• North American Studies

Staroselske skupnosti naj bi Severno Ameriko poseljevale že okoli 27.000 let pred našim štetjem. Razvile so svojevrstne kulturne značilnosti in način življenja. S prihodom kolonizatorjev konec 15. stoletja pa je prišlo do njihovega zatiranja in uničenja. Danes živi v Kaliforniji najštevilčnejša staroselska populacija, prav tako pa je to ena izmed zveznih držav z najbolj raznovrstnimi staroselskimi skupnostmi, kar je v največji meri posledica raznolikih fizičnogeografskih dejavnikov. Raznolikost staroselskih skupnosti je predstavljena na primeru Yokutov, plemena Cahuilla in Yurokov, ki prebivajo v različnih fizičnogeografskih enotah Kalifornije. Položaj staroselskega prebivalstva v sodobni družbi se tako v ZDA kot v Kaliforniji izboljšuje, kar se najbolj vidi v naraščanju števila oseb, ki se opredeljujejo kot staroselci. Kljub izboljšanemu stanju pa se avtohtono prebivalstvo še vedno srečuje s številnimi problemi. Indigenous Communities are thought to have inhabited North America as early as about 27,000 A.D. They had developed unique cultural characteristics and lifestyles. With the arrival of the colonizers at the end of the 15th century, the communities were later subjected to oppression and destruction. Today California is home to the largest indigenous population and it is also one of the states with the most heterogenous Indigenous Communities, largely due to a variety of physio-geographical factors. The diversity of Indigenous Communities is represented by the example of the Yokuts, Cahuilla and Yurok tribes who reside in various physio-geographical units of California. The position of the Indigenous population in modern society is improving in both the USA and California, as evidenced by the increase in the number of people who identify as Native American. Despite the improved situation, the Indigenous population is still facing many problems.