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61-867: Today, many of the tribal citizens and descendants of the Mono tribe inhabit the town of North Fork (thus the label "Northfork Mono") in Madera County . People of the Mono tribe are also spread across California in: the Owens River Valley ; the San Joaquin Valley and foothills areas, especially Fresno County ; and in the San Francisco Bay Area . The Mono lived on both sides of the Sierra Nevada and are divided into two regional tribal/dialect groups, roughly based on

122-708: A census-designated place (CDP). North Fork is part of the Madera Metropolitan Statistical Area and is home to the tribal headquarters of the Northfork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California . North Fork is situated in the Sierra Nevada foothills at an elevation of 2,638 feet. It is roughly 46 miles (74 km) miles north-northeast of Fresno , 41 miles (66 km) miles northeast of Madera, and 17 miles (27 km) miles southeast of Oakhurst by road. The CDP has

183-409: A dude ranch in the 1950s. It catered to fishing and hunting parties during their respective seasons, as well as local loggers. Known for its rough-and-tumble patrons, its proprietor was jailed for six months in the 1950s for firing a .45 caliber pistol at a patron. Today, it continues to operate as a restaurant and western saloon . A historical marker, established by E Clampus Vitus , signifies

244-428: A bachelor's degree or higher, significantly less than the state's 37%. In terms of housing, North Fork is more affordable, with a median gross rent of $ 981, compared to the state's $ 1,870, and it has a total of 1,633 housing units. Demographically, the community comprises 356 American Indians, 385 Hispanic or Latinos, and 352 individuals of two or more races, with a majority of 2,388 identifying as White. The area has

305-582: A gaping mouth." Those living in awahni were known as the Awahnichi (also spelled Awani , Ahwahnechee , and similar variants), meaning "people who live in awahni". The naming of the Ahwahnee Hotel was derived from the Miwok word. The authenticated Southern Sierra Miwok villages are: After Euro-Americans entered Yosemite Valley and the adjacent Sierras, and established Yosemite National Park ,

366-747: A portion of the Central Valley's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and adjacent plains in modern southern Sacramento County , eastern Solano County , and northern San Joaquin County . They spoke Plains Miwok , a language of the Miwokan branch of the Utian language family. Classical anthropologists recorded a number of specific Plains Miwok villages, but it remained for work by Bennyhoff in the 1950s and 1960s to recognize multi-village territorial local tribes as

427-504: A significant change for the town, starting a new logging era that lasted over fifty years. The introduction of logging trucks and modern equipment allowed deeper access into the Sierra National Forest , increasing the industry's reach and efficiency. Although the sawmill and logging roads were not fully developed, operations began in 1942. By April 1, 1943, the mill processed its first log into lumber. In its first year,

488-519: A smaller foreign-born population, making up only 5.2% of its residents, compared to California's 26.7%. North Fork is within the ancestral home lands of the Mono people , who still constitute a significant portion of the population (9.4% according to the 2000 Census). The Sierra Timber Reserve Act , enacted in February 1893, resulted in the land around North Fork coming under federal control. This left

549-723: A steady presence in North Fork, acting as the heart of the reserves, until it was eventually moved to Clovis in 1989. During the Great Depression , commercial logging in eastern Madera County came to a sudden stop, leading to the end of logging railroads. The Sugar Pine Lumber Company , operating in the mountains above North Fork, shut down in 1933. In 1941, the Associated Box and Lumber Company purchased 135 acres (55 ha) of land and moved its operations from Bieber to North Fork by 1942. This relocation marked

610-403: A survey marker. The site has wooden stairs leading up the hillside about 50 feet from the road. The marker is not wheelchair accessible. North Fork has a Mediterranean climate ( Köppen Csa ) with cool, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. Its average annual precipitation is 33.43 in (849 mm). Its hardiness zone is 7b. North Fork first appeared as a census designated place in

