ESTIMATES BASED ON FISH RESOURCES
For the six tribes just discussed, the ethnographic notes at our disposal offer a means of estimating the population, but we have also another basis for our calculations. Fishery was the most important single factor in the California Athabascan economy, hence the fish resources of the region undoubtedly exerted a marked influence on population size. Therefore, before attempting to estimate the population of the remaining groups, for which we have scanty ethnographic information, I would like to present some data on the fish resources of the region.
I have attempted to calculate the number of stream miles of fishing available and thereby to form some estimate of the economic basis of each of the groups. Most of my information comes from Mr. Almo J. Cordone, Junior Aquatic Biologist of the California Department of Fish and Game, who was kind enough to gather the relevant data from the records of that organization. I have not included material on the freshwater trout, which was apparently too scarce to be important, or on the lamprey eel, on which we do not have sufficient information, although it was of some importance, especially in the Eel River and its tributaries.
The available stream miles of fishing may seem insufficient material on which to base estimates of fish resources and unquestionably it would be desirable to have some idea of the fish population per mile of stream in order to estimate the food value of the resources available to the people. On the other hand, this point may not be as crucial as it seems, for apparently the fish population was not a governing factor in the number of fish taken by the Indians. According to Rostlund (1952, p. 17), the aboriginal fishermen of California did not even approach overfishing. If this is so, then there must have been fish left uncaught even in the smaller salmon streams and it would therefore seem that one stream was nearly as good as another, if it carried salmon at all. An exception would be the Trinity River and its tributaries, the only streams in the Athabascan area with both spring and fall runs of salmon. In other streams there is only a fall run.
The lists that follow include data, not only for the six tribes previously discussed (Wailaki, Pitch Wailaki, Mattole, Lolangkok Sinkyone, Hupa, and Whilkut), but also for the Nongatl, Kato, Shelter Cove Sinkyone, Lassik, and Bear River groups. The fish species is recorded, when it is known; when our source gives no identification of species, however, the generic term is used.
Available Stream Miles for Fishing in Tribal Territory
KATO 29 mi.
South Fork Eel R.—19 mi. Quantities of steelhead and silver salmon go up at least to Branscomb and King salmon go at least to Ten Mile Cr. (Dept. of Fish and Game).
Hollow Tree Cr.—5 mi. There was fishing on this stream (Gifford, 1939, p. 304). Fish not specified, probably steelhead and salmon.
Ten Mile Cr.—5 mi. This stream appears to be large enough for salmon and there were villages on it. Also the Fish and Game information for South Fork implies fish in the stream.
WAILAKI (Eel R. and North Fork Wailaki) 23 mi.
Eel R.—16 mi. There are good runs of salmon as far up as Lake Pillsbury (Dept. of Fish and Game).
North Fork Eel—7 mi. Salmon go up North Fork farther than 7 mi. (see Pitch Wailaki).
PITCH WAILAKI 15 mi.
North Fork Eel—12 mi. See below.
Casoose and Hulls creeks—3 mi. The Dept of Fish and Game states that salmon do not ascend North Fork above Asbill Cr. but Goddard's informant (see Pitch Wailaki Village no. 21) said that fish got up into Hulls and Casoose creeks, the mouths of which are above Asbill Cr. The Dept. of Fish and Game information may refer to a more recent situation.
LASSIK 25 mi.
Eel R.—17 mi. (See Wailaki.)
Dobbyn Cr.—8 mi. There would seem to have been fish in Dobbyn Cr., since it is a fair-sized stream and there were many villages on it.
SHELTER COVE SINKYONE 67 mi.
South Fork Eel—39 mi. There were a good many fish in South Fork as far up as Branscomb (Dept. of Fish and Game).
Redwood Cr.—5 mi. According to Merriam the region around Redwood Cr. was a center for the Shelter Cove Sinkyone; therefore there must have been fish in the creek.
Mattole R.—11 mi. There is a partial barrier to salmon at the community of Thorn but some fish get up even beyond this (Dept. of Fish and Game).
East Branch, South Fork Eel—4 mi. King salmon and silver salmon go up at least to Squaw Cr. (3 mi.) and steelhead go up at least to Rancheria Cr. (4.5 mi., according to the Dept. of Fish and Game).
