CLEARLAKE — Dr. John Parker and Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Robert Geary made presentations on the archaeological history of the seven tribes native to Lake County during the Thursday morning Judge’s Breakfast in Clearlake
Dr. John Parker graduated from UCLA and has been involved in Lake County archaeology since 1971. Parker said the majority of his responsibilities deal with Anderson Marsh State Park, which was purchased by the state for $3.1 million in 1983. According to Parker. Anderson Marsh was the first state park ever purchased to protect a national registered archaeological district.
“That’s kinda cool,” Parker said.
Lake County is home to 2,500 archaeological sites, according to Parker, 60 of which are registered or are eligible for registration as national registered historical places.
Parker shared illustrations and photos of both tribal villages and artifacts, including several spearheads, the oldest of which was found at the Elem Colony area and dated around 21,000 years old. Parker said obsidian hydration was used to date the artifact.
“This item is one of the oldest artifacts in North America,” Parker said.
The artifact, comprised of Napa Valley obsidian, has been traced to the same obsidian found in Oregon, Nevada and Arizona. Further discoveries of large amounts of chipped obsidian have led researchers to believe this area was home to manufacturing operations.
“There are obsidian workshop sites on Borax Lake that are the size of football fields 10 to 15 feet thick,” Parker said.
The Borax Lake site was registered as a national historical place in 1991.
Parker outlined the growth and expansion of local tribes throughout the centuries. noting a decline in population once European contact was made beginning in 1770 when there was an estimated 1 million indigenous people to only 16,000 by 1900.
In closing, Parker added, “Having spent 50 years studying these resources, I have incredible respect for these cultures that have lived here literally for 13,000 years.”
Robert Geary
Geary co-presented alongside Parker, focusing on statewide cultures and regulations such as CEQA (California Environmental Quality act).
“It’s important that we’re at the table early enough to be able to create a plan for development to happen and also to make sure the footprint of the indigenous people that are here is properly maintained,” Geary said.
Geary discussed multiple aspects of Pomo history, noting that there are over 160 tribes in the state of California, which is more than most other states.
Continuing the conversation about population, Geary explained some of the logic behind the data showing a decline in indigenous population.
“Boarding school history also ties together. Through those boarding schools a lot of our children, a lot of our people, were taken away … you find out about these boarding schools who were just digging mass graves.”
Added Dino Beltram, vice president of the Koi Nation, “Also in the early statehood of California, the governor actually authorized derbies that subsidized not only municipalities, but militia groups to hunt native Americans and they would be paid for that.”
The Judge’s Breakfast takes place Thursday mornings beginning at 7 a.m. in the Clearlake Senior Center. Next week’s speakers are Geary and Beltran. They will be discussing cultural resource landscape today. The breakfast is open to the public and there is no admission fee. More information is available on the Judge’s Breakfast Facebook page.