671-482: A total area of 32.3 square miles (84 km ) square miles, with Willow Creek , North Fork, and South Fork serving as its primary bodies of water. North Fork also holds the distinction of being the community closest to the geographic center of California. North Fork is within the ancestral home of the Mono Native Americans . The community developed into a significant hub for the timber industry, which

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732-493: Is difficult to determine how many of these are Mono. North Fork, California North Fork (formerly Brown's and Northfork ; Mono wa?ahhpY' , "cedar grove") is an unincorporated community in Madera County, California , United States. As of the 2020 United States census it had a population of 3,250. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined North Fork as

793-555: Is drained by Willow Creek and by its North Fork and South Fork. Willow Creek is a south-flowing tributary of the San Joaquin River . The geographic center or midpoint of the state of California is located between North Fork and Italian Bar. The point is about 7.1 miles (11.4 km) driving distance from the United States Forest Service office in North Fork. The location is marked by a sign and

854-771: Is the Tribal Chairman for the North Fork Mono Tribe, which is not a federally recognized tribe. The North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians is the federally recognized tribe in North Fork and their Chairperson is Elaine Fink. Ceremonies are performed at the Sierra Mono Museum in North Fork, California , and an annual Indian Fair Days festival takes place on the first weekend of August every year to revive many traditions and rituals for tribal kin and tourists alike to enjoy. The Eastern Mono speak

915-424: The 2020 U.S. Census North Fork has a notably older demographic compared to the state average, with a median age of 58 years compared to California's 37.9. A significant portion, 36.2%, of the local population is aged 65 and over, which is more than double the state's 15.8%, highlighting the area's aging population. Additionally, 18.6% of North Fork residents are disabled, surpassing the state's 11.7%, aligning with

976-627: The Mono Lake Basin, and entered Yosemite from the east. The Mono name for the Southern Miwok was qohsoo?moho. Miwoks occupied the lower western foothills of the Sierras and entered from the west. Disputes between the two tribes were violent, and the residents of the valley, in defense of their territory, were considered to be among the most aggressive of any tribes in the area. When encountered by immigrants of European descent ,

1037-579: The Pomo , Maidu , Ohlone , Esselen , and northernmost Yokuts . However, Kroeber observed less "specialized cosmogony " in the Miwok, which he termed one of the "southern Kuksu-dancing groups", in comparison to the Maidu and other northern California tribes. The record of myths, legends, tales, and histories from the Plains and Sierra Miwok is one of the most extensive in the state. These groups participate in

1098-713: The Sacramento Valley , San Joaquin Valley , and the Sierra Nevada . The Plains and Sierra Miwok traditionally lived in the western Sierra Nevada between the Fresno River and Cosumnes River , in the eastern Central Valley of California . As well as in the northern Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta region at the confluences of the Cosumnes River, Mokelumne River , and Sacramento River . In

1159-503: The San Joaquin Valley ( San Joaquin River was called typici h huu' – "important, great river"), Kings River and Kaweah River (in today's counties of Madera, Fresno and Tulare) lived mostly as typical semi-nomadic hunters and gatherers of fishing, hunting and gathering as well as agriculture. In the winter, several families descended into the river valleys and built together fixed settlements, most of which were used for several years. In

1220-490: The brine fly pupae", are also known as Mono Lake Paiute or Owens Valley Paiute , a holdover from early anthropological literature, and are often confused with the non-Northern Paiute ethnic group of the Western mono "Mono". The "Eastern Mono" referred to themselves as Numa/Nuumu or Nüümü ("People") in their Mono/Bannock language dialect and to their kin to the west as Panan witü / Pana witü ("western place" People);

1281-637: The "Eastern Mono bands" bordered in the northwest on the areas of the hostile Southern Sierra Miwok with which it often came to conflicts, in the northeast several Northern Paiute bands migrated, in the southeast and south the Timbisha Shoshone and Western Shoshone bands, in the southwest the Tübatulabal (also: Kern River Indians ) and in the west the "Western Mono bands". The Owens Valley Paiute were also more aggressive and hostile towards neighboring Indian tribes and most recently they fought

