The Esselen were shaped by the rugged geography of the Santa Lucia Mountains and upper Carmel Valley. With a pre-contact population of only 500 to 1,000, the tribe was isolated from the surrounding Ohlone tribes, resulting in linguistic distinctness. In close proximity to three Spanish missions in Carmel, Soledad, and San Antonio, the Esselen were among the first to go extinct culturally. By the 1840s, most had moved to mission towns and rancheros, and there were few remnants of their previous society and way of life. Despite this, a number of traditions were passed down through the generations. They also left a distinct record of their existence in white handprints that are preserved on rock faces in Pine Valley and adjacent areas.
Jordan Perzik is a doctoral student of clinical psychology who studies at the Pacifica Graduate Institute. A resident of Southern California, Jordan Perzik has a longstanding interest in traditional Native American Indian cultures and the philosophies they offer modern society. One of the distinct early California native cultures was the Esselen people of the Central Coast.
The Esselen were shaped by the rugged geography of the Santa Lucia Mountains and upper Carmel Valley. With a pre-contact population of only 500 to 1,000, the tribe was isolated from the surrounding Ohlone tribes, resulting in linguistic distinctness. In close proximity to three Spanish missions in Carmel, Soledad, and San Antonio, the Esselen were among the first to go extinct culturally. By the 1840s, most had moved to mission towns and rancheros, and there were few remnants of their previous society and way of life. Despite this, a number of traditions were passed down through the generations. They also left a distinct record of their existence in white handprints that are preserved on rock faces in Pine Valley and adjacent areas.
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AuthorA doctoral student in clinical psychology, Jordan Perzik has spent the last seven years furthering his counseling education while serving as a therapist in the Los Angeles area. Archives
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