The Cochimí were the indigenous inhabitants of the central part of the Baja California peninsula, from El Rosario in the north to San Javier in the south. Information on Cochimí customs and beliefs has been preserved in the brief observations by explorers but, above all, in the writings of the Jesuits (Aschmann 1959; Laylander 2000; Mathes 2006). Particularly important and detailed are the works of Miguel Venegas (1757, 1979) and Miguel del Barco (1973).
The Cochimí were first encountered by Spanish seaborne explorers during the sixteenth century, including Ulloa, Cabrillo, Vizcaíno, and others. Sporadic encounters continued until the Jesuits established missions on the peninsula in the late seventeenth century. Eusebio Francisco Kino made an abortive foundation at San Bruno, to the north of Loreto, in 1683-1685. Juan María de Salvatierra began the first successful mission in 1697 at Loreto among the Monqui, who were southern neighbors of the Cochimí. This was quickly followed by Francesco Maria Piccolo's Cochimí mission at San Javier in 1699. Over the next seven decades, the frontier of Jesuit control over the Cochimí gradually extended northward, with missions at Mulegé (1705), Comondú (1708), La Purísima (1720), Guadalupe (1720), San Ignacio (1728), Santa Gertrudis (1751), San Borja (1762), and Santa María (1767). After the Spanish crown expelled the Jesuits from Baja California in 1768, the Franciscans under Junípero Serra established an additional mission at San Fernando Velicatá (1769) on their way north to Alta California. The Franciscans' successors in Baja California, the Dominicans, created the final new mission among the Cochimí at El Rosario (1774). Decimated by epidemics of Old World diseases, the Cochimí population declined, until sometime in the nineteenth or possibly the early twentieth century their language and traditional culture became extinct.
Culture
The Cochimí were hunter-gatherers, without agriculture or metallurgy. Pottery-making may have reached the northern Cochimí before Spanish contact (Rogers 1945). Their material culture was generally simple, but it suited their arid environment and mobile lifestyle. The highest level of social organization was the autonomous local community, and inter-community conflicts appear to have been frequent. Among the unusual cultural traits noted for the Cochimí and some of their neighbors were the second harvest of the pitahaya, the maroma, wooden tablas, and human-hair capes:
The fruit of pitahaya cactus provided a highly valued but short-lived seasonal food resource. Subsequent to the pitahaya harvest, Baja Californians winnowed undigested pitahaya seeds from their own dried excrement and then roasted and ate this "second harvest".
Another unusual food trait was the maroma. A valued morsel of meat was tied with a string, swallowed, then pulled back up and passed to the next person in a circle of consumers, until the meat finally disintegrated.
Tablas were wooden tablets with painted designs and/or drilled holes, used in religious ceremonies. Some of these artifacts have been found archaeologically (Massey 1972; Hedges 1973; Meigs 1974).
Capes made from donated human hair were worn by shamans on ceremonial occasions (Meigs 1970).
The Cochimí spoke a set of dialects or closely related languages that have been classified in a variety of ways. The most prominent division, between Northern Cochimí and Southern Cochimí, has generally been put to the south of San Ignacio (Mixco 1978, 1979, 2006; Laylander 1997). At one time designated "Peninsular Yuman", Cochimí bears an evident relationship to the Yuman languages of northern Baja California, southern California, and western Arizona. Mauricio J. Mixco (1978, 2006) reassessed this relationship and judged it to be too distant for Cochimí to be included within the Yuman family proper. He placed Cochimí as a sister language to the Yuman family, thus forming the Yuman–Cochimí family.
References
Aschmann, Homer. 1959. The Central Desert of Baja California: Demography and Ecology. Iberoamericana No. 42. Berkeley, California.
Barco, Miguel del. 1973. Historia natural y crónica de la antigua California. Edited by Miguel León-Portilla. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City.
Hedges, Ken. 1973. "Painted tablas from northern Baja California". Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 9(1):5-20.
