Chimariko

The Chimariko Native American peoples were a small tribe that occupied approximately 20 miles of mountainous forested land along the Trinity River in the western portion of Trinity County in northern California. They called themselves the Chimariko, from chimar, which means person. The Chimariko indigenous peoples were centered in six permanent villages: Tsuda’mdadji at Hawkin’s Bar; Tcitca’nma at Taylor’s Flat; Citimaadje at Big Bear; and Mamsu’idji on the Trinity River above the mouth of the South Fork. It has been estimated that 250 Chimariko were alive prior to Euroamerican contact in the 1820s; in 1990 the US Census recorded 63 individuals. Today the descendants of the Chimariko live in areas surrounding their traditional homeland, maintaining their culture.

Name: Chimariko. The name comes from the word chimar, which means “person.”

Location: Along the Trinity River in Northern California.

Population: 250 in the early 1800s; 63 in 1990.

Language Family: Hokan.

First Contact by Euroamericans: 1820s.

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