Indian Island (Humboldt Bay)
Encyclopedia
Indian Island or Duluwat Island is located on Humboldt Bay within the City of Eureka, California
. The village of Tolowot or Tuluwat on Duluwat Island was the site of the spiritual if not political center of the Wiyot people and is where the main thrust of the 1860 Wiyot Massacre
by European settlers took place. It has also been called Gunther Island, and is the site of a National Historic Landmark
which encompasses the midden
at Gunther Island Site 67.
s, and the island became tall enough to be visible on the horizon from several miles away.
A non-degree student and employee of the University of California
Llewellyn Lemont Loud (1879-1946) conducted archaeological excavations of the island in 1918 that showed evidence of habitation since around 900 AD. The group of artifacts he excavated and described became known as the Gunther Pattern or Gunther Phase which encompasses the final phase of native dominance lasting until historic times and describes a style of Native American
projectile point
s, grave goods
and other archaeological remains which identify a second migration within California around 300 AD The first major evidence of this came from Gunther Island Site 67 on Indian Island.
. There were few survivors.
In the 1870s a shipyard repair facility was constructed. The shipyard operated until the 1980s.
), which cross Humboldt Bay and now directly connect the City of Eureka with the peninsula. Two of these bridges have footings on Indian Island.
Every year since 1992, the Wiyot people and supporters come to the island on the last Saturday in February to heal the community, and remember the human lives lost at the time of the Massacre. Every year participation has increased at the vigil on a nearby island.
In June 2004, 67 acres (271,139.6 m²) of land was repatriated back into Wiyot hands. The City of Eureka, California
transferred the area towards the Wiyot's goal to see the Wiyot dance the World Renewal ceremony again on the island.
The City of Eureka and the Wiyot Tribe have installed temporary erosion control system to mitigate erosion on the site. Contamination from the shipyard activities will need to be cleaned up prior to the development of a new Wiyot dance facility.
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
. The village of Tolowot or Tuluwat on Duluwat Island was the site of the spiritual if not political center of the Wiyot people and is where the main thrust of the 1860 Wiyot Massacre
1860 Wiyot Massacre
The Wiyot Massacre refers to the incidents on February 26, 1860, at Tuluwat on what is now known as Indian Island, near Eureka in Humboldt County, California.-Event:...
by European settlers took place. It has also been called Gunther Island, and is the site of a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
which encompasses the midden
Midden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...
at Gunther Island Site 67.
Geography
The island is the largest of three islands located between the Samoa and Eureka Channels within Humboldt Bay and primarily consists of tidal marsh. Over time, human habitation on the island changed its topography, in part due to a process known as shell mounding, which increased the elevation of the island as Wiyot continually placed shells remaining from subsistence fishery management in the same location over a period of centuries.Early history
The indigenous Wiyot lived in Tolowot village on Duluwat Island long enough to alter the topography by the accumulation of shell fragments in middenMidden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...
s, and the island became tall enough to be visible on the horizon from several miles away.
A non-degree student and employee of the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
Llewellyn Lemont Loud (1879-1946) conducted archaeological excavations of the island in 1918 that showed evidence of habitation since around 900 AD. The group of artifacts he excavated and described became known as the Gunther Pattern or Gunther Phase which encompasses the final phase of native dominance lasting until historic times and describes a style of Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
projectile point
Projectile point
In archaeological terms, a projectile point is an object that was hafted to a projectile, such as a spear, dart, or arrow, or perhaps used as a knife....
s, grave goods
Grave goods
Grave goods, in archaeology and anthropology, are the items buried along with the body.They are usually personal possessions, supplies to smooth the deceased's journey into the afterlife or offerings to the gods. Grave goods are a type of votive deposit...
and other archaeological remains which identify a second migration within California around 300 AD The first major evidence of this came from Gunther Island Site 67 on Indian Island.
1860 massacre
On February 26, 1860, about one hundred Wiyot men, women and children were massacred during a World Renewal Ceremony. The massacre was carried out by European immigrants who had settled in the area since 1850 as part of the California Gold RushCalifornia Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
. There were few survivors.
European settlement
Robert Gunther acquired the island in 1860, the same year of the massacre, giving it the name it had for much of recent history. Gunther diked the island and ran dairy cattle there for nearly 40 years.In the 1870s a shipyard repair facility was constructed. The shipyard operated until the 1980s.
Modern era
In 1971 Caltrans built a series of bridges (known collectively as the Samoa BridgeCalifornia State Route 255
State Route 255 is a state highway in Humboldt County, California, United States.-Route description:It is a western alternate route of U.S. Route 101 between Eureka and Arcata, routed via the three bridges over Humboldt Bay and Indian Island and Woodley Islands, rather than motorists having to...
), which cross Humboldt Bay and now directly connect the City of Eureka with the peninsula. Two of these bridges have footings on Indian Island.
Every year since 1992, the Wiyot people and supporters come to the island on the last Saturday in February to heal the community, and remember the human lives lost at the time of the Massacre. Every year participation has increased at the vigil on a nearby island.
In June 2004, 67 acres (271,139.6 m²) of land was repatriated back into Wiyot hands. The City of Eureka, California
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
transferred the area towards the Wiyot's goal to see the Wiyot dance the World Renewal ceremony again on the island.
The City of Eureka and the Wiyot Tribe have installed temporary erosion control system to mitigate erosion on the site. Contamination from the shipyard activities will need to be cleaned up prior to the development of a new Wiyot dance facility.