Laylander, Don. 1997. "The linguistic prehistory of Baja California". In Contributions to the Linguistic Prehistory of Central and Baja California, edited by Gary S. Breschini and Trudy Haversat, pp. 1–94. Coyote Press, Salinas, California.
Laylander, Don. 2000. Early Ethnography of the Californias: 1533-1825. Coyote Press, Salinas, California.
Massey, Lee Gooding. 1972. "Tabla and atlatl: two unusual wooden artifacts from Baja California". Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 8(1):25-34.
Mathes, W. Michael. 2006. "Ethnohistoric evidence". In The Prehistory of Baja California: Advances in the Archaeology of the Forgotten Peninsula, edited by Don Laylander and Jerry D. Moore, pp. 42–66. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.
Meigs, Peveril, III. 1970. "Capes of human hair from Baja California and outside". Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 6(1):21-28.
Meigs, Peveril, III. 1974. "Meigs on tablas". Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 10(1):37-38.
Mixco, Mauricio J. 1978. Cochimí and Proto-Yuman: Lexical and Syntactic Evidence for a New Language Family in Lower California. University of Utah Anthropological Papers No. 101. Salt Lake City.
Mixco, Mauricio J. 1979. "Northern Cochimí Dialectology and Proto-Yuman". Journal of California and Great Basin Papers in Linguistics 1:39-64.
Mixco, Mauricio J. 2006. "The indigenous languages". In The Prehistory of Baja California: Advances in the Archaeology of the Forgotten Peninsula, edited by Don Laylander and Jerry D. Moore, pp. 24–41. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.
Rogers, Malcolm J. 1945. "An outline of Yuman prehistory". Southwestern Journal of Anthropology 1:167-198.
Venegas, Miguel. 1757. Noticia de la California y de su conquista temporal, y espiritual hasta el tiempo presente. 3 vols. M. Fernández, Madrid.
Venegas, Miguel. 1979. Obras californianas del padre Miguel Venegas, S.J. Edited by W. Michael Mathes, Vivian C. Fisher, and Eligio Moisés Coronado. 5 vols. Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz.
March 31, 2023
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For the language see Cochimi language This article includes a list of references related reading or external links but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations August 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Cochimi were the indigenous inhabitants of the central part of the Baja California peninsula from El Rosario in the north to San Javier in the south Information on Cochimi customs and beliefs has been preserved in the brief observations by explorers but above all in the writings of the Jesuits Aschmann 1959 Laylander 2000 Mathes 2006 Particularly important and detailed are the works of Miguel Venegas 1757 1979 and Miguel del Barco 1973 A map of the historical Cochimi territory Contents 1 History 2 Culture 3 Language 4 ReferencesHistory EditThe Cochimi were first encountered by Spanish seaborne explorers during the sixteenth century including Ulloa Cabrillo Vizcaino and others Sporadic encounters continued until the Jesuits established missions on the peninsula in the late seventeenth century Eusebio Francisco Kino made an abortive foundation at San Bruno to the north of Loreto in 1683 1685 Juan Maria de Salvatierra began the first successful mission in 1697 at Loreto among the Monqui who were southern neighbors of the Cochimi This was quickly followed by Francesco Maria Piccolo s Cochimi mission at San Javier in 1699 Over the next seven decades the frontier of Jesuit control over the Cochimi gradually extended northward with missions at Mulege 1705 Comondu 1708 La Purisima 1720 Guadalupe 1720 San Ignacio 1728 Santa Gertrudis 1751 San Borja 1762 and Santa Maria 1767 After the Spanish crown expelled the Jesuits from Baja California in 1768 the Franciscans under Junipero Serra established an additional mission at San Fernando Velicata 1769 on their way north to Alta California The Franciscans successors in Baja California the Dominicans created the final new mission among the Cochimi at El Rosario 1774 Decimated by epidemics of Old World diseases the Cochimi population declined until sometime in the nineteenth or possibly the early twentieth century their language and traditional culture became extinct Culture EditThe Cochimi were hunter gatherers without agriculture or metallurgy Pottery making may have reached the northern Cochimi