The Awaswas Ohlone

The Awaswas Ohlone

Original Stewards of the Coast · Santa Cruz County

The Santa Cruz coast was home to the Awaswas-speaking Ohlone people, one of eight Ohlone language groups. They built villages at the mouths of rivers and along the coast, living in round tule-mat houses, harvesting abalone and mussels from the rocky shores, and hunting in the redwood forests above. Their descendants continue to advocate for recognition and preservation of their heritage.

Timeline

Pre-contact

Villages Along the Coast

Awaswas-speaking communities lived along the north shore of Monterey Bay and in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Local tribelets included the Uypi near the San Lorenzo River mouth and Soquel Creek, the Sayanta in the San Lorenzo Valley, and the Aptos along the southern Santa Cruz County coast. Linguistic research estimates approximately 600 Awaswas speakers before European contact.[1],[2],[3]

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Sources

Citations behind the dates, names, and numbers on this page.

  1. 1
    California Native Plant Society — People of Our Region

    Overview of Indigenous peoples and pre-contact communities in the Santa Cruz region.

  2. 2
    UC Berkeley California Language Archive — Awaswas

    Awaswas language area, Mission Santa Cruz context, and an estimate of approximately 600 pre-contact speakers.

  3. 3
    Visit Santa Cruz County — The Ohlone People of Santa Cruz County

    Local overview of Awaswas-speaking tribelets and their locations across Santa Cruz County.

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