﻿Vol.2] 
  TRIBES 
  OF 
  SIERRA 
  NEVADA 
  — 
  PARK 
  871 
  

  

  The 
  Tairona 
  had 
  a 
  large 
  population 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  their 
  discovery, 
  

   probably 
  with 
  the 
  Bonda 
  and 
  other 
  groups 
  around 
  Santa 
  Marta 
  

   numbering 
  into 
  the 
  scores 
  of 
  thousands. 
  Allowing 
  for 
  the 
  exagger- 
  

   ation 
  of 
  the 
  early 
  chroniclers, 
  their 
  frequent 
  references 
  to 
  the 
  large 
  

   numbers 
  of 
  Indians 
  encountered 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Santa 
  Marta 
  point 
  

   to 
  a 
  dense 
  population 
  

  

  Similarly, 
  the 
  Chimila 
  were 
  apparently 
  numerous, 
  but 
  in 
  1920, 
  

   according 
  to 
  Bolinder 
  (1924, 
  p. 
  202), 
  only 
  one 
  family 
  numbering 
  

   seven 
  members 
  could 
  be 
  found. 
  

  

  It 
  can, 
  therefore, 
  be 
  assumed 
  that 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  discovery 
  the 
  

   foothills 
  and 
  lowlands 
  of 
  Santa 
  Marta 
  and 
  the 
  regions 
  to 
  the 
  east 
  along 
  

   the 
  Coast 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  and 
  south 
  to 
  the 
  Magdelana 
  River 
  were 
  

   densely 
  populated 
  but 
  that 
  the 
  mountains 
  were 
  more 
  thinly 
  settled 
  

   with 
  a 
  population 
  perhaps 
  no 
  greater 
  than 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  times 
  that 
  to 
  

   be 
  found 
  there 
  today. 
  

  

  Settlements. 
  — 
  Permanent 
  Indian 
  villages 
  in 
  the 
  Sierra 
  Nevada 
  are 
  

   probably 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  European 
  influence. 
  Prior 
  to 
  the 
  Colonial 
  

   Period, 
  individual 
  families 
  followed 
  a 
  seasonal 
  rhythm 
  in 
  moving 
  

   from 
  one 
  isolated 
  family 
  dwelling 
  to 
  another, 
  gathering 
  with 
  other 
  

   families 
  at 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  cansamarias, 
  or 
  temples, 
  only 
  for 
  religious 
  festi- 
  

   vals. 
  The 
  temple, 
  with 
  the 
  small 
  surrounding 
  cluster 
  of 
  dwelling 
  

   houses 
  for 
  the 
  priest, 
  his 
  wives, 
  and 
  the 
  novices, 
  was 
  then 
  the 
  focal 
  

   point 
  of 
  tribal 
  interests 
  and 
  community 
  activity. 
  Apparently, 
  this 
  

   was 
  not 
  only 
  the 
  case 
  with 
  the 
  Cdgaba 
  but 
  also 
  was 
  characteristic 
  

   of 
  the 
  other 
  mountain 
  tribes. 
  

  

  The 
  Colonial 
  authorities 
  and 
  the 
  priests, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  collect 
  taxes 
  

   more 
  effectively, 
  to 
  secure 
  the 
  required 
  labor 
  for 
  maintaining 
  trails, 
  

   churches, 
  and 
  other 
  public 
  buildings, 
  and 
  to 
  permit 
  a 
  more 
  careful 
  

   supervision 
  of 
  the 
  spiritual 
  well-being 
  of 
  the 
  Indians, 
  forced 
  them 
  to 
  

   accept 
  the 
  principle 
  of 
  villages. 
  But 
  today 
  these 
  settlements 
  are 
  

   deserted 
  for 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  as 
  the 
  inhabitants 
  follow 
  the 
  planting 
  

   and 
  harvesting 
  seasons 
  of 
  the 
  cultivations 
  at 
  different 
  elevations. 
  

   The 
  important 
  temples, 
  moreover, 
  remain 
  isolated 
  from 
  the 
  larger 
  

   villages. 
  The 
  communities 
  clustering 
  around 
  the 
  principal 
  Cdgaba 
  

   temples 
  of 
  Mocotama, 
  Taquina, 
  Noavaka, 
  and 
  Mukangalakue 
  remain 
  

   reserved 
  for 
  priests, 
  their 
  wives 
  and 
  attendants, 
  and 
  the 
  novices. 
  

   Only 
  secondary 
  temples, 
  usually 
  serving 
  principally 
  as 
  men's 
  dormitor- 
  

   ies 
  (pi. 
  178, 
  bottom), 
  clubhouses, 
  and 
  workshops, 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  located 
  

   actually 
  within 
  the 
  large 
  villages, 
  as 
  is 
  the 
  case 
  at 
  San 
  Miguel, 
  Palo- 
  

   mino 
  (Taminaka), 
  and 
  San 
  Francisco. 
  In 
  other 
  villages, 
  such 
  as 
  at 
  

   San 
  Andres 
  and 
  San 
  Jose, 
  no 
  native 
  priest 
  (mama) 
  is 
  in 
  residence, 
  the 
  

   temple 
  having 
  only 
  the 
  secular 
  functions 
  of 
  dormitory, 
  clubhouse, 
  

   and 
  workshop, 
  reserved 
  exclusively 
  for 
  men. 
  

  

  