Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 August 2009
Introduction
The demographic history of the Chumash Indians who lived in the Santa Barbara Channel area of southern California is better documented than that of almost any other North American Indian population. An exceptionally complete archeological record makes it possible to chart population growth and changing settlement patterns during the long prehistory of this area. More importantly from the perspective of this book, an extraordinarily complete set of ecclesiastical records survives that allows the demographic consequences that European contact had for the Chumash to be studied in great detail.
A key element of Spanish colonial policy was removal of the Chumash from their native villages to mission communities where priests could give them religious instruction and vocational training. In addition to providing the local Indians with the perceived benefits of Christianity, this colonial strategy strengthened Spain's grasp on the northern borderlands of its New World holdings. These religious and political goals were pursued using Indian laborers to build a series of missions and garrisoned forts at strategic locations along the California coast (Fig. 4.1). Spain viewed these bastions of its colonial presence as essential for preventing other nations, especially Russia, from seizing control of Alta California. To measure the success of their proselytizing efforts, the priests at each mission were required to keep careful records of births, deaths, baptisms, marriages, and other important events in the lives of the neophytes (baptized Indian people) under their control. This was a task most of them performed both conscientiously and with considerable zeal.
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