Mount Diablo

Hannah MacDonaldANT 310

• 3,849 foot• It’s a stand alone mountain

Mount Diablo State Park Brocheure

“Mount Diablo is a sacred mountain to California Indian people. Just about every California Indian community who viewed Mount Diablo would, at one time or another, make a pilgrimage to the summit area for ceremonies. The reason Mount Diablo is so sacred to the California Indian people is that it was the creation point for the Miwok people or genesis for some California Indian people.”

Hesperian Magazine

• 1879 first written account of an oral tradition pertaining to Mount Diablo

• No specific tribes named

• Origin Myth of how people were created

Pomo“I would listen as Jim [Cooper, an herb doctor who was born in the Diablo area] told my grandmother about how sacred Mount Diablo is. He said that as long as the mountain stands it will be a sacred mountain. He said that the entire mountain is sacred. He called it the Medicine Mountain. In his language it was called Kinchiiwi.”-Pomo elder and doctor Mabel McKay (Ortiz, 468)

Central Sierra Miwok• Part of the “kuksuyu”

the most sacred and elaborate ceremony

• Performed the “lileusi” ceremony which involved one man dancing and being accompanied by singing

Southern Maidu (Nisenan)

• A holy place used for burial ceremonies

• Similar to Mount Olympus, it was believed to be the home of the gods.

Northern Sierra Miwok

“Toó-le-loo (Mouse Person) brought fire to the Mountain People who, before this feat, lived in darkness. Even after Coyoteman failed to find fire, Toó-le-loo located it among the Valley People and was sent to steal it. After having put the Valley People to sleep with music from an elderberry flute, Toó-le-loo secreted some of their fire in this flute. Then Toó-le-loo climbed Mount Diablo and created a large fire which lighted the world.” (Ortiz, 458)

Miwok

Plains MiwokOrigin Myth “Condor-man lived on the north side of Mount Diablo. His wife, the rock on which he roosted, gave birth to Wek-wek (Prairie Falcon-man). With the help of his grandfather Coyote-man, Wek-wek created Indian people and provided them with everything everywhere so they can live.” (Ortiz, 458)

Today’s Name• 1805 raids against East Bay

Native Americans for their resistance to missionization

• Luis Arguello led his soldiers to a thicket 7 miles north of the mountain and the name was transferred to the mountain

Folklore• Non-Indian justification of

historical injustices perpetrated against Indian people

• Non-Indian romanticization of the past

• Non-Indian association of Indian religion with devils.

Sources

California State Parks. (2000). Mount Diablo State Park. Sacremento, CA.Gifford, E. W. (1955). Central Miwok Ceremonies. University of California PressOrtiz, B. (1989). Mount Diablo as Myth and Reality: An Indian History Convoluted. American Indian Quarterly, 457-470.

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