The Yontoket Massacre or Burnt Ranch Massacre was an 1853 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...

 of Tolowa people

Tolowa

The Tolowa are a Native American tribe. They still reside in their traditional territories in northwestern California and southern Oregon. Tolowa are members of the federally recognized Smith River Rancheria, Elk Valley Rancheria, Confederated Tribes of Siletz, as well as the unrecognized Tolowa...

 at the village of Yontocket

Yontocket, California

Yontocket is an unincorporated community in Del Norte County, California. It is west-southwest of Smith River, at an elevation of 26 feet .-History:...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. One Tolowa man said that more than 450 people were killed in the attack. The massacre was conducted by a "company" organized by American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 citizens of Crescent City

Crescent City, California

Crescent City is the county seat and only incorporated city in Del Norte County, California. Named for the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city, Crescent City had a total population of 7,643 in the 2010 census, up from 4,006 in the 2000 census...

. At the time of the attack, the Tolowa had been engaged in a prayer ceremony. After the initial massacre, a Tolowa man reported that those responsible for the attack started a bonfire, in which they burned sacred ceremonial clothing and feathers, as well as babies, some of them still living. Little or no loss of life was reported on the American side.