​The ​Ramaytush Ohlone

the original peoples
of the San Francisco Peninsula

The Ramaytush (pronounced rah-my-toosh) are the only original peoples of the San Francisco Peninsula. The term Ramaytush became a linguistic designation for a dialect of the Costanoan language that was spoken by the original peoples of the San Francisco Peninsula. Most descendants of the indigenous groups of the San Francisco Bay Area, however, refer to themselves as Ohlone while a few others use Costanoan. 
     The title Ramaytush Ohlone recognizes the Ramaytush as a part of a larger group of the Ohlone/Costanoan peoples who lived in the area of the San Francisco Bay south to Monterey. Prior to the arrival of the Spanish in 1769, the Ramaytush Ohlone numbered approximately 1500 persons and lived in ten small tribal groups. 
     Living descendants of the Ramaytush Ohlone originate from the Aramai tribe and the village of Timigtac, located along Calera Creek in the city of Pacifica, San Mateo County. In the baptismal records of Mission Dolores, Aramai referred specifically to the area containing the villages of Timigtac and Pruristac. The primary family of the village at Timigtac was headed by Utchus (Ygnacio) and his wife Muchiate (Geronima). Their lineage was carried forward through their great-granddaughter, Leandra Ventura Ramos, whose children account for four branches of the family that produced living descendants. 
     Leandra Ramos married Rafael Robles in 1825 and Eugenio Soto in 1839. Altogether, she had ten children. Five of her daughters married and had children, but only four are known to have living descendants in the present. Leandra and Rafael Robles lived in Santa Cruz where Rafael died in 1838. After his death Leandra married Eugenio Soto. The family lived in Santa Cruz until 1850 and then moved to San Mateo County where they lived at the Soto Ranch in Alpine. ​
​     Leandra Ramos had Bay Miwok ancestry as well from the Saclan tribe in Contra Costa and Alameda counties. 


What makes us unique?

  • The Association of Ramaytush Ohlone is comprised of the only known living descendants of the aboriginal peoples of the San Francisco Peninsula.
  • The aboriginal homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone includes San Mateo and San Francisco counties. Through our Bay Miwok ancestry the aboriginal homeland extends to include parts of Contra Costa and Alameda counties.
  • The Ramaytush Ohlone are the only living descendants of the Ohlone peoples to have had ancestors born in San Francisco at Mission Dolores.
  • The ancestors of the Ramaytush Ohlone have direct ties to all Bay Area Missions--Mission San Rafael, Mission San Francisco Solano, Mission San Jose, Mission Santa Clara, and Mission Dolores. 
The tribes of the San Francisco Peninsula include the Yelamu, Urebure, Aramai, Ssalson, Chiguan, Lamchin, Cotegen, Puichon, Olpen, and Quiroste. The first eight had the majority of its members baptized at Mission Dolores. The last three had the majority of its members baptized at Mission Santa Clara. Ramaytush was likely not the primary dialect of the Quiroste.
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