Bloody Island Massacre
Encyclopedia
The Bloody Island Massacre (also called the Clear Lake Massacre) occurred on an island
called in the Pomo language, Bo-no-po-ti or Badon-napo-ti (Old Island), at the north end of Clear Lake
, Lake County, California
on May 15, 1850. It was a place where the Pomo had traditionally gathered for ceremonies. After this event, it became known as Bloody Island.
, primarily members of the Hoolanapo clan, had been nearly enslaved
and severely abused by settlers Andrew Kelsey and Charles Stone. (The town of Kelseyville, California
was named after the former man.) Kelsey and Stone purchased a cattle ranch from Salvador Vallejo in 1847. They captured and impressed local Pomo to work as vaqueros
on the ranch. Their treatment of the Pomo was more brutal than had been Vallejo's. Families starved on the meager rations they provided, only four cups of wheat a day for a family. When one young man asked for more wheat, Stone reportedly killed him. In the fall of 1849, Kelsey forced 50 Pomo men to work as laborers on a gold-seeking expedition. After he sold their rations to miners, the Pomo starved, and only one or two men returned alive.
Stone and Kelsey beat and shot Pomo men, and raped their women. After they raped the wife of Chief
Augustine, the tribe attacked their house. Augustine's wife poured water onto the two men's gun powder, rendering it useless; Pomo warriors, including Suk and Xasis, attacked the house at dawn, immediately killing Kelsey with an arrow. Stone jumped out a window and tried to hide in a stand of willow trees, but Augustine found him and killed him with a rock. The Pomo men took food back to their families.
, then still a lieutenant, and Lieutenant J. W. Davison tried to locate Augustine's band to punish them. When they instead came upon a group of Pomo on Bonopoti (later called Bloody Island), they slaughtered many including women and children. The National Park Service has estimated the army killed 60 of 400 Pomo; other accounts say 100 were killed. Some of the dead were relatives of Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake
and Robinson Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California
. Estimates of the number of people killed on the island vary between 60 and 400. The army killed 75 more Indians along the Russian River
.
One of the few Pomo survivors of the massacre
was a 6-year-old girl named Ni'ka, or Lucy Moore. She hid underwater and breathed through a tule
reed. Her descendants have formed the Lucy Moore Foundation to work for better relations between the Pomo and residents of California.
Two separate historical markers record the site. The first, placed by the Native Sons of the Golden West
on 20 May 1942 on Reclamation Road 0.3 miles off Highway 20, simply noted the location as the scene of a "battle" between US soldiers under "Captain" Lyons and Indians under Chief Augustine. California Historical Landmark No. 427, describing the location as the scene of a "massacre" mostly of women and children, was placed on Highway 20 at the Reclamation Road intersection on 15 May 2005 by the State Department of Parks and Recreation
in cooperation with the Lucy Moore Foundation, a non-profit organization
founded to educate the California public about the massacre.
Currently, the local band of Pomo operate the Robinson Rancheria Casino
, approximately five miles from the site of the Bloody Island Massacre.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
called in the Pomo language, Bo-no-po-ti or Badon-napo-ti (Old Island), at the north end of Clear Lake
Clearlake, California
Clearlake is a city located in Lake County, California. Clearlake is located north-northwest of Lower Lake, at an elevation of 1417 feet...
, Lake County, California
Lake County, California
Lake County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of California, north of the San Francisco Bay Area. It takes its name from Clear Lake, the dominant geographic feature in the county and the largest natural lake wholly within California...
on May 15, 1850. It was a place where the Pomo had traditionally gathered for ceremonies. After this event, it became known as Bloody Island.
Background
A number of PomoPomo people
The Pomo people are an indigenous peoples of California. The historic Pomo territory in northern California was large, bordered by the Pacific Coast to the west, extending inland to Clear Lake, and mainly between Cleone and Duncans Point...
, primarily members of the Hoolanapo clan, had been nearly enslaved
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
and severely abused by settlers Andrew Kelsey and Charles Stone. (The town of Kelseyville, California
Kelseyville, California
Kelseyville is a census-designated place in Lake County, California, United States. Kelseyville is located southeast of Lakeport, at an elevation of 1384 feet...
was named after the former man.) Kelsey and Stone purchased a cattle ranch from Salvador Vallejo in 1847. They captured and impressed local Pomo to work as vaqueros
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
on the ranch. Their treatment of the Pomo was more brutal than had been Vallejo's. Families starved on the meager rations they provided, only four cups of wheat a day for a family. When one young man asked for more wheat, Stone reportedly killed him. In the fall of 1849, Kelsey forced 50 Pomo men to work as laborers on a gold-seeking expedition. After he sold their rations to miners, the Pomo starved, and only one or two men returned alive.
