Curtis, Edward S.

2. The North American Indian Volume 14. New York: Johnson Reprint Corporation.

 Roughly defined, their former territory is the eastern drainage area of Sacramento River from a point a few miles north of Chico southward to Cosumnes River, a distance in a straight line of about one hundred and ten miles (p 99).

 On linguistic and geographical grounds Dixon (The Northern Maidu, Bulletin American Museum of Natural History, XVII, 1905) recognizes three divisions: the Northeastern Maidu, partly in the arid plains of Lassen County, but more numerously in the mountain valleys of Plumas County; the Northwestern Maidu, west of the first-named division and north of the Yuba River; and the Southern Maidu, south of the Yuba River. Considerable differences, all due to environmental and other external influences, existed between these divisions (p 100).

 It must not be thought that within each of these more or less arbitrary divisions there was a uniform culture. In every case there were rather wide differences between opposite borders. Thus, among the Northwestern Maidu the people of the valley and those of the foothills were nearly as divergent as the two northern major divisions ( p 100).

 The ceremonial organization of the foothills was much simpler than that of the valley. Lastly, the vocabularies show many variations, mostly lexical, not phonetic (101).

 Spaniards from the south explored the lower courses of Sacramento and Feather Rivers in the first quarter of the nineteenth century, and trappers, approaching from the opposite direction, made a beginning of exploration in the mountains. None of these activities left any impression on the country or the native people. In 1839, John A. Sutter, a Swiss soldier, obtained a grant near the mouth of the American River. It was in this region that gold was discovered in 1848. The operations of the miners filled with debris the streams from which the natives had always obtained a substantial par of their food, and drove the game into remote fastnesses (101).

 Today (1924) there are about two hundred Maidu, probably one twentieth of the population at the beginning of the last century. With the exception of a few at Round Valley Reservation in former Yuki territory, the Maidu live in small groups here and there in their old domain, most of them on allotted land. Their principle centers are in or near Chico and Mooretown in Butte County, for the Northwestern Maidu, Prattville and Genesee in Plumas County for the Northeastern Maidu, and Nashville in El Dorado County for the southern division; but others are to be found, one family here, two there, throughout the entire area. The largest number at any one place is on the Bidwell Ranch at Chico, and it is on information there obtained that the material for the following pages is based. It must be understood, therefore, that statements therein made do not necessarily apply outside the valley section of the Northwestern Maidu (102).

 There is no trace of tribe or clan among the Maidu. Each village was a separate entity, and had its head-man, who occupied his position by virtue of public opinion that he was best qualified for it by intelligence, judgment, energy, and wealth. It follows that the office was not hereditary. The position itself carried less authority than did the forcefulness of the incumbent (112).

 There was no rule requiring the choice of a wife outside the man's own village, and as there were no clans, any woman not related by blood was eligible (115).

 During the six winter months, approximately from the middle of October to the middle of April, the valley Maidu observed a series of dances, which from their general similarity are probably to be regarded as forming one ceremonial cycle (121).

 Population- There are no reliable early estimates of Maidu population. The census of 1910 enumerated 1100, but this is certainly erroneous, even allowing for the inclusion of mixed-bloods. Dixon, who investigated the Maidu in various visits from 1899 to 1903, thought the number of full-blood Maidu could not exceed 250 (192).

Partial List of Northwestern Maidu ( KonKau ) Villages (pages 194-5)

Rock, Chico, and Butte Creeks

Hoida [Hoitdal], near the head of Mud Creek, an affluent of Rock Creek, northeast of Chico.

Ataki [Otaki], on Sandy Gulch four miles east of Chico.

Yoko [Yauka], near the head of the Chico Creek on the south bank.

Yudo, two or three miles below Yoku on the south bank.

Lulimba, about four miles from Yudo on Little Chico Creek.

S'ilimma, west of Lulimba.

Bahapki, the present village on the Bidwell Ranch at Chico, the people of which came from Michapdo.

Wanatta. On Sandy Gulch northwest of Chico.

Bahyu [Bayu], two or three miles east of Sacramento River and west of Chico.

Sunusi, on the east bank of Sacramento River, west of Chico.

Supte, three or four miles southeast of Chico.

Kaksuionno, on Little Chico Creek below Chico.

Chah'loka, two or three miles below Kaksuionno.

Challipe, four miles west of Chah'loka.

Eskeni [Eskini], "soap-root-fibre-brush," at site of_Durham. A short distance from this place is Tadoiko, the scene of the Northwestern Maidu creation myth, but no village was ever situated there.

Michapdo [Michopdo], three miles northeast of Durham.

Bakupani, north of Michapdo.

Patsele, north of Bakupani and south of Chico.

Taikusi [Taikus], about fifteen miles easterly from Chico, in the foothills.

Feather River

Yupu, at the site of Yuba City on the west bank of the Feather River (original of the name Yuba).

Menomma, ten miles north of Yupu.

Seke, north of Menomma on the west bank of Feather River.

Misau, north of Seke on the west bank of Feather River.

Baka [Bauka], north of Misau on the west bank of Feather River near the site of Gridley.

Bayu [Bayu], north of Baka on the west bank of the Feather River.

Alalapa [Ololopa], north of Bayu on the west bank of Feather River near the site of Oroville. One of their transient villages was Bataka [Botoko].

Kapa, west bank of Feather River opposite the site of Oroville.

Yumam, at the site of Oroville.

Sito, near the site of Enterprise on the middle fork of the Feather River. The dance-house of this village was at Benkumkum [Benkomkomi].

Tatamma [Tatoma], about eight miles northwest of Sito on the north fork of Feather River.

Hakama, north of the site of Mooretown on the middle fork of the Feather River.