The Ramaytush or Rammay-tuš people are a linguistic subdivision of the

Ohlone The Ohlone, formerly known as Costanoans (from Spanish meaning 'coast dweller'), are a Native American people of the Northern California coast. When Spanish explorers and missionaries arrived in the late 18th century, the Ohlone inhabited the ...

people of

Northern California Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...

. The term Ramaytush was first applied to them in the 1970s, but the modern Ohlone people of the

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

have claimed it as their

ethnonym An ethnonym () is a name applied to a given ethnic group. Ethnonyms can be divided into two categories: exonyms (whose name of the ethnic group has been created by another group of people) and autonyms, or endonyms (whose name is created and used ...

. The ancestors of the Ramaytush Ohlone people have lived on the peninsula—specifically in the area known as

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

and

San Mateo county San Mateo County ( ), officially the County of San Mateo, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 764,442. Redwood City is the county seat, and the third most populated city following Daly ...

—for hundreds of years. Prior to the

California Genocide The California genocide was the killing of thousands of indigenous peoples of California by United States government agents and private citizens in the 19th century. It began following the American Conquest of California from Mexico, and the ...

, the Ohlone people were not consciously united as a singular socio-political entity. In the early twentieth century anthropologists and linguists began to refer to the Ramaytush Ohlone as ''San Francisco'' ''Costanoans''—the people who spoke a common dialect or language within the Costanoan branch of the Utian family. Anthropologists and linguists similarly called the

Tamyen people The Tamien people (also spelled as ''Tamyen'', ''Thamien'') are one of eight linguistic divisions of the Ohlone (Costanoan) people groups of Native Americans who lived in Northern California. The Tamien traditionally lived throughout the Santa ...

''Santa Clara Costanoans,'' and the

Awaswas people The Awaswas people, also known as Santa Cruz people, are one of eight divisions of the Ohlone, Ohlone Native Americans of Northern California. The Awaswas lived in the Santa Cruz Mountains and along the coast of present-day Santa Cruz County, C ...

''Santa Cruz Costanoans''. The homeland of the Ramaytush is largely surrounded by ocean and sea, the exception being the valley and the mountains to the southeast, home to the

Tamyen The Tamien people (also spelled as ''Tamyen'', ''Thamien'') are one of eight linguistic divisions of the Ohlone (Costanoan) people groups of Native Americans who lived in Northern California. The Tamien traditionally lived throughout the Santa ...

Ohlone and Awaswas Ohlone, among others. To the east, across San Francisco Bay, what is now known as

Alameda County Alameda County ( ) is a List of counties in California, county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and List ...

is home to the

Chochenyo Ohlone The Chochenyo (also called Chocheño, Chocenyo) are one of the divisions of the indigenous Ohlone (Costanoan) people of Northern California. The Chochenyo reside on the east side of the San Francisco Bay (the East Bay), primarily in what is ...

. To the north, across the

Golden Gate The Golden Gate is a strait on the west coast of North America that connects San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. It is defined by the headlands of the San Francisco Peninsula and the Marin Peninsula, and, since 1937, has been spanned by th ...

, was a Huimen

Miwok The Miwok (also spelled Miwuk, Mi-Wuk, or Me-Wuk) are members of four linguistically related Native American groups indigenous to what is now Northern California, who traditionally spoke one of the Miwok languages in the Utian family. The word ' ...

village. The northernmost Ramaytush local tribe—the Yelamu tribe of what is now San Francisco—was closely connected with the Huchiun Chochenyos of what is now Oakland, and members of the two tribes frequently intermarried at the time of Spanish colonization. European disease took a heavy toll of life on all

Indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

people who came to

Mission Dolores Dolores, Spanish for "pain; grief", most commonly refers to: * Our Lady of Sorrows or La Virgen María de los Dolores * Dolores (given name) Dolores may also refer to: Film * ''Dolores'' (2017 film), an American documentary by Peter Bratt * ' ...

after its creation in 1776. The Ohlone people were forced to use Spanish resulting in the loss of their language. The Spanish rounded up hundreds of Ohlone people at Mission Dolores and took them to the north bay to construct

Mission San Rafael Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

, which was then used as a hospital for sick neophytes.

Alfred L. Kroeber Alfred Louis Kroeber (June 11, 1876 – October 5, 1960) was an American cultural anthropologist. He received his PhD under Franz Boas at Columbia University in 1901, the first doctorate in anthropology awarded by Columbia. He was also the first ...

claimed that the west bay people were extinct by 1915, and although none of their villages survived, four branches of one lineage are known to have survived the genocide. The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe—the descendants of the closely related Chochenyo and Tamyen Ohlone people who were federally recognized as the

Verona Band of Alameda County The Verona Band of Alameda County is the name the Ohlone#Present day, Muwekma Ohlone operated under while they had federal recognition in the early twentieth century.Chochenyo word the Ohlone of the East Bay used to refer to their westward neighbors. The term was adopted by Richard L. Levy in 1976 to refer to the peninsular linguistic division of the Ohlone.