Sea Coast—8 mi. The Shelter Cove Sinkyone have 16 mi. of sea coast. The only reliable data on the density of sea coast population in relation to the riverine population are given by Kroeber (1925a, p. 116). According to his figures, the seashore is about half as productive as the rivers and I have therefore halved the sea coast mileage in the calculation of available fishing miles.
LOLANGKOK SINKYONE 63 mi.
Eel R.—27 mi. (See Wailaki.)
South Fork Eel R.—16 mi. (See Kato.)
Bull Cr.—6 mi. According to Merriam, there was a large settlement on Bull Cr. It could not have been supported without fish.
Salmon Cr.—5 mi. Goddard mentions fishing on at least part of this stream.
Mattole R.—10 mi. The fish go beyond this stretch at least as far as Thorn (Dept. of Fish and Game).
MATTOLE 38.5 mi.
Mattole R.—25 mi. The fish go considerably beyond here in the Mattole.
North Fork Mattole—5 mi. North Fork is a sizable stream and there were several villages along it, so it probably had fish in it.
Sea Coast—8.5 mi. The Mattole have 17 mi. of sea coast. This has been halved in accordance with the principle stated above.
BEAR RIVER 21 mi.
Bear R.—18 mi. This figure is rather arbitrary since the information is poor for this stream. It is known that silver salmon and steelhead are caught there and that there is a fall run of King salmon (Dept. of Fish and Game).
Sea Coast—3 mi. The Bear River group has 6 mi. of sea coast, halved for present purposes.
NONGATL 85 mi.
Van Duzen R.—40 mi. Steelhead go up as far as Eaton Roughs (40 mi.). Silver salmon go up as far as Grizzly Cr. (21 mi.) and probably as far as Eaton Roughs. There are no data on King salmon but it is known that there is a fall run of them here. Information from Dept. of Fish and Game.
Eel R.—5 mi. All 5 mi. of the Eel in Nongatl territory should provide excellent fishing.
Larabee Cr.—20 mi. There is no direct information on this stream, but it is of considerable size and there were many villages at least 20 mi. up.
Yager Cr.—20 mi. Again we have no direct information but there are many villages far up on this stream. Twenty miles of available fishing is probably a conservative estimate.
Mad R.—0 mi. There is a long stretch of Mad R. in Nongatl territory but, according to the Dept. of Fish and Game, no fish go up so far.
WHILKUT 70 mi.
Mad R.—27 mi. There is a 12-ft. falls at Bug Cr. which represents a nearly complete barrier to salmon. This means that there are salmon in nearly all the territory of the Mad R. Whilkut.
North Fork Mad R.—8 mi. According to Merriam, there were fishing camps nearly this far up on North Fork.
Redwood Cr.—35 mi. There is no direct information on this stream. I have attributed salmon to nearly its whole length because of the size of the stream and the large number of villages along its upper course.
HUPA 39 mi.
Trinity R.—27 mi. There are fish in this whole stretch (Dept. of Fish and Game).
South Fork Trinity—12 mi. There are known to be salmon in South Fork, and presumably they go up as far as the border of Hupa territory.
TABLE 2
Area, Fishing Miles, and Population Estimates
| Tribe[2] | Pop. Estimate | Area | Ln Area | Fishing Miles | Ln Fishing Miles |
| Wailaki | 1,656 | 296 | 5.69 | 23 | 3.14 |
| Pitch Wailaki | 1,104 | 182 | 5.20 | 15 | 2.71 |
| Mattole | 1,200 | 170 | 5.14 | 38.5 | 3.65 |
| Lolangkok Sinkyone | 2,076 | 294 | 5.68 | 63 | 4.14 |
| Hupa | 1,475 | 424 | 6.05 | 39 | 3.66 |
| Whilkut | 2,588 | 461 | 6.13 | 70 | 4.25 |
| Average | 1,683 | 5.65 | 3.59 |
[2] Relatively complete village counts.
TABLE 3
Area and Fishing Miles
| Tribe[3] | Area | Ln Area | Fishing Miles | Ln Fishing Miles |
| Kato | 225 | 5.42 | 29 | 3.37 |
| Bear River | 121 | 4.80 | 21 | 3.04 |
| Lassik | 389 | 5.96 | 25 | 3.22 |
| Nongatl | 855 | 6.75 | 85 | 4.44 |
| Shelter Cove Sinkyone | 350 | 5.86 | 67 | 4.20 |
[3] Incomplete village counts.