Location: County: Sacramento. Nearest City: Sacramento. See map 6.

Campsites, facilities: No campsites. Point of interest to visit while on tour.

Reservations, fees: Admission fees are $3.00 for people 13 years and older, $1.50 for ages 6-12, and under 6 years-old are free.

Contact: Phone the park at 1-916-324-0971.

Operating hours, seasons: The Museum is open daily, except Christmas, New Years, and Thanksgiving holidays. The hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Directions: The park is located in downtown Sacramento at 26th and K streets in downtown Sacramento - adjacent to Sutter's Fort State Historic Park.

Weather, clothing: Summer and spring are warm; fall and winter can be cool. Layered clothing is advised.

Trip notes: On the grounds of Sutter's Fort in downtown Sacramento, Native American structures have been built in an outdoor demonstration area. In the adjacent museum, exhibits and artifacts illustrate the culture of the state's earliest inhabitants. As many as 300,000 to 1,000,000 Native Americans lived in California before the arrival of the first Europeans. There were more than 150 distinct tribal groups. The artifacts in the museum include basketry, beadwork, clothing and exhibits about the ongoing traditions of various California Native American groups. There is a display about Ishi, the last of the Yahi Indians. Ishi managed to remain hidden from western civilization until 1911 when he was discovered in northern California. The museum has a number of special events throughout the year. 

The California State Indian Museum reflects this rich heritage with a fine collection of native California cultural artifacts, including basketry and clothing. Descendants of the first Californians, tens of thousands of them, still live in California and still cherish and carry on their unique cultural heritage. Indigenous people have donated many photographs of family, friends and memorable times for use in the museum. A section of the museum features a hands-on area, where visitors can try their hand at using Native American tools, such as the pump drill, used for making holes in shell beads and other material; the mortar and pestle, used for grinding acorns; and the soap root brush, derived from the soap plant.

The museum features native American basketry. The baskets served as pots, pans and dishes for processing, cooking and serving. There were also burden baskets, baskets for water, milling and mortar baskets, woven seed beaters, parching baskets and gift baskets. Basket making is taught by observation rather than by instruction. The process is a long one, of trial, error and patience.

Also on display is traditional dance regalia, such as feather headbands, plume sticks, dance capes and headdresses; as well as musical instruments, such as the foot drum, clapper stick, wood and bone whistles, dance rattles and musical bow. The Central Valley Regional Indian Room focuses on the Indigenous Peoples of the Central Valley, with information about native American fishing, hunting, tools, trade routes and the gift of Tule, which carpeted the valley's wetlands.

 

Where to go Camping

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Miwok Lodge 439