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1342-502: The "Monachi/Monache" dialect (better known as: "Mono/Monache" or "Mono Lake Paiute"). Of the 1,000 "Owens Valley Paiute (Eastern Mono) people" there are only 30 active speakers of the "Eastern Mono" or "Owens Valley Northern Paiute" dialect left. Estimates for the pre-contact populations of most native groups in California have varied substantially. (See Population of Native California .) Alfred L. Kroeber (1925:883) suggested that

1403-504: The "Mono language" and culture through the immigration of the "Western Mono" and soon became bilingual) or as "Western Mono" bands (who would have adopted the language of the dominant "Foothill Yokuts"). In particular, the classification of the two Kings River bands – the Michahai / Michahay and Entimbich – is difficult. The Western Mono self-designation is Nyyhmy, Nimi, Nim or Nium , meaning "People" or cawu h nyyhmy . By contact with

1464-446: The "Western Mono bands", to feed larger groups. The Sedentism is also reflected in their socio-political organization in different "districts" (each with communistic hunting and seed rights, political unity, and a number of villages), whose name mostly ended with "patü/witü" , meaning "place" or "land"; each "district" was under the command of a headman or pohenaby . Some "Owens Valley Northern Paiute" districts: The tribal areas of

1525-587: The "Western Mono" called themselves Nyyhmy/Nimi or Nim/Nium ("People"); a full blooded "Western Mono" person was called cawu h nyyhmy . The Owens Valley Paiute or Eastern Mono live on the California-Nevada border, they formerly ranged on the eastern side of the southern Sierra Nevada across the Owens Valley along the Owens Rivers from Long Valley on the north to Owens Lake on

1586-554: The 1770 population of the Mono was 4,000. Sherburne F. Cook (1976:192) set the population of the Western Mono alone at about 1,800. Kroeber reported the population of the Mono in 1910 as 1,500. Today, there are approximately 2,300 enrolled Mono people. The Cold Springs Mono have 275 tribal members. The Northfork Mono's enrollment is 1,800, making them one of California's largest native tribes. The Big Sandy Mono have about 495 members. The Big Pine Band has 462 tribal members, but it

1647-466: The Americans in the " Owens Valley Indian War " (1862 to 1863) with allied Shoshone, Kawaiisu and Tübatulabal The Owens Valley Paiutes are The Southernmost Northern Paiute Band. Their self-designation is Numa , Numu, or Nüümü , meaning "People" or Nün'wa Paya Hup Ca'a' Otuu'mu —"Coyote's children living in the water ditch". The "Western Mono" bands in the western southern Sierra Nevada foothills in

1708-611: The Europeans, the following bands (or local groups) could be distinguished (from north to south): If the Entimbich and Michahai are counted as "Kings River Yokuts" then beside the above-mentioned bands sometimes the following bands are listed: The two clans of the North Fork Mono Tribe are represented by the golden eagle and the coyote. Mono traditions still in practice today include fishing, hunting, acorn gathering, cooking, healing, basket making, and games. The Honorable Ron Goode

1769-671: The Indian people at that mission, and by 1830 they had reached 42% of the mission's population. In 1834 and 1835, hundreds of Plains Miwok survivors of the Central Valley's 1833 malaria epidemic were baptized at Mission San José. By the end of 1835, Plains Miwok was the native language of 60% of the Indian people at the mission. Between 1834 and 1838 the Alta California missions were secularized (closed as religious and agricultural communes). Many Plains Miwoks moved back to their home areas, where between 1839 and 1841 John Sutter played

1830-481: The Mono Indians, who were not recognized as US citizens until 1924 , left out. They were unable to pursue their traditional way of life or maintain their newly adopted practice of cattle grazing, finding themselves effectively excluded from their ancestral lands. Faced with these obstacles, many Mono Indians either assimilated into the settler community or dispersed to other areas. The first permanent community

