Enjoy a celebration of the life of Native American cheif Antonio Garra who led a Native American rebellion in 1851.
The day will include Native American singers and dancers, lectures and displays.
Garra led what is now known at the Garra Uprising against white settlers in response to taxation without representation, an utter lack of legal redress, forced labor, land confiscation, legalized murder and other injustices to California Native Americans. The State of California was established in the prior year and the first official act was An Act for the Government and Protection of Indians. While the act did ordain certain projections for Indians it also legalized up to four months indentured servitude for Native Americans who had been assessed civil fines or had no obvious source of employment. The act also specified "in no case shall a white man be convicted on any offence upon the testimony of an Indian". Native Americans justifiably felt under siege nearly everywhere in California. Wars, raids and European diseases had laid waste to most native populations. Garra tapped into the resulting anger and raised a force of Cupe?o and Diegue?o peoples to oppose white oppression. Several violent encounters with white troops, sheepherders and ranchers (most notably John Warner) ensued. Eventually Garra was captured not by any opposing whites but by a rival Native American military leader Juan Antonio from the Cahuilla tribe. Juan Antonio claimed to have done so to prevent the wholesale slaughter of Native Americans in response to the uprising. However, on several previous occasions Antonio had collaborated with American military forces against other Native Americans (as well as white outlaws). Garra was executed by firing squad in Old Town San Diego and is believed to be buried underneath what is now San Diego Avenue and has a grave stone in memory of his life located in El Campo Santo Cemetery in Old Town.?historical summary by T. Johnston-O'Neill
Admission/Cost: FREE
Location:
First San Diego Courthouse Museum
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
4002 Wallace St.
San Diego, CA
Saturday, January 12 - 12:00 PM
The day will include Native American singers and dancers, lectures and displays.
Garra led what is now known at the Garra Uprising against white settlers in response to taxation without representation, an utter lack of legal redress, forced labor, land confiscation, legalized murder and other injustices to California Native Americans. The State of California was established in the prior year and the first official act was An Act for the Government and Protection of Indians. While the act did ordain certain projections for Indians it also legalized up to four months indentured servitude for Native Americans who had been assessed civil fines or had no obvious source of employment. The act also specified "in no case shall a white man be convicted on any offence upon the testimony of an Indian". Native Americans justifiably felt under siege nearly everywhere in California. Wars, raids and European diseases had laid waste to most native populations. Garra tapped into the resulting anger and raised a force of Cupe?o and Diegue?o peoples to oppose white oppression. Several violent encounters with white troops, sheepherders and ranchers (most notably John Warner) ensued. Eventually Garra was captured not by any opposing whites but by a rival Native American military leader Juan Antonio from the Cahuilla tribe. Juan Antonio claimed to have done so to prevent the wholesale slaughter of Native Americans in response to the uprising. However, on several previous occasions Antonio had collaborated with American military forces against other Native Americans (as well as white outlaws). Garra was executed by firing squad in Old Town San Diego and is believed to be buried underneath what is now San Diego Avenue and has a grave stone in memory of his life located in El Campo Santo Cemetery in Old Town.?historical summary by T. Johnston-O'Neill
Admission/Cost: FREE
Location:
First San Diego Courthouse Museum
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
4002 Wallace St.
San Diego, CA
Saturday, January 12 - 12:00 PM
