Hello and Noso-n to visitors to this page. Noso-n can be said "In breath as it is in spirit". This is the Mutsun language and the spirit of all the people who have worked and worked to get the first half of the entire 1928 California Indian Census online is becoming a reality - it is now our breath. Thanks to all of them:

"Time: 2000-04-05 19:03:59 Comments: I am Costanoan. Both my father and grandmother are registered. I tried getting registered. I originally wrote the Bureau of Indian Affairs. I sent them the file number and enrollment number of my father and grandmother. They wrote back two years later and wanted the birth certificates to prove lineage. I sent them this. Two years later they wrote me back and wanted a notarized letter from my father saying he was my father. I basically gave up at this point. Is there another agency to contact that would be easier to deal with or am I stuck with this bureaucratic crap?" Christine Wood (Jones/Gonzales) ccwood@wvi.com

We need our important info accessible - this [letter] from our guestbook is an example of what happens when another nation controls another's community - this is what it means to be Indian dear visitor - ed.

| who we are | mission statement | using this resource | want to help? |

Ann Sayers (Costanoan) Susie Griffin, Kathy McClure (Computer Helper), Bonnie Furlong Amara, Nina Corgan, Lucy Sterling, Pat Baker, Bill Roach, Genevieve Luna-Lajeunesse(Ohlone), Cindy Gustin, Dianne M. Treichler, P.E., James Lois Thornton, III (Tolowa), Arleen Robles (Chumash) - Want to Help?, Send us a Photo?

We are beginning to enter the 1933 California Indian Rolls - then visitors will be able to correlate these two databases and more easily get their family information back until 1851.

Using the census:

Clicking a county link in the index will bring up an alphabetically ordered page of the entries for that county ... be forewarned! These pages will ultimately be huge. There are well over a thousand entries in Humboldt county alone and it is not complete at this date 4/19/00 A.D. We format these in text to save bandwidth.

Now, you have found a name:

the BIA number is the key to applying to the BIA or visiting the national archives in San Brain, CA. for a copy of the actual census interview form if you are a legitimate descendant of the person in the census page. Some of these are extensive...

The intention of this census

Many of the people listed in this document had experienced some of the vilest butchery at the hands of squatters, settlers and miners. In 1850, they were legislated into becoming California's first homeless people who were denied even the chance to testify in court for any reason against a white man. Many had had mothers, fathers, aunts and siblings shot down by the so-called pioneers and 49ers of California mythology. The United State's intention in the litigation that spawned this census was only to get its own butt out of a sling. In the early 1900's it was discovered that in fact, the Indians still owned California, in American law! Land title in California would have been thrown into disarray, business would have been upset and the population would have been aroused. Beyond the pale! This was unacceptable to a colonial culture and so the court system concocted a legal way to "clean up" the issue. As usual, the Indians were given the short, short end of the stick - and $.41 cents an acre for 8.5 million acres of their reservation land which had been stolen.

Our Policy: This information is for the benefit of California Natives, many of whom find it next to impossible to trace lineage and family history. This resource is created by Native people and is intended for our use as indigenous nations who have suffered under Euro-American colonialism and control of community resources. This is not for profit and is made available on a free basis. There will be no adresses, blood quantum or tribal affiliations posted on this site for the 1933 roll - many of these are living people and actually, blood quantums and tribal affiliations are not recorded on our copy of this roll. Thanks to an anonymous guestbook entrant who expressed this concern.

As you know, individual census forms are private until 72 years has passed. Our rolls are actually an index, or listing. If you wish to access an individual's census form, then go to the National Archives in San Bruno, CA and go for it.

We hope this helps you and your family. Niawen (Thanks in my tongue, Mohawk)

If you have access to Filemaker Pro or Microsoft Excel it is possible for you to help enter data. The census pages can be sent to you. There are about 15-25 entries per page and we have a SET FORMAT for doing this. You need to familiar with Filemaker or Excel (PC or MAC) versions so that you/we can create or import an empty copy of our database. If you are interested please e-mail Russ Imrie canyon@rahunzi.com. Hey, you'll be doing good work for Native Californians and get a mention in the credits.

We are experimenting with online 1933 Roll data entry through your web browser. Not to hot so far but we will have this running at some point so that interested people from all over can help get this online.