1891-431: The Mono people is referred to as "Nim." Mun a hoo e boso. Mun a hoo e num. Mun a hoo to e hun noh pa teh can be translated as "Hello to my friends. Hello to the Mono people. Hello to the people from all over." Today, the Mono language (including its two dialects) is critically endangered. Among about 1,300 "Western Mono (Mono or Monache) people", only about 20 active speakers and 100 half speakers speak "Western Mono" or

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1952-720: The Mono/Bannock language dialect, which together with the Northern Paiute language (a dialect continuum ), forms the Western Numic branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Due to the geographical separation as well as the interaction with neighboring tribes and peoples (incorporation of loanwords and/or frequent Bilingualism ) two very different dialects developed in the course of time which are difficult to understand for each other. The native language of

2013-502: The North Fork mill processed over nine million board feet of lumber, mainly from ponderosa pine , sugar pine , lodgepole pine , and incense cedar in the Sierra National Forest. The establishment of the mill significantly transformed North Fork. By 1951, the population surged to over 2,000 people. The mill emerged as a major employer, offering jobs to over 130 workers at peak times and contributing about $ 500,000 to

2074-652: The Sierra crest: The current tribal name "Mono" is a Yokutsan loanword from the tribe's western neighbors, the Yokuts , who however hereby designated the Owens valley Paiutes as the southernmost Northern Paiute band living around "owens lake" / Mono Lake as monachie/monoache (" fly people") because fly larvae was their chief food staple and trading article and not the "Mono". This " Kucadikadi Northern Paiute Band ", whose autonym Kutsavidökadö/Kutzadika'a means "eaters of

2135-404: The area's reputation. The Fresno Morning Republican once described the area as "a bleak little mountain center," emphasizing its isolation from valley towns such as Friant and Madera . Sam Peckinpah , the renowned director, drew inspiration from his youth spent on his grandparents' ranch in North Fork. His grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Peckinpah, settled in North Fork in 1884, and

2196-448: The community's older demographic. The community also has a higher percentage of veterans at 13%, compared to the California average of 4.3%, indicating a considerable number of residents with military backgrounds. Financially, North Fork's median household income is $ 65,850, below California's $ 91,551, and the area has a higher poverty rate of 15.7%, against the state's 12.2%. Educational levels are lower as well, with only 17.9% holding

2257-475: The company had established a post office under the name North Fork, subsequently bestowing the settlement with its present-day name. The small settlement, comprising mainly a handful of stores, hotels, and a watering trough, was primarily inhabited by miners and hog stockmen. Contemporary accounts note that the main store offered "a few groceries, cheap calico, and lots of whiskey," a selection that influenced locals to rename Alder Creek to Whiskey Creek, reflecting

2318-633: The first weekend in July. The event included a loggersports competition, a main street parade, and a beauty pageant . With the closure of the local mill in the 1990s, the event, now known as the Mid-Sierra Loggers Jamboree, has evolved into a tribute to the enduring legacy of logging in the region. Plains and Sierra Miwok The Plains and Sierra Miwok were once the largest group of California Indian Miwok people , Indigenous to California . Their homeland included regions of

2379-498: The foothills of the Sierra Nevada at an elevation of 2,638 feet (804 m). It is 46 miles (74 km) north-northeast of Fresno , 41 miles (66 km) northeast of Madera , and 17 miles (27 km) by road southeast of Oakhurst . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the North Fork CDP has a total area of 32.3 square miles (84 km ), of which 0.04 square miles (0.10 km ), or 0.14%, are water. The community

2440-484: The general cultural pattern of Central California. Miwok mythology is similar to other natives of Central and Northern California. The Plains and Sierra Miwok believe in animal and human spirits, and see the animal spirits as their ancestors. Coyote is seen as their ancestor and creator god . There were four definite regional and linguistic sub-divisions: Plains Miwok, Northern Sierra Miwok, Central Sierra Miwok, and Southern Sierra Miwok. The Plains Miwok inhabited