Ramaytush tribes and villages

Ramaytush groups, for the most part independent territorial local tribes, include: The Yelamu group, probably a multi-village local tribe, with the following villages within the present City and County of San Francisco: * Yelamu_map

Chutchui also listed as Suchui in Mission Dolores Registry – on Mission Creek, the latter in the vicinity of

. The Mission also had a Christianized named for Chutchui which was Nuestra Senora de la Asumpcion. The burial ground (shellmound) for Chutchui was located on where the Marshall school (15th Street & Capp Street) is located today * Sitlintac also listed as Sitinac in Mission Dolores Registry – near Chutchui * Amuctac and Tubsinte – in

Visitacion Valley, San Francisco Visitacion Valley (; Spanish: ''Valle de la Visitación''), colloquially referred to as Viz Valley, is a neighborhood located in the southeastern quadrant of San Francisco, California. Visitacion Valley is roughly defined by McLaren Park and Glen ...

. * Amutaja – Adjoining Canada de la Visitacion (Visitation) * Petlenuc – near the

San Francisco Presidio The Presidio of San Francisco (originally, El Presidio Real de San Francisco or The Royal Fortress of Saint Francis) is a park and former U.S. Army post on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, and is part o ...

. * Mitline – near Lake Merced * Opurome – beach side of Lake Merced On San Francisco Bay, south of San Francisco: * Siplichiquin – on

San Bruno Mountain San Bruno Mountain is horst fault block mountain located in northern San Mateo County, California; with some northern slopes crossing over into southern San Francisco, it is also surrounded by San Francisco Bay and the cities of Brisbane, Colma ...

South San Francisco South San Francisco is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, located on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. The city is colloquially known as "South City". The population was 66,105 at the 2020 census. ...

. * un-named village CA-SMA-299 on present-day El Camino Real in

. * Urebure –

San Bruno Creek San Bruno Creek (Spanish for: "St. Brun") is an intermittent stream that rises on the eastern slopes of the Northern Santa Cruz Mountains in San Mateo County, California, USA. The headwaters descend a relatively steep canyon east of Skyline Boulev ...

near

. * Altamu – San Mateo * Chagunte – San Bruno * Chioischin – San Bruno * Malsaitac – near San Mateo * Shalson (spelled ''Ssalson'' by Spanish missionaries) along San Mateo Creek and in the contiguous San Andreas Valley (present-day San Mateo). Their permanent or semi-permanent villages included: ** Aleitac – along San Mateo Creek in San Andreas Valley. ** Altahmo – (also spelled Altagmu) – along San Mateo Creek, in San Mateo or in the San Andreas Valley. ** Tunmuda – near San Mateo Creek ** Uturbe – along San Mateo Creek, probably in San Mateo, less likely in the San Andreas Valley. * Lamchin lived along Pulgas Creek in the present city of San Carlos and several other nearby villages appear in the mission records ** Chachanegtac – Main village along Pulgas Creek ** Ussete – near Pulgas Creek ** Gulcismijtac (also spelled Guloisnistac) – North of Pulgas Creek ** Oromstac – near Pulgas Creek ** Supichum (also spelled Ssupichom) – San Mateo * Puichon – lower San Francisquito Creek and nearby areas (present-day Cities of

Palo Alto Palo Alto (; Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. The city was estab ...

and Mountain View). On the Pacific Coast, south of San Francisco: * Aramai – coastal valleys just south of San Francisco. Its constituent villages were: ** Timigtac on Calera Creek in modern-day Pacifica. ** Pruristac on San Pedro Creek in modern-day Pacifica. * Chiguan **Ssatumnumo – Princeton Point **Chagunte – near Half Moon Bay * Cotegen – Tunitas Creek and adjoining areas south of Half Moon Bay. * Oljon – Lower San Gregorio and Pescadero creeks, north of Point Ano Nuevo. Other Villages (known as Rancherias by the Spanish) listed in San Francisco Mission De Asiss registry that are not given specific locations: * Aluenchi * Amictu * Atarpe * Chimus * Chirau * Chocoayco * Chupanes * Chynan Jumiamuc * Conap * Cosapa * Geluasibe * Liuanegtur * Macsinum * Olestura * Ousint * Payesone * Puichon * Pusuay * Septuca * Subchiam * Toquisara * Tuzsint * Uturpe

Ramaytush Ohlone people

* 1777 – ''Chamis'' of the village Chutchui. On June 24, 1777, at age 20 he became the first neophyte to join the Mission San Francisco by baptism. He was given the Christian name of Francisco Moraga. No Mission Indian would be given a last name. Chamis would also be the first to be married on April 27, 1778 to the Ohlone woman with the Christian name Catarina de Bononia. Between 1777 and 1850 7,280 Ohlone people were baptized at Mission Dolores.Engelhardt, 1924. * 1777 – ''Pilmo'' from Playa de la Dolores is 2nd baptized on June 24, 1777 and given the name Jose Antonio. * 1777 – ''Taulvo'' from Playa de la Dolores is 3rd baptized on June 24, 1777 and given the name Juan Bernardino. * 1777 – ''Xigmacse'', A Yelamu chief, at the time of the establishment of the Mission San Francisco. * 1779 – ''Charquín'', given the baptismal name of Francisco in the same year, appears to have been the leader of the first band of runaways in 1789. Exiled to San Diego, he died there in the spring of 1798. * 1783 – ''Mossués'', captain of the village Pruristac, baptized in 1783 *1797 – ''Valeriano and Jorge'' elected Alcalde of Mission SF de Assis. California's first governor Felipe de Neve ordered the Missions to elect local Alcaldes around 1779.Englehardt, pg 121

