Costanoan. From Spanish
Costanos, "coast people." Also called:
Mutsun, Gatschet extended this term over these and other peoples.
Connections. The
Costanoan formed one division of the Penutian linguistic stock.
Location. On the coast
between San Francisco Bay and Point Sur, and inland probably to the Mount
Diablo Range.
Subdivisions
Monterey Costanoan, from Pajaro River to
Point Sur and the lower courses of the latter stream and Salinas and
Carmel Rivers.
Saclan Costanoan, between San Francisco and San Pablo Bays.
San Francisco Costanoan, between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific
Ocean.
San Juan Bautista Costanoan, along San Benito River and San Felipe
Creek.
Santa Clara Costanoan, on Coyote and Calaveras Creeks.
Santa Cruz Costanoan, on the coast between Pescadero and Pajaro
River.
Soledad Costanoan, on the middle course of Salinas River.
Villages
As far as Kroeber has been able to locate them, they are
as follows:
Ahala-n, south of Martinez.
Altah-mo, on the west shore of San Francisco Bay.
Aulin-tak, on the coast close to Santa Cruz Mission.
Ausai-ma, on San Felipe Creek. Awas-te, near San Francisco.
Chatu-mu, near Santa Cruz Mission.
Hotochtak, just west of the preceding.
Huchiu-n, northeast of Oakland.
Huime-n, near San Pablo.
Huris-tak, at the junction of San Felipe and San Benito Creeks.
Imuna-kan, northeast of Salinas.
Kakon-ta-ruk, near Point Sur.
Kalinta-ruk, at the mouth of Salinas River.
Kino-te, inland south of San Francisco Bay.
Matala-n, inland south of San Francisco Bay.
Mus-tuk, inland east of the mouth of Salinas River.
Mutsu-n, at San Juan. Bautista Mission.
Olho-n, south of San Francisco.
Orbiso-n, at San Jose Mission. Paisi-n, on San Benito River.
Posol-mi, near the south end of San Francisco Bay.
Romano-n, south of San Francisco.
Rumse-n, on Carmel River.
Saho-n, on Salinas River south of Salinas.
Sakla-n, south of Martinez. Salso-n, at San Mateo.
Sirhin-ta-ruk, on the coast north of Point Sur.
Sokel, at Aptos, east of Santa Cruz.
Tamie-n, on Coyote River near Santa Clara Mission.
Tamo-tk, near Monterey.
Tulo-mo, south of San Francisco.
Ulis-tak, on Coyote River north of Santa Clara Mission.
Urebure, near the west shore of San Francisco Bay.
Wacharo-n, near Soledad Mission on Salinas River.
Werwerse-n, inland east of San Jose.
Wolwo-n, inland northwest of Mt. Diablo.
Population. Kroeber
(1925) estimates that there were about 7,000 Costanoan in 1770. Today
there are only a few mixed-blood descend-ants remaining. The census of
1910 returned 10; that of 1930, none.
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