Not So Positive of Encounters

Northern California, is a scene of majestic redwood forests, beautiful rocky coastlines, and lush inner-landscapes that can only be imagined today. The land known to us today as Humboldt County, for example, had been called home to indigenous tribal peoples for some time prior to the arrival of Europeans.[1] In pristine Humboldt, over a dozen tribes made up the encompassed swath of land from Klamath to the Eel River on the coast, which ranged inland to include Weaverville and Shasta. All tribes of Northern California, like all civilizations, have cultural tendencies are all based around religion, resources, customs, and family (religion and family – which surprisingly many intellectuals tend to leave out of contemporary texts in terms of historical importance to events).[2]

To understand California’s beginnings is to understand that according to Europe and the rest of the non-indigenous world – California was a Spanish territory.[3] It was in 1587 that Conquistador Pedro de Unamumo was given orders on the Spanish monarchy to explore the coasts of California. At the time however, the Spanish crown believed that California was its own unique island.[4]  June 11th 1775, two Spanish Naval conquistadors, Bruno de Heceta and Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra,  landed on Trinity Head Point where they placed the Catholic cross and immediately his landing party was rained on by native arrows.[5]

Conquistador Unamumo would end up pulling into the area of Morro Bay where he led an armed landing party of 12 men, accompanied by a priest. When attempted contact was made, the landing party was showered on with arrows and spears. Five of the men were wounded – two were killed.[6] It was at this point Spanish officials ordered explorers not to leave the safety of their ships, or cargo. Colonizing Spaniards were in California for economic as well as political reasons, and religious purposes. It seems as though the Spanish explorers however at the time were more out for the monarchy’s intentions than their own person.

Culture Shock

Leaders such as Christopher Columbus or William Bradford are a polarized example to the opposite of the Spanish conquistadors personal intentions at that time. There was a lot of complicated quasi-relationships between the Spanish and the indigenous natives of California. Due to implemented policies by Spanish authority, the ultimate result of Spanish empiricism that would be a general cultural oppression to the indigenous tribes of California. This oppression was the result of the Jesuit Catholic missions, including political officers appointed by Spain and their policies towards the indigenous natives of California.[7] These natives were not asked to convert, they were forced into the Catholic mission system.

Once on mission grounds, it became a cultural shock to the indigenous people who had the unfortunate chance of being pushed into this system. To get a better inside look at the reality of Spanish California missions is to understand their goals. It was to create temporary institutes  to civilize the natives by giving them a proper education, as well as providing experience in European skillsets of labor, and  knowledge of their political and social customs. The next phase of the process was ‘gente du razon’ or – a civilized people of mixed native and Spanish ethnicity. In the end, the Spanish would dissolve the missions after the natives were civilized, allowing the native converts to manage the mission lands. Further, the natives would become tax-paying Spanish citizens.[8]

The Spanish authorities would then secularize (remove the religious purposes of the institute) the lands the mission was on – ultimately forming a “vassaled-in,” but unincorporated part of Spanish-colonial society. The intended Spanish plan for the mission system would end up collapsing on itself. When the natives of the missions did not renounce their customs and traditions for strict Catholicism, they were punished with intensity. Anytime a native broke any religious, work, or fleshly rules laid out by the mission, Catholic authorities would administer punishment of  even minor incident. [9]

Just Before The Rush For Gold

Extra manual-labor, less food provisions… or worse: shackled in chains, whipped, and held in prison-like confinement. As time would inevitably move forward, the economic policies of the mission would etch out a permanent mark on the landscape of Northern California. Geographical change with the Catholic missions economic and their religious purposes would serve to negatively affect the early-settlers of Northern California starting in the mid-nineteenth century.[10] This particular event in history would show the threat of substantial native defiance that would put a “brake” on further Spanish exploration… a certain evidence of substantial native hostility; both during Europeans’ first contact and during the American pioneer-renowned westward expansion.

Now, some historians would argue that because there was no “official” established Catholic mission in Northern California, that it did not affect the regional native populations. I claim to rebuke that theory with this theory: Native American tribes were notoriously quick to relay important societal events via intertribal communication; such as word of mouth and messages. Indigenous tribes had the knowledge of Europeans and – in some level of particularity – in the know of their tribal history back East of the Rocky Mountains, as well as recently from Southern California.

Prior to the discovery of gold dust by James W. Marshall on the 24th of January, 1848, there was very minimum contact by any of the peoples from Anglo-Saxon, Celt, or Caucasian ethnicities.[11] They say first impressions are important, it seems the Spanish Monarchy laid out a poor impression and welcoming mat for the incoming settlers of the mid-1800s from European decent. American settlers pioneering to the West had information on what to prepare for and how to do it – and a lot of them barely had enough money to afford the wagon by itself. Being knowledgeable to surviving what was to inevitably come in their travels was the key to a successful arrival.