Stone and Kelsey beat and shot Pomo men, and raped their women. After they raped the wife of Chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
Augustine, the tribe attacked their house. Augustine's wife poured water onto the two men's gun powder, rendering it useless; Pomo warriors, including Suk and Xasis, attacked the house at dawn, immediately killing Kelsey with an arrow. Stone jumped out a window and tried to hide in a stand of willow trees, but Augustine found him and killed him with a rock. The Pomo men took food back to their families.
Massacre
On May 15, 1850, a 1st Dragoons Regiment of the United States Cavalry contingent under Nathaniel LyonNathaniel Lyon
Nathaniel Lyon was the first Union general to be killed in the American Civil War and is noted for his actions in the state of Missouri at the beginning of the conflict....
, then still a lieutenant, and Lieutenant J. W. Davison tried to locate Augustine's band to punish them. When they instead came upon a group of Pomo on Bonopoti (later called Bloody Island), they slaughtered many including women and children. The National Park Service has estimated the army killed 60 of 400 Pomo; other accounts say 100 were killed. Some of the dead were relatives of Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake
Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake
The Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake is a federally recognized tribe of Pomo Indians in Lake County, California. The tribe's reservation, the Upper Lake Rancheria, is large and located near the town of Upper Lake in northwestern California.-History:...
and Robinson Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California
Robinson Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California
The Robinson Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California is a federally recognized tribe of Eastern Pomo people in Lake County, California.-Reservation:...
. Estimates of the number of people killed on the island vary between 60 and 400. The army killed 75 more Indians along the Russian River
Russian River (California)
The Russian River, a southward-flowing river, drains of Sonoma and Mendocino counties in Northern California. With an annual average discharge of approximately , it is the second largest river flowing through the nine county Greater San Francisco Bay Area with a mainstem 110 miles ...
.
One of the few Pomo survivors of the massacre
Massacre
A massacre is an event with a heavy death toll.Massacre may also refer to:-Entertainment:*Massacre , a DC Comics villain*Massacre , a 1932 drama film starring Richard Barthelmess*Massacre, a 1956 Western starring Dane Clark...
was a 6-year-old girl named Ni'ka, or Lucy Moore. She hid underwater and breathed through a tule
Tule
Schoenoplectus acutus , called tule , common tule, hardstem tule, tule rush, hardstem bulrush, or viscid bulrush, is a giant species of sedge in the plant family Cyperaceae, native to freshwater marshes all over North America...
reed. Her descendants have formed the Lucy Moore Foundation to work for better relations between the Pomo and residents of California.
Legacy
Later, the Pomo were forced to live in small rancherias set aside by the federal government. For most of the 20th century, the Pomo, reduced in number, survived on such tiny reservations in poverty. Few textbooks on California history mentioned the Bloody Island incident or abuse of the native Californians.Two separate historical markers record the site. The first, placed by the Native Sons of the Golden West
Native Sons of the Golden West
-History:The Native Sons of the Golden West was founded July 11, 1875 by General A. M. Winn, a Virginian, as a lasting monument to the men and women of the Gold Rush Days...
on 20 May 1942 on Reclamation Road 0.3 miles off Highway 20, simply noted the location as the scene of a "battle" between US soldiers under "Captain" Lyons and Indians under Chief Augustine. California Historical Landmark No. 427, describing the location as the scene of a "massacre" mostly of women and children, was placed on Highway 20 at the Reclamation Road intersection on 15 May 2005 by the State Department of Parks and Recreation
California Department of Parks and Recreation
The California Department of Parks and Recreation, also known as California State Parks, manages the California state parks system. The system administers 278 parks and 1.4 million acres , with over of coastline; of lake and river frontage; nearly 15,000 campsites; and of hiking, biking, and...
in cooperation with the Lucy Moore Foundation, a non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
founded to educate the California public about the massacre.
Currently, the local band of Pomo operate the Robinson Rancheria Casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
, approximately five miles from the site of the Bloody Island Massacre.