In 1769, father Junipero Serra started a string of missions designed both to colonize California and Christianize. The indigenous inhabitants of California are those who have lived or still reside in the region inside the state's present borders before and after the arrival of Europeans. The wealthiest and most powerful lineage chiefs oversaw these tribes.
The importance placed on individual ownership of food resources like oak forests and fishing grounds is a reflection of the civilizations' strong emphasis on wealth. The Modoc, Achumawi, and Atsugewi tribes lived in this area. Native Americans in California and Christianize consumed a wide variety of plant foods, including acorns and flowering plants.
