The Maidu A California Native American Tribe By Elisia J. Arcelona

The Maidu Do you know who in the world the Maidu Indians are? The Maidu are a California Native American tribe. They lived in the higher hills in Sacramento Valley and the Sierra Nevada Mountains . They lived by forest ,meadows, rivers, and lakes. The weather was not too hot and not too cold, just a mild temperature. I will tell you all about the Maidus, homes, food , jobs, clothing , ceremonies, celebrations, and some interesting facts.

The Maidu Homes Did you ever hear about the Maidu's homes? They lived in bark coved houses. Before they started building, they dug a pit in the ground. Then they built a wooden frame over the pit. After that they built that, they made redwood walls and put animal fur on the door. They also built a village community as a round house.

The Maidus Food Do you know what the Maidu ate? The Maidu hunted and ate pronghorn, deer, elk, squeals, rabbits, ducks, geese, and quail. The used bows, arrows , spears , and knifes were to hunt. The Maidus caught fish with hooks, nets, and baskets. They also used long sticks to knock down hazelnuts , buckeyes, and acorns.

The Maidu Jobs Do you know what jobs the Maidu had? Men hunted , fished, made tools such as axes, bows, arrows, fishing nets, and fishing traps. The men and women both cared for their children. The women made clothing, wove baskets and women also gathered food and cooked meals.

The Maidu Clothing Do you know what clothing the Maidu wore? The Maidu women wore woven baskets hats with geometric designs, feather ballast, head bands, bone shell feathers, and wood jewelry. The men wore few of clothing sometimes the men wore breech cloths in the winter, the people wore deer skin leggings, robes, and blankets.

The Maidu Ceremonies Celebration Do you know what ceremonies or celebrations the Maidu did? The Maidu painted their bodies with paint they made from white or red clay , red stone or charcoal, and they also tattooed their upper body with sharp bird or fish bones for ceremonies. When a family member died, the Maidu burned all the person's possessions to help them feel better.

The Maidus Interesting Facts Do you know other cool things about the Maidu? The Maidu children didn't get their names until they were 2 or 3 years old. They would name the children after they see what their personality was like. Maidu means person in their language. They were great baskets makers. The baskets they made could hold water. They were one of the largest tribes in California. Today there are about 3,550 Maidu all over the world.

The Maidu The Maidu was an interesting and unique California Native American tribe. I hope you learn more about the Maidu.