before Spanish contact Rogers 1945 Their material culture was generally simple but it suited their arid environment and mobile lifestyle The highest level of social organization was the autonomous local community and inter community conflicts appear to have been frequent Among the unusual cultural traits noted for the Cochimi and some of their neighbors were the second harvest of the pitahaya the maroma wooden tablas and human hair capes The fruit of pitahaya cactus provided a highly valued but short lived seasonal food resource Subsequent to the pitahaya harvest Baja Californians winnowed undigested pitahaya seeds from their own dried excrement and then roasted and ate this second harvest Another unusual food trait was the maroma A valued morsel of meat was tied with a string swallowed then pulled back up and passed to the next person in a circle of consumers until the meat finally disintegrated Tablas were wooden tablets with painted designs and or drilled holes used in religious ceremonies Some of these artifacts have been found archaeologically Massey 1972 Hedges 1973 Meigs 1974 Capes made from donated human hair were worn by shamans on ceremonial occasions Meigs 1970 Language EditSee also Yuman Cochimi languages and Languages of Mexico The Cochimi spoke a set of dialects or closely related languages that have been classified in a variety of ways The most prominent division between Northern Cochimi and Southern Cochimi has generally been put to the south of San Ignacio Mixco 1978 1979 2006 Laylander 1997 At one time designated Peninsular Yuman Cochimi bears an evident relationship to the Yuman languages of northern Baja California southern California and western Arizona Mauricio J Mixco 1978 2006 reassessed this relationship and judged it to be too distant for Cochimi to be included within the Yuman family proper He placed Cochimi as a sister language to the Yuman family thus forming the Yuman Cochimi family References EditAschmann Homer 1959 The Central Desert of Baja California Demography and Ecology Iberoamericana No 42 Berkeley California Barco Miguel del 1973 Historia natural y cronica de la antigua California Edited by Miguel Leon Portilla Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico Mexico City Hedges Ken 1973 Painted tablas from northern Baja California Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 9 1 5 20 Laylander Don 1997 The linguistic prehistory of Baja California In Contributions to the Linguistic Prehistory of Central and Baja California edited by Gary S Breschini and Trudy Haversat pp 1 94 Coyote Press Salinas California Laylander Don 2000 Early Ethnography of the Californias 1533 1825 Coyote Press Salinas California Massey Lee Gooding 1972 Tabla and atlatl two unusual wooden artifacts from Baja California Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 8 1 25 34 Mathes W Michael 2006 Ethnohistoric evidence In The Prehistory of Baja California Advances in the Archaeology of the Forgotten Peninsula edited by Don Laylander and Jerry D Moore pp 42 66 University Press of Florida Gainesville Meigs Peveril III 1970 Capes of human hair from Baja California and outside Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 6 1 21 28 Meigs Peveril III 1974 Meigs on tablas Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 10 1 37 38 Mixco Mauricio J 1978 Cochimi and Proto Yuman Lexical and Syntactic Evidence for a New Language Family in Lower California University of Utah Anthropological Papers No 101 Salt Lake City Mixco Mauricio J 1979 Northern Cochimi Dialectology and Proto Yuman Journal of California and Great Basin Papers in Linguistics 1 39 64 Mixco Mauricio J 2006 The indigenous languages In The Prehistory of Baja California Advances in the Archaeology of the Forgotten Peninsula edited by Don Laylander and Jerry D Moore pp 24 41 University Press of Florida Gainesville Rogers Malcolm J 1945 An outline of Yuman prehistory Southwestern Journal of Anthropology 1 167 198 Venegas Miguel 1757 Noticia de la California y de su conquista temporal y espiritual hasta el tiempo presente 3 vols M Fernandez Madrid Venegas Miguel 1979 Obras californianas del padre Miguel Venegas S J Edited by W Michael Mathes Vivian C Fisher and Eligio Moises Coronado 5 vols Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Sur La Paz Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cochimi amp oldid 1065968639, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
