California's First Maritimers

The United States is often considered to be a nation of immigrants. However, some historians have overlooked the important pre-Columbian history of the country. This seems to be particularly true in maritime history works. But anthropologists have generally agreed that the nationas Native Americans have been living within the present boundaries of the United States for at least 10,000 years. Most Native Americans have learned to rely on the use of watercraft throughout their history. Since California has the longest seacoast of any western state, it made sense to examine the lives of these important coastal California tribes in terms of their maritime exploits. The eventual incursions by the European immigrants changed the lives of these coastal residents forever. But the admirable spirit and intelligence of the first coastal Californians have enabled them to survive and flourish.