2501-428: The local economy annually. Despite this economic boost, North Fork did not have a bank. The mill complex featured a sawmill, planing mill, lumber storage, workshops, and housing for employees. These accommodations included twenty-two two-bedroom houses available for rent. By 1968, the mill's annual payroll increased to $ 1,250,000, highlighting the logging industry's importance to the area. In 1985, Ron Yanke acquired

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2562-601: The local groups off against one another in order to gain control of the lower Sacramento Valley. Other Plains Miwok families remained in the San Francisco Bay area, intermarried with Ohlone , Patwin , and Yokuts peoples, and found work on local Mexican ranchos . The Northern Miwok inhabited the upper watersheds of the Mokelumne River and the Calaveras River . One settlement site is within

2623-650: The location of the stagecoach stop in the downtown area. The geographical center of the state of California resides between North Fork and Italian Bar. The exact center, marked by a sign and a survey marker, is approximately 7.1 miles (11.4 km) driving distance from the United States Forest Service office in North Fork. Initiated in 1959, the North Fork Loggers Jamboree began as a regional lumberjack competition open to loggers from seven local counties held annually on

2684-655: The lower banks of the Merced River and the Chowchilla River , as well as Mariposa Creek . They spoke Southern Sierra Miwok , a language in the Utian linguistic group. The Merced River flows from the High Sierras , through Yosemite Valley , and into the San Joaquin Valley near present-day near Livingston . The Mono tribe people (considered Northern Paiute ) occupied the higher eastern Sierras and

2745-459: The mill's closure on February 25, 1994. Until 1996, the timber industry was the backbone of North Fork's economy, with the local lumber mill serving as the town's main source of livelihood. Employment in North Fork is distinct, with 20.9% of its workforce employed in local, state, and federal government roles, a proportion that surpasses California's 14.2%. However, the overall employment rate in North Fork stands at 34.3%, significantly lower than

2806-672: The mill, renaming it South Fork Timber Industries. From 1985 to 1991, the mill averaged an annual output of 143 million board feet of lumber, sufficient to build around 12,000 single-family homes. A cogeneration plant was added in 1986, utilizing sawdust to power boilers and generate electricity, with surplus electricity sold to utilities. The mill also began converting bark into humus and selling ash as fertilizer. However, new government regulations by 1992 reduced forest yields significantly, dropping to 63.8 million board feet by 1993. These changes, along with rising costs, made lumber production unprofitable, leading to layoffs starting in 1991 and

2867-479: The mountains. Consequently, the location was often referred to as "Brown's Place." A significant shift in the settlement's trajectory occurred in 1886 with the establishment of a sawmill on Peckinpah Mountain by Milton Brown and his partner, John Bartram. This venture marked the foundation of the North Fork Lumber Company, which would play a pivotal role in the community's evolution. By 1887,

2928-606: The name "Peckinpah Mountain" pays homage to their former sawmill site. Peckinpah, born in 1925, channeled his family's experiences during the Wild West period into his Western films and TV series, including Ride the High Country (1962) and The Wild Bunch (1969). The town of North Fork in The Rifleman TV series, which Peckinpah created, is named after the real-life North Fork. In 1902, North Fork became

2989-514: The neighboring Southern Sierra Miwok tribe referred to the Yosemite Valley residents as "killers". It is from this reference and a confusion over the word for "grizzly bear" that Bunnell named the valley Yosemite. The native residents called the valley awahni . Today, there is some debate about the original meaning of the word, since the Southern Miwok language is virtually extinct, but recent Southern Miwok speakers defined it as "place like

3050-492: The pivotal hub for the Sierra Reserves, which later evolved into today's Sierra National Forest , when Charles H. Shinn became the head ranger. North Fork's central geographical location, nestled within the expansive territory of the Sierra Reserves that stretched from Tuolumne County in the north to Kern County in the south, made it an ideal choice for the organization's headquarters. The supervisor's office held