List of pre-statehood mayors of San Francisco This is a list of pre-statehood alcaldes and mayors of San Francisco, from 1779 to 1850, during the Spanish, Mexican, and early American periods, prior to California's admission to statehood. Spanish era California's first governor Felipe de ...

*1797 – ''Acursio and Fermin'' elected regidores (council members) at Mission SF Assis. *1798 – ''Biridianna'', last living Chutchui villager to have witnessed the founding of Mission Dolores. * 1804 – '' Poylemja'', ceremonially reburied at Dolores cemetery.from gravestone at Mission Dolores. * 1807 – ''Hilarion'' and ''George'' (their baptismal names) were two Ohlone men from the village Pruristac who served as ''alcaldes'' (mayors) of the Mission San Francisco in 1807. *1807 – ''Jocnocme'', ceremonially reburied at Dolores cemetery. * 18?? – 1823- ''Pomponio'' of

Half Moon Bay Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, United States, approximately south of San Francisco. Its population was 11,795 as of the 2020 census. Immediately at the north of Half Moon Bay is Pillar Point Harbor and the un ...

led raids against Mission Dolores, taking livestock and horses. He was caught, escaped, recaptured, and then executed. * 18?? – ''Monica'' worked as a boatman for William Richardson, who built the first house in Yerba Buena in 1836. Monica told Richardson about the oral history of a time prior to the opening now known as the Golden Gate.https://www.sfgenealogy.org/doku.php?id=san_francisco_history:odds_and_ends:our_first_families at the bottom of the page * 1842 – ''José Antonio'' – age 16, one of the last twelve known ohlone living in SF.1842 Census All Ohlone people at the Mission would be given the name of a catholic saint upon baptism. None would be given a last name and be designated in the census as either a neofita or neofito in the census. * 1842 – ''Alejo'' – age 35, one of the last twelve known ohlone living in SF. * 1842 – ''Pablo'' – age 18, one of the last twelve known ohlone living in SF. * 1842 – ''Junipero'' – age 43, one of the last twelve known ohlone living in SF. * 1842 – ''José Ramon'' – age 16, one of the last twelve known ohlone living in SF. * 1842 – ''Josefa'' – age 14, one of the last twelve known ohlone living in SF. * 1842 – ''Consolacion'' – age 12, one of the last twelve known ohlone living in SF. * 1842 – ''Ygnacio'' – age 53, one of the last twelve known ohlone living in SF. * 1842 – ''Dunas'' – age 49, one of the last twelve known ohlone living in SF. * 1842 – ''Forcuata'' – age 40, one of the last twelve known ohlone living in SF. * 1842 – ''José'' – age 16, one of the last twelve known ohlone living in SF. * 1842 – ''José D.'' – age 3, one of the last twelve known ohlone living in SF. * 1893 – ''Pedro Evencio'' has been called the last (Ramaytush) Native American of San Mateo. His son ''José Evencio'' lived at ''Coyote Point'' until World War II; his final whereabouts are unknown.Brown, 1974 * 1950s – ''Andrés Osorio'' of

, said to be ''the area's last "Indian"'', possibly ''Tulare'' or ''Mexican''.

Notes

References

* Brown, Alan K. ''Indians of San Mateo County'', ''La Peninsula:Journal of the San Mateo County Historical Association'', Vol. XVII No. 4, Winter 1973–1974. * Brown, Alan K. ''Place Names of San Mateo County'', published San Mateo County Historical Association, 1975. * Fr. Engelhardt O. F. M, Zephyrin. ''San Francisco or Mission Dolores'', Franciscan Herald Press, 1924. * Heizer, Robert F. 1974. ''The Costanoan Indians''. De Anza College History Center: Cupertino, California. * Milliken, Randall. ''A Time of Little Choice: The Disintegration of Tribal Culture in the San Francisco Bay Area 1769–1910'' Menlo Park, CA: Ballena Press Publication, 1995. (alk. paper) * Teixeira, Lauren. ''The Costanoan/Ohlone Indians of the San Francisco and Monterey Bay Area, A Research Guide''. Menlo Park, CA: Ballena Press Publication, 1997. .
1842 Census of San Francisco
{{authority control Ohlone Native American tribes in California History of San Francisco History of San Mateo County, California Ohlone languages Extinct languages of North America

Ramaytush tribes and villages

Ramaytush Ohlone people

See also

Notes

References