The Aramai
Prior to the arrival of the Spanish in 1769, the indigenous inhabitants of the San Francisca Peninsula, referred to as the Ramaytush, numbered about 1,400 persons. They were divided into ten independent tribelets, including the Aramai that was situated on the west side of the San Francisco Peninsula in and around present-day Pacifica. The Aramai lived in two primary villages: the smaller village of Timigtac was located along Calera Creek, and the primary village of Pruristac was located immediately south in the San Pedro Valley.
The Aramai may have extended further south and included the Cotogen tribelet as well. In his interview with Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, Pedro Alcantara reported that there were five primary “tribes of the Bay of San Francisco . . .: the Ah-wash-tes, Ol-hones, (called, in Spanish, Costanos, or Indians of the Coast,) Al-tah-mos, Ro-mo-nans, and Tu-lo-mos. There were in addition a few small tribes, but all upon the land extending from the entrance to the head of the San Francisco Bay, spoke the same language” (Schoolcraft 1853:506).
Three in Alcantara’s list can be clearly identified with one of the ten Spanish tribelet designations. Fathers Palou and Gambon referred to the Yelamu as Aguazios (or Awashtes) in a 1783 report. One of the primary villages of the Ssalson was called Altagmu (or Altahmos), and of course the Olhones refers to the Oljon tribelet. Alcantara identified as Romonan and was born in the Cotegen tribelet, which was a small tribelet situated between the Chiguan and the Oljon tribelets along the Pacific coast. Milliken et al (2009) suggest that Romonan refers to the Aramai (260). Perhaps, then, the Cotegen were an additional band closely related to the Aramai and Chiguan, which would explain Alcantara’s claim to be from one of the larger tribelets of the peninsula, which the combined tribelets of the Aramai, Chiguan, and Cotogen would certainly represent.
Finally, the Tulomos is unrecognizeable as a potential tribelet along the San Francisco Peninsula. Milliken et al. suggest that the name may refer to the Tulare or Yokut people of the central valley (260). The Urebure tribelet would have been excluded from the list of five because of its small population. The larger Lamchin tribelet is conspicuously absent from the list, as is the Puichon tribelet, although the majority of Puichon were baptized at Mission Santa Clara as were the majority of the smaller Olpen tribelet.
Of the ten tribelets of the San Francisco Peninsula, the Aramai (villages of Timigtac and Pruristac) were the most politically influential. The headman of the village at Pruristac had at least three wives and six children. His children married the children of other headmen more frequently than any other headman. Aramai men accounted for nearly one-third of leadership positions at Mission Dolores, which is impressive given its comparatively small size. The Pruristac Headman's son retained an important status at the mission until his death in 1830.
The Aramai may have extended further south and included the Cotogen tribelet as well. In his interview with Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, Pedro Alcantara reported that there were five primary “tribes of the Bay of San Francisco . . .: the Ah-wash-tes, Ol-hones, (called, in Spanish, Costanos, or Indians of the Coast,) Al-tah-mos, Ro-mo-nans, and Tu-lo-mos. There were in addition a few small tribes, but all upon the land extending from the entrance to the head of the San Francisco Bay, spoke the same language” (Schoolcraft 1853:506).
Three in Alcantara’s list can be clearly identified with one of the ten Spanish tribelet designations. Fathers Palou and Gambon referred to the Yelamu as Aguazios (or Awashtes) in a 1783 report. One of the primary villages of the Ssalson was called Altagmu (or Altahmos), and of course the Olhones refers to the Oljon tribelet. Alcantara identified as Romonan and was born in the Cotegen tribelet, which was a small tribelet situated between the Chiguan and the Oljon tribelets along the Pacific coast. Milliken et al (2009) suggest that Romonan refers to the Aramai (260). Perhaps, then, the Cotegen were an additional band closely related to the Aramai and Chiguan, which would explain Alcantara’s claim to be from one of the larger tribelets of the peninsula, which the combined tribelets of the Aramai, Chiguan, and Cotogen would certainly represent.
Finally, the Tulomos is unrecognizeable as a potential tribelet along the San Francisco Peninsula. Milliken et al. suggest that the name may refer to the Tulare or Yokut people of the central valley (260). The Urebure tribelet would have been excluded from the list of five because of its small population. The larger Lamchin tribelet is conspicuously absent from the list, as is the Puichon tribelet, although the majority of Puichon were baptized at Mission Santa Clara as were the majority of the smaller Olpen tribelet.
Of the ten tribelets of the San Francisco Peninsula, the Aramai (villages of Timigtac and Pruristac) were the most politically influential. The headman of the village at Pruristac had at least three wives and six children. His children married the children of other headmen more frequently than any other headman. Aramai men accounted for nearly one-third of leadership positions at Mission Dolores, which is impressive given its comparatively small size. The Pruristac Headman's son retained an important status at the mission until his death in 1830.
References
Randall Milliken at al. Ohlone/Costanoan Indians of the San Francisco Peninsula and Their Neighbors, Yesterday and Today. Oakland, CA: Archaeological and Historical Consultants, 2009.
Randall Milliken at al. Ohlone/Costanoan Indians of the San Francisco Peninsula and Their Neighbors, Yesterday and Today. Oakland, CA: Archaeological and Historical Consultants, 2009.