3111-616: The present day Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park near Volcano . They spoke Northern Sierra Miwok, a language in the Utian linguistic group. The authenticated Northern Sierra Miwok villages are: The Central Sierra Miwok inhabited the upper watersheds of the Stanislaus River and the Tuolumne River . They spoke Central Sierra Miwok , a language in the Utian linguistic group. The authenticated Central Sierra Miwok villages are: The Southern Miwok inhabited

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3172-426: The present day, many Sierra Miwok live in or close to their traditional territories and Indian rancherias , including at: The Plains and Sierra Miwok lived by hunting and gathering , and lived in small local tribes, without centralized political authority. They are skilled at basketry and continue the traditions today. The original Plains and Sierra Miwok people world view included Shamanism . One form this took

3233-438: The residents were of both Paiute-Mono and Miwok origin. They had either fought to a stalemate or agreed to peaceful coexistence and had intermixed to a limited extent. Alfred L. Kroeber estimated there to be 9,000 Plains and Sierra Miwok combined in 1770, but this is an arguably low estimate. Richard Levy estimated there were 17,800. In 1848 their population was estimated at 6,000, in 1852 at 4,500, in 1880 at 100, and in 1910

3294-508: The signature land-use organization of the Plains Miwok. The published specific village locations were: Among the important landholding local tribes at the time of Spanish colonization in California were: The majority of the members of the Plains Miwok local tribes moved to colonial Franciscan Mission San José , in some cases through attraction and in other cases through intimidation, between 1812 and 1833. By 1815 they represented 14% of

3355-525: The south, and from the crest of the Sierra Nevada on the west to the White and Inyo Mountains including the Fish Lake and Deep Springs Valleys on the east. They were predominantly sedentary and settled in fixed settlements along rivers or springs (or artificial canals). The more intensive arable farming by means of partly artificial irrigation enabled them to build up food reserves and thus, in contrast to

3416-510: The southeast and the Foothill Yokuts in the west. Some "Western Mono" bands formed bilingual bands or units with "Foothill Yokuts" and partly took over their culture, so that today – except for one – each "Western Mono" band are only known under its "Yokuts" name. Even in the ethnological literature the original ethnic classification of the bands listed below is controversial; partly they are listed as "Foothill Yokuts bands" (who adopted

3477-485: The state's 60.0%. The US Forest Service Crane Valley Hotshots , a crew of wildland firefighters, remain based in North Fork. The Sierra Mono Museum showcases the local history and culture. The town also serves as the starting point for the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway , a route known for its stunning views of the Sierra Nevada . The Buckhorn Saloon, a fixture since the late 1800s, evolved into

3538-461: The summer, the family groups migrated as hunters and gatherers to the more sheltered and cooler altitudes of the mountains. Therefore, these smaller groups are sometimes considered socio-politically not as bands but as local groups. The tribal areas of the "Western Mono" bordered the (mostly) hostile Southern Sierra Miwok in the north, the "Eastern Mono" settled in the east, the Tübatulabal in

3599-399: Was established as a remote mountain outpost in 1865 when Milton Brown built what is believed to be the first house in the area — a log cabin at the end of a newly-developed wagon road leading from Crane Valley to the north fork of the San Joaquin River . Serving as a supply point, Brown catered to stockmen, sheepmen, and miners who left their wagons under his care while venturing further into

3660-513: Was the Kuksu religion that was evident in Central and Northern California, which included elaborate acting and dancing ceremonies in traditional costume, an annual morning ceremony, puberty rites of passage , shamanic intervention with the spirit world, and an all-male society that met in subterranean dance rooms. Kuksu was shared with other indigenous ethnic groups of Central California, such as

3721-402: Was the mainstay of the local economy until the late 20th century. Attractions in North Fork include the Sierra Mono Museum and the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway . The Buckhorn Saloon, a mainstay since the 1800s, continues to function as a restaurant and tavern. North Fork is also the site of the annual Mid-Sierra Loggers Jamboree, a tribute to the region's logging history. North Fork is located in

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