The Wintun live in North Central California, on the Paskenta, Redding, Cortina, Grindstone Creek, Colusa and Rumsey Rancherias. (Eargle: 1986) Before the Anglo invasion, they lived in round earth-covered houses. They gathered acorns and hunted antelope, deer and elk, and also harvested salmon and trout. They are divided into the Northern Wintun (Wintu), the Nomlaki and the Patwin. (Heizer: 1980 )

The Northern Wintun supplied the Shasta with deer hides, woodpecker scalps, baskets, acorns, pine nut beads, clam disc beads, dried salmon, clams and shell beads. From them they got bows, arrow heads, manzanita berries, pelts, meat, dentalia, obsidian, deer skins, sugar pine nuts, and green pigment. They gave the Achomawi salmon flour, clam disk beads and dentalia, and got salt, furs and bows. They gave the Yana magnesite beads and got salt.

They traded obsidian with the Chimariko and Central Wintun, and salt and obsidian to the Lassik. They traded salt to the Hupa, Nongatl and Kato, and shell beads to the northwestern Maidu. The Patwin gave the Central Wintun (Nomlaki) salmon, river otter pelts, game and beads, and got pine nuts, acorns, seeds, game, bear hides, beads and sinew-backed bows.

They gave the Pomo woodpecker scalp belts, cordage for making deer nets, shell beads, sinew-backed bows and yellow hammer headbands. They got shell beads, salt, obsidian, fish, clams and magnesite beads. They gave the Southern Maidu shell beads and abalone shells, and got obsidian and yellow hammer and woodpecker feathers.

They also got obsidian from the Northwestern Maidu. The Central Wintun (Nomlaki) gave the Patwin pine nuts, acorns, seed, game, bear hides, beads and sinew-backed bows, and got salmon, river otter pelts, game and beads. They gave the Yuki salt and got black bearskins. They gave the Yana clam disc beads and magnesite beads and got baskets. They traded with the Northwestern Maidu with clam disc beads and other shell beads. (Davis: 1966)

Frank La Pena, Professor of art and director of Native American Studies at California State University at Sacramento is a Wintu painter and poet. In "Wintu Sacred Geography" by D. J. Theodoratus and Frank La Pena, in "California Indian Shamanism"discusses the nature of places sacred to the Wintun, such as mountain, lakes and springs, and caves. (Vane: 1992)

Back to Penutian

Home