Patricia Martz, Ph.D. Professor Emerita Department of Anthropology California State University, Los Angeles 1 Songsparrow, Irvine, CA 92604 Joseph L. Montoya, CEG, CHG Environmental Planning and Conservation Branch Manager Naval Base Ventura County 311 Main road, Building 1, Code N45V Point Mugu, CA 93042 RE: Designation of the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians as culturally affiliated with all of the remains of San Nicolas Island, California’s original inhabitants and associated funerary objects Dear Mr. Montoya: The aforementioned designation is erroneous and an affront to the true probable descendants, the Chumash and the Gabrielino Indians. Recent mtDNA data indicates that San Nicolas Island was occupied by two different genetic populations. The earliest population is related to the Chumash Indians who settled in southern California at least 10,000 years ago, and at the time of European contact occupied the territories of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties and the northern Channel Islands (Anacapa, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and San Miguel). The later population is known as the Gabrielino. The Gabrielino were part of the Uto-Aztecan language speakers who entered California from the Great Basin sometime around 3,000 years ago and replaced the populations occupying the southern California coast including Los Angeles and Orange counties and extending onto the southern Channel Islands (San Nicolas, Santa Barbara, San Clemente, and Santa Catalina). This information is well documented in the anthropological, ethnographic, and archaeological literature. I know you are trying to do the right thing, but after European contact the San Nicolas Islanders were decimated by Kodiac Indians brought to the island to hunt sea otter by Russian traders. The few remaining women, children, and elderly were removed from the island and taken to

Ltr to Joseph Montoys Designation of Pechanga as Culturally Affiliated

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This letter details the facts that the Pechanga band of Luiseno Indians has NO Cultural affiliation to San Nicolas Island.

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Page 1: Ltr to Joseph Montoys Designation of Pechanga as Culturally Affiliated

Patricia Martz, Ph.D.Professor EmeritaDepartment of AnthropologyCalifornia State University, Los Angeles1 Songsparrow, Irvine, CA 92604

Joseph L. Montoya, CEG, CHGEnvironmental Planning and Conservation Branch ManagerNaval Base Ventura County311 Main road, Building 1, Code N45VPoint Mugu, CA 93042

RE: Designation of the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians as culturally affiliated with all of the remains of San Nicolas Island, California’s original inhabitants and associated funerary objects

Dear Mr. Montoya: The aforementioned designation is erroneous and an affront to the true probable descendants, the Chumash and the Gabrielino Indians. Recent mtDNA data indicates that San Nicolas Island was occupied by two different genetic populations. The earliest population is related to the Chumash Indians who settled in southern California at least 10,000 years ago, and at the time of European contact occupied the territories of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties and the northern Channel Islands (Anacapa, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and San Miguel). The later population is known as the Gabrielino. The Gabrielino were part of the Uto-Aztecan language speakers who entered California from the Great Basin sometime around 3,000 years ago and replaced the populations occupying the southern California coast including Los Angeles and Orange counties and extending onto the southern Channel Islands (San Nicolas, Santa Barbara, San Clemente, and Santa Catalina). This information is well documented in the anthropological, ethnographic, and archaeological literature.

I know you are trying to do the right thing, but after European contact the San Nicolas Islanders were decimated by Kodiac Indians brought to the island to hunt sea otter by Russian traders. The few remaining women, children, and elderly were removed from the island and taken to the mainland never to be heard of again. The San Nicolas Islanders deserve to have their true descendants designated as culturally affiliated for the purposes of NAGPRA and not a tribe that is not related.

Please give this matter further consideration before further steps are taken and the remains are repatriated to unqualified claimants.

Sincerely,

Patricia Martz, Ph.D.