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The Serrano Indians are a Native American tribe from California who lived in the San Bernardino Mountains and migrated seasonally. They made lodges from willow branches and hunted small game while gathering wild plants. The tribe’s language is nearly extinct, but there are revitalization efforts and traditional songs have been preserved. The Serrano encountered Europeans in the late 18th century and were forcibly relocated to reservations. Today, there are two Native American tribes with Serrano members in California.
The Serrano Indians are a Native American tribe from present-day California in the United States, who originally lived in the San Bernardino Mountains. Serrano is a Spanish word meaning “highlander” that was used to refer to Indians by Spanish missionaries in the 18th century. The members of the tribe call themselves Taaqtam (“people”), Maarenga’yam (“people of Morongo”) or Yuhaviatam (“people of the pines”).
Traditionally, the tribe inhabited an area from the Mojave River area to the Mojave Desert, including the San Gabrial Mountains to the north and the Sierra Pelona and Tehachapi Mountains to the south. They lived in simple community lodges made of willow branches covered with woven mats, and each family had its own fireplace or hearth. The Serrano Indians migrated seasonally for the warmer climate and lived by hunting small game and gathering wild plants.
Traditionally, Serrano women wore the furs of the animals, while the men wore no dresses. The tribe’s members are skilled basket makers who use their products for a variety of purposes. Their baskets are woven so tightly that they can be used to carry water and are strong enough to cook in. The men hunted small game using arrows and traps, and the women prepared food including flatbread made from pine pinons, and acorn-based porridge.
The Serrano language is a member of the Takic branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family, which includes the other Californian languages Cahuilla, Cupeno, Kitanemuk, Luiseno, and Tongva. Serrano is most closely related to Tongva and Kitanemuk, both of which are extinct, and the Serrano language itself is recently or nearly extinct. A 1994 study found a single surviving speaker.
There are some language revitalization efforts and many of the traditional songs have been preserved. Serrano musicians use gourd rattles for percussion. There are traditional songs about hunting, history and creation stories, and a genre of bird songs in which the birds’ migratory patterns serve as a metaphor for the Serrano story.
Serrano Indians first encountered Europeans in the late 18th century when Spanish settlers established Mission San Gabriel Arcangel near the southern border of the San Gabriel Mountains. Although they initially resisted encroaching settlers, members of the tribe were forcibly relocated to reservations in the 18th. In the following decades, smallpox ravaged the population. The first Serrano reservation was established by the United States in 1834. Today there are two Native American tribes with Serrano members, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, both in California.
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