Beneath the Basilica Digging into Mission Dolores

Dania Marinshaw, Julia Reichelstein, McKenzie Wilson, Michelle Yu

Hi, I’m Cousteau!

As the original thirteen colonies celebrated victory over the British in the Revolutionary War, in June 1776, Spanish Franciscans arrived in San Francisco. The Spanish expected the region’s original settlers, the Ohlone Native American tribe, to build them a mission. In exchange for constructing the mission, which officially opened in June 1776, the Ohlone were allowed one meal a day and were promised a place in Heaven.

      Poor farming and living conditions meant food was hard to come by and most Ohlone did not receive the food they were promised. Another major problem at the mission was the smallpox brought by the Spanish, which infected and took the lives of most of the Ohlone population. The Ohlone mass graves under the Misión San Francisco de Asís inspired its more common name: Mission Dolores (“sorrows” in Spanish).

      The mission is still a popular place of worship for the surrounding Spanish community, as well as a popular tourist destination. But because many of you cannot visit the site, we’ve decided to bring it to you! Your tour guide, Cousteau, is going to show you around and teach you about the Spanish and Native American parts of the mission, which are equally important!

The BasilicaOn April 18th, 1906, a terrible earthquake shook the Bay Area of Northern California. Mission Dolores did not escape the quake unharmed. In order to save the historic mission, firefighters dynamited the Convent and School of Notre Dame across the street from the mission church. While the original white adobe structure of the Mission did survive, the red brick church next door did not. The picture below, taken in 1898, is one of the only pictures we have of the original church. It took almost ten years for the construction of a new and improved church, a basilica to be specific, to be built.

In 1913 construction started on the Basilica at Mission Dolores. Do you know what a basilica is? It is a church that has been given certain rights by the Pope- the head of the Catholic church. The Basilica at Mission Dolores was elevated to basilica status in 1956 by Pope Pius XII, and was the first one ordained west of the Mississippi. The detailed architecture of the building (formally called churrigueresque ornamentation) was inspired Panama-California Exposition held in San Diego's Balboa Park. The community around the mission has a strong Catholic background and still goes to the mission’s basilica to worship and hold religious ceremonies in. A place of worship, community, and history, the Basilica at Mission Dolores holds great beauty and value.

Father Palou Francisco Did you know that the the mission’s original name is the Mission San Francisco de Asis? It was named for St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan Order. However, the actually founding of the mission was headed by Father Junipero Serra and Father Francisco Palóu. Father Palóu was essential to the religious conversion of the

Native Americans at the mission. He also helped move the mission to a more favorable site in 1782  to the present-day site of the mission. The stain glass portrait shown here, a tribute to Father Francisco Palóu, is beautifully displayed in the basilica.

Father Junipero SerraKnown as the Father of the Missions, Father Junipero Serra oversaw the creation of almost all of the California missions, Mission Dolores included. A devout Christian, he devoted his entire life to the conversion of the Western people. At Mission Dolores he officiated the chapel that originally stood next to the mission, and lead by example on how to live a life of religious purity. For his contributions to not only Mission Dolores, but all the missions along the California coast, his stain glass portrait is displayed in the basilica.

The Mission

Many people think that the Spanish built the original mission building, because of the elaborate altar and decorations. But, the Ohlone Native Americans did most of the work—something that many people do not recognize. Native artwork is actually a very important part of mission history!

For example, do you see the ceiling of the room? This colorful painted design overhead is a traditional Ohlone pattern and a representation of their culture. From this example of Indian artwork, we know that this tribe played a huge part in making the mission what it is today. Unfortunately, you might not know about this just based on reading a textbook, because the Spanish tried to cover up the Native American heritage and replace it with Christian and Spanish culture.

How do we know that the Spanish

tried to hide Native American culture?

If you looked behind the altar at the front of the room, you would see this painting on the wall. This mural was painted by the Ohlone Indians as well, but has been covered up for over 200 years behind the wooden wall! Because some people felt like it was unfair to hide this Native American artwork, a few artists recently repainted this mural on Market Street in San Francisco, so that everyone can see it and learn more about Ohlone artwork.

