| Total population |
|---|
| over 86 |
| Regions with significant populations |
| United States (California) |
| Languages |
| Religion |
|
Roundhouse religion, Christianity, Kuksu |
| Related ethnic groups |
|
Pomo tribes |
The Kashia Band of Pomo Indians of the Stewarts Point Rancheria is a federally recognized tribe of Pomo people in Sonoma County, California.[1] They are also known as the Kashaya Pomo.
Contents |
The Kashia Band's reservation is the Stewarts Point Rancheria. It occupies 40 acres (160,000 m2) in Sonoma County and 86 tribal members reside there.[2]
The tribe conducts business from Santa Rosa, California.[3]
The Kashaya still live in their ancestral homelands near present day Fort Ross. Their name for themselves means "People From the Top of the Land," while "Kashaya" means "expert gamblers."[4]
When Russians settled in Kashaya lands, they conscripted the tribe to work for them but did not break up the tribe or convert them to Christianity.[5]
Essie Parrish (1902-1979) was an important Kashia Band basket weaver and the last spiritual leader of the Kashia Tribe, she strove to sustain Pomo traditions throughout the 20th century.[6]
The tribe traditionally speaks the Kashaya language, also known as Southwestern Pomo. It belongs to the Hokan language family of Northern California. Several dozen elders speak the language, and younger people are learning and trying to sustain it.[7]