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The 1849 California Gold Rush, originating in northern
California, had further grave consequences for Indian groups throughout California. The rapid decimation
of Indian populations in northern locations cut off centuries-old trading relationships.
As the influx of gold seekers accelerated, many of these disillusioned immigrant
miners filtered into and settled (primarily as farmers) in the Central Valley
and southern California. To make the most desirable land available to the European
settlers, the U.S. government began a program of relocation
of the American Indian inhabitants.
In 1853, Fort Tejon was built in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, which
form the western border of the Antelope Valley. There, a federal reservation
was established to, according to the U.S. Department of the Army, "protect
the Indians." By 1864, most of the 1,000 people who had been "relocated" there
had deserted the reservation. Some individuals and families returned to the
Antelope Valley and the Tehachapi vicinity, where they formed small communities
and attempted to continue traditional cultural practices to the limited degree
to which it was possible.
During the mid to late 1800s, when population of local Indian groups was sparse,
peoples of the Chemehuevi Tribe (whose own territory lies further east and
north), visited and utilized Antelope Valley and its vicinities to expand their
hunting and gathering opportunities, particularly during times of drought.
Antelope Valley Indian Peoples
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