The Lazar, or alternately Laquisimne, ( es, Laquisimes) are one of the divisions of the
Yokuts people
The Yokuts (previously known as MariposasPowell, 1891:90–91.) are an ethnic group of Native Americans native to central California. Before European contact, the Yokuts consisted of up to 60 tribes speaking several related languages. ''Yokuts ...
, indigenous to the
Stanislaus River area in
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.
The Lakisamni probably inhabited the land in the
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley ( ; es, Valle de San Joaquín) is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies south of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the San Joaquin River. It comprises seven ...
, from present-day
Ripon
Ripon () is a cathedral city in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. The city is located at the confluence of two tributaries of the River Ure, the Laver and Skell. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the city ...
in the west to
Knights Ferry in the east. Mortar stones on the rocks in the banks of the Stanislaus River in Knights Ferry are evidence that the tribe once lived in the area.
History
During the Spanish expeditions in the area by
Gabriel Moraga
Gabriel Moraga (1765 – June 14, 1823) was a Sonoran-born Californio explorer and army officer. He was the son of the expeditionary José Joaquín Moraga who helped lead the de Anza Expedition to California in 1774, Like his father, Moraga is on ...
, the Lakisamni were hostile and the Spanish treated them likewise.
The Lakisamni lived adjacent to the
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 ...
tribe of Tawalimnu. The Spanish named the present-day Stanislaus River after them: converting "Lakisamni" into the Spanish
loanword
A loanword (also loan word or loan-word) is a word at least partly assimilated from one language (the donor language) into another language. This is in contrast to cognates, which are words in two or more languages that are similar because t ...
"Laquisimes" (or singularly "Laquisime").
Notable Lakisamni
Two notable Lakisamni are:
*
Estanislao
Cucunuchi ( – 1838), baptized as Estanislao, was an indigenous ''alcalde'' of Mission San José and a member and leader of the Lakisamni tribe of the Yokuts people of northern California. He is famous for leading bands of armed Native America ...
(born Cucunuchi) — leader who rebelled against Spanish rule in
Alta California.
*José Jesús (also known as Hozá Ha-sóos) — leader who succeeded Estanislao.
See also
*
Indigenous peoples of California
The indigenous peoples of California (known as Native Californians) are the indigenous inhabitants who have lived or currently live in the geographic area within the current boundaries of California before and after the arrival of Europeans. ...
*
References
{{reflist
Yokuts
Stanislaus River
History of the San Joaquin Valley
Native American history of California