of Mammoths, as well as Prehistoric bones that have been uncovered back when this land, we call our Homeland was invaded by strange humans with fur on their faces, looking for the yellow stones that we thought of being evil. When the first settlers arrived most of the Konkow people went deeper in the Mountains where they would be left alone. There were many bands that made up the Konkow Maidu tribe, almost like towns make up a county with names that gave a clue to what area they were from.

With such a vast area the Konkows were the largest tribe around Butte and Plumas counties with their tribal lands that stretched from the western side of Table Mountain, where Lake Oroville now engulfed many sites is named WEL-U-DA and it stretched from Table Mountains over threw Paradise up threw Magalia, up to Nimshew, around up past the Grassy Lakes, to Beldon, down Pulga and the now Hwy 70 corridor, back down to Big Bend past Konkow(Concow) past Cherokee and back down to Table Mountain. With over lapping or common areas with Mechoopda, Berry Creek or Tyme Maidu and Mountain Maidu.

This Map was done by Matthew Williford Sr. the Cultural Advisor and Tribal Chair of The Konkow Valley Band of Indians for the Plumas County Forest and The Native America Heritage Commision to help them determine tribal boundaries.