ABSTRACT
Among the peoples of Native North America, the tribes of California occupy a position geographically and culturally intermediate between those of the Northwest Coast-famous for their sea-hunting, their wood carving, and their potlatches-and those of the Southwest Pueblos, noted for their dry-land agriculture, their rich ceremonialism, and their ceramic art. Life in Native California was less complex; a largely sedentary lifestyle was supported by hunting, fishing, and the gathering of acorns as a staple food. A temperate climate and abundant natural resources permitted a higher population density than in any other part of North America, with a correspondingly high diversity of tribal groups and languages. The most developed art was basketry. The tribes to the east, in the Great Basin region between the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains, had cultural and linguistic links with those of California; the more arid environment was correlated with reliance on pinyon nuts as a dietary staple, and with greater seasonal movements in search of food.
