The Ohlone Indians, named Costanoan by early Spanish colonists, are a linguistic family living on central California’s coast. They originally lived in an area stretching from the San Francisco Bay southward to the lower Salinas Valley.

They traditionally lived in more than 50 independently organized villages and did not view themselves as a distinct group. However, because their languages were similar, they often interacted freely with one another. They survived by hunting, fishing, and gathering acorns and seeds. They lived in round houses made of a framework of poles covered with grass, tule reeds, or ferns. They traveled on boats made of balsa wood or on tule rafts. Their clothing was scant, with the men going naked.

Europeans first met them when Spanish explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno encountered some in 1602 along the Monterey coast.

The first Spanish missionaries arrived in the area in 1769, dramatically changing the lives of the Ohlone Indians. Then they were called Costanoan, which means “coast” in Spanish. Seven Spanish missions were built in their territory between 1770 and 1797. These included San Carlos, Soledad, San Juan Bautista, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San José, and Dolores (San Francisco).

The mission life continued until their confiscation by the Mexican government in 1834, when the Indians were scattered. The Ohlone lost most of their population between 1780 and 1850 due to infectious diseases, high infant mortality rates, and social upheaval associated with European immigration into California. The Ohlone were reduced to less than 10% of their original pre-mission-era population by all estimates.

By the early 1900s, they numbered only about 25-30, most of whom lived a “Mexican” life rather than an Indian.

Many Ohlone descendants live in the San Francisco Bay area today, and some are organized into distinct tribal groups. Though their language hasn’t been spoken for more than 50 years, some Ohlone people are working to revive their ancestral language. These groups are actively involved in preserving and revitalizing their native culture and protecting ancestral sites.

Some organized groups include the Awaswas, Chalon, Chochenyo, Karkin, Mutsun, Muwekma, Ramaytush, Rumsen, Tamyen, and Yelamu.

 

©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated November 2025.

Also See:

California Missions

Missions & Presidios of the United States

Native American Tribes List

Spanish Missions & Presidios Photo Gallery

See Sources.