Humbly,
D.L. Smith


​Sources:
[1] Ziegler, Herbert, and Jerry Bentley. Bentley, Traditions & Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past, 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2014. p. 34.
[2] Smith, Daniel L. Our America: Our Life & Our Culture. Eureka, CA.: Independent, 2018. p. 48.
[3] Ellison, William H. "Indian Policy in California." 21, no. 1 (Fall ), 2-3.
[4] Sedler, Kathy. "History of Humboldt County, California." Historic Record Co., Los Angeles, 1915. Ch. 5, Para. 1.
[5] Tovell, Freeman M. (2008). At the Far Reaches of Empire: The Life of Juan Francisco De La Bodega Y Quadra. University of British Columbia Press. pp. 22–23. ISBN 978-0-7748-1367-9.
[6] Sedler, K. "History of Humboldt County, California”  Ch. 5, Para. 6.
[7] Ellison, William H. "The Federal Indian Policy in California, 1846-1860." The Mississippi Valley Historical Review 9, no. 1 (1922): p. 33.
[8] Olson-Raymer, Geyle. “The Discovery, Exploration, and Founding of Spanish California.” HSU – Dept. of History. Last modified Dec. 31, 2014. http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist383/Discovery.html. Print – p. 1-2.
[9] Ibid. p. 3.
[10] Hittell, Theodore Henry (1898). History of California; Vol. 3, Book X, Chap XII – Treatment of Indians (cont.) San Francisco, CA: J.N. Stone. Pp. 912-17.
[11] Sedler, K. "History of Humboldt County, California”  Ch. 5, Para. 9

Recent polls indicate that 40 percent of Americans now prefer socialism to capitalism.
Well over 50% of millennial's favor socialism. 

This is quite astounding considering overwhelming evidence exists that shows socialism does not work. It does not work today (not in Venezuela, nor communist nations, nor Greece, etc.), nor has It ever worked in the myriads of times it has been tried throughout history, from ancient times through the dark ages, to the Pilgrims’ brief trial with socialism, to the many examples in the 20th century.

Many of those who favor socialism call themselves Christians. Why do so many people embrace this destructive and un-biblical idea? One primary reason is that our schools and colleges have been teaching this for decades, and most churches never address the issue, considering it not to be spiritual. 

But it is a spiritual matter. As a matter of fact, socialism is a religion, one that believes man is the ultimate authority on earth and the source of law, truth, and morality.

It has often been said that ideas have consequences. More specifically, bad ideas have bad consequences; good ideas have good consequences: hence, the critical nature of understanding that every person’s opinions, or ideas, reflect a world-view.  Even nations reflect a world-view that dominates their culture. In Saudi Arabia, a Muslim world-view dominates the nation. In India, a Hindu world-view dominates and in China, a Marxist, atheistic world-view dominates. 

A world-view is nothing complicated or complex.  It is merely the perspective through which a person views the various aspects and issues of life.  Like a lens in your eye, you will see things through the lens of your world-view, and how you see things, will determine what you think about them, and ultimately what kind of person you become.  Proverbs 3:16 tells us that, “as a man thinketh, so is he.”  Individuals and nations can rise or fall based on the ideas they hold, or the world-view through which they view life’s issues.

The United States was established to view life through the lens of God and Scripture.  Every issue was filtered through a Biblical world-view.  Aside from ancient Israel, the United States is unique to all other nations in that respect.  As a result, life and liberty were cherished ideals to this nation from the very beginning because they are cherished by the God they served. 

Those who came to these shores came to bring the truths of Scripture and the liberating influence of God and His word to this land.  They came not as “invaders” or “oppressors” of the native people who already lived here, but as those bringing the light of Christ, a new world-view, that would liberate people from spiritual bondage so they could better live in physical freedom.

Today, we live in a culture dominated by the physical realm, so we tend to see issues of life solely through a physical lens.  It is a lens devoid of God and spiritual realities.  So many Americans ignore this spiritual intention of the English settlers and attribute a physical motive to conquer and seek material riches.   

As we have systematically removed prayer, Scripture, and even God from the public square, our institutions reflect a view of life that is without God.  A majority of us may still call ourselves “Christian” but today that is merely a label, for we view issues and we live our lives as if God does not exist.  We develop our opinions without searching the Scriptures or seeking what God might have to say about it.  We write and read policy papers on important issues facing our nation, but are careful to exclude any idea that remotely suggests we are looking to God or Scripture for the answers. 

 We spend our time at school or work being careful not to mention God, so as not to offend any non-believer, then sometimes go to church on Sunday and tell God how important He is in our life (at least our private life that no one can see, lest they be offended).  It is a practical atheism that has developed from the womb of strict secularism and it offends God.  

Scripture tells us, in Luke 9:26, that if we are ashamed of God, then He will be ashamed of us.  It also affects the direction our nation is taking, as the moral compass and rudder of God’s word is ignored to follow our own path.  Practical atheism, whether we call it “secularism,” “Marxism,” “humanism,” or something else, is still a life followed as if God did not exist.  Such a path will destroy individuals as well as nations.

The early settlers of America came to bring the truths of Scripture and the liberating influence of God and His word to this land.
​
That is the truth.

 Humbly,
D.L. Smith
 
References
Anderson, Doug. “Countering the Practical Atheism Controlling America,” Providential Perspective; Vol. 21, No. 4 • November 2007 | The Teaching Journal of the Providence Foundation.

(A special thank you to The Providence Foundation for experts provided)