Ohlone LifeThe Ohlones lived in a world of spirits and magic. Fear of upsetting undefined spirits lent to the making of a sort of ethical code. Offerings were made to the gods in the form of prayer sticks and pole offerings.

Music and DanceThe Ohlones liked to listen to musical instruments such as whistles and rattles. There were also many kinds of dances—for religious ceremonies, war, or marriages.

GamesThe Ohlone loved to play all types of games, just like you! They used wood from the trees, reeds from the marshes, animal hides, and nuts and berries to make the tools for their games. Read about some of the different types of games... maybe try a few!

Walnut GameGet six walnuts, and paint, dye or etch  one half of each nut. Shake your walnuts up in a basket. Count your score:

All sides up same color - 5 points4 sides up same color - 1 point

Jewelry and HeaddressesWhile women wore necklaces and bracelets made of bone, clay beads, and abalone shells, it was mostly the men (yet some women, too) who wore the most colorful pieces. Ceremonial headdresses, used for hunting and spiritual purposes, were worn often. Men’s versions were worn in pairs at the back of the head. Colorful feathers protruded from the pieces.

PossessionsFor the Ohlone, selfishness was one of the worst sins. To gain power within the tribe, it was the ability to give away possessions and resources that was respected. Children were taught from a young age that they needed to give not only their fellow tribe members, but also to the spiritual world. Many rituals illustrated the connection between the spiritual and physical worlds. Tools, jewelry, and other items were believed to be alive with spirits of their ancestral world. Children were taught to respect these spirits by using the natural gifts with gratitude, respect, and purposefulness.

HuntingThe Ohlone had much simpler hunting tools than some other Native American tribes. They mostly stuck to a simple version of the bow and arrow, which were made of yew and the bowstrings made of sinew or vegetable fiber. Most of the arrows had three feathers which were skillfully

attached to a hardwood shaft. The arrowheads were made of chert, obsidian, or bone. Bone was also used to make awls, needles and toothpicks, spear points, and harpoon tips. Hunters also acknowledged the spirit of the animals they were about to kill.

WarfareThe Ohlone people were similar to many other Native American tribes in a variety of ways. From food gathering, to hunting, to spiritual practices, there was much overlap in daily life between tribes. When it came to warfare, however, the Ohlone were much more peaceful than their other neighboring tribes. Instead of complex political systems and deadly warfare, the Ohlone were a much more peaceful tribe, one based around flexible family relations which rarely competed with each other for power. It was their peaceful nature, though, that made the tribe easier for the Spanish to conquer and control.

The cemetery’s Tule house is a reminder of the Native Americans who inhabited the land before the Franciscans arrived. The only other sign of Native American life at the mission, the wooden Native American grave marker, is located across the path.

The Cemetery

The lone Native American grave marker in the cemetery represents more than just the two individuals beneath—it symbolizes the entire Native American community at the miss ion , who were not allowed to be buried in the mission’s cemetery.

What does the cemetery tell us about how the Spanish treated

the Native Americans?

Though most people believe that the mission was primarily inhabited and run by the Spanish, there are many other Europeans buried here from places such as Italy, Ireland and even Scotland. Unfortunately, if you look closely you might notice that many young people are buried in the cemetery. If look even closer, you will notice that there are no Ohlone grave markers, even though several thousand of them died at the mission. Limited food and diseases like smallpox made it difficult for many youngsters to survive longer than their teenage years.

Consider what you just read! What surprised you? What might you want to learn more about? Look at the way information is presented to you. Facts are always presented with some interpretation, but know that you are entitled to your own opinions as well! Consider who is telling you the story, who is presenting the facts, and consider what things they said, what things they might have left out, and why they decided to make those choices. Remember that the story you read in any sort of book is just one way of describing what happened. As you have hopefully learned, the Ohlone story is just as important to Mission Dolores as the Spanish version.

How would YOU tell the story of Mission Dolores?

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