Jerónimo Boscana
Encyclopedia
Gerónimo Boscana was an early nineteenth-century Franciscan
missionary in Spanish Las Californias
and Mexican Alta California
. He is noted for producing the most detailed ethnographic picture of the cultures of Native Americans in California to come out of the missionary period
, an account that "...for his time and profession, is liberal and enlightened" (Kroeber).
on the island of Mallorca
, Spain
in 1776. Boscana was educated at Palma and joined the Franciscan order in 1792. He traveled to Mexico in 1803 and to California in 1806. He served at Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad
(Soledad Mission), Mission La Purísima Concepción
(La Purísima Mission), Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
(San Luis Rey Mission & Luiseño 'Mission Indians
'), and Mission San Gabriel Arcángel
(San Gabriel Mission & Gabrieliño—Tongva 'Mission Indians'). For more than a decade, from 1812–1826, he was stationed at Mission San Juan Capistrano
. He died at Mission San Gabriel in 1831, and is the only missionary to be interred in its cemetery among over 2,000 other mission inhabitants, mainly Tongva-Gabrielino Indians, buried there.
contribution resulted from an 1812 questionnaire sent by the Spanish government
to the missionaries of Alta California (Geiger). The task of preparing a response on behalf of Mission San Juan Capistrano of the Juaneño may have stimulated the missionary's latent interest in the native culture. While at San Juan Capistrano, Boscana composed two versions of a detailed ethnographic sketch of the Acagchemem
(Juaneño) Native Americans
, who were primarily speakers of a dialect of the Luiseño language
but probably also included Tongva language
(Gabrieliño) speakers from the north. One version of Boscana's manuscript, "Chinigchinich; a Historical Account of the Origin, Customs, and Traditions of the Indians at the Missionary Establishment of St. Juan Capistrano, Alta California Called The Acagchemem Nation,", was translated by Alfred Robinson and published in 1846 as an appendix to his book "Life in California". Robinson was apparently responsible for giving the title "Chinigchinix (Chinigchinich)
" to Boscana's work. An edition of this version with extensive annotations by the anthropologist and linguist John Peabody Harrington
was published in 1933.
The following year, Harrington published a translation of another, variant version of Boscana's account, newly discovered in France and entitled "Relación histórica de la creencia, usos, costumbres, y extravagancias de los indios de esta Misión de San Juan Capistrano llamada la nación Acagchemem" (Harrington 1934). The second version was subsequently also published in its original Spanish by 'Reichlen and Reichlen' in 1971. It seems to have been an earlier draft of the manuscript published by Robinson, but it contains some material not included in the later version. Portions of a still earlier draft made by Boscana, with some additional ethnographic information, have also recently been discovered by Johnson in 2006.
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
missionary in Spanish Las Californias
Las Californias
The Californias, or in — - was the name given by the Spanish to their northwestern territory of New Spain, comprising the present day states of Baja California and Baja California Sur on the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico; and the present day U.S. state of California in the United States of...
and Mexican Alta California
Alta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
. He is noted for producing the most detailed ethnographic picture of the cultures of Native Americans in California to come out of the missionary period
Spanish missions in California
The Spanish missions in California comprise a series of religious and military outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between 1769 and 1823 to spread the Christian faith among the local Native Americans. The missions represented the first major effort by Europeans to...
, an account that "...for his time and profession, is liberal and enlightened" (Kroeber).
Life
Born at LlucmajorLlucmajor
Llucmajor is the largest municipality of the Balearic Island Majorca.There are sixteen towns in the district, including the town of Llucmajor and parts of s'Arenal, Cala Blava and Cala Pí.- Towns in the district :...
on the island of Mallorca
Mallorca
Majorca or Mallorca is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea, one of the Balearic Islands.The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Cabrera Archipelago is administratively grouped with Majorca...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in 1776. Boscana was educated at Palma and joined the Franciscan order in 1792. He traveled to Mexico in 1803 and to California in 1806. He served at Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad
Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad is in the Salinas Valley near Soledad, in central Monterey County, California. The mission was founded on October 9, 1791 for the increasing settlement of upper Las Californias Province of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and for the Indian Reductions to convert...
(Soledad Mission), Mission La Purísima Concepción
Mission La Purísima Concepción
Mission La Purisima Concepción, or La Purisima Mission, with the original Spanish name being La Misión de La Purísima Concepción de la Santísima Virgen María, was founded on the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin on December 8, 1787...
(La Purísima Mission), Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, also known as Mission San Luis Rey or San Luis Rey Mission Church, was founded on June 13, 1798 in coastal Las Californias, in the present day U.S. city of Oceanside in California. The local Quechnajuichom Native American tribe became known as the Luiseño 'Mission...
(San Luis Rey Mission & Luiseño 'Mission Indians
Mission Indians
Mission Indians is a term for many Native California tribes, primarily living in coastal plains, adjacent inland valleys and mountains, and on the Channel Islands in central and southern California, United States. The tribes had established comparatively peaceful cultures varying from 250 to 8,000...
'), and Mission San Gabriel Arcángel
Mission San Gabriel Arcángel
The Mission San Gabriel Arcángel is a fully functioning Roman Catholic mission and a historic landmark in San Gabriel, California. The settlement was founded by Spaniards of the Franciscan order on "The Feast of the Birth of Mary," September 8, 1771, as the fourth of what would become 21 Spanish...
(San Gabriel Mission & Gabrieliño—Tongva 'Mission Indians'). For more than a decade, from 1812–1826, he was stationed at Mission San Juan Capistrano
Mission San Juan Capistrano
Mission San Juan Capistrano was a Spanish mission in Southern California, located in present-day San Juan Capistrano. It was founded on All Saints Day November 1, 1776, by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order...
. He died at Mission San Gabriel in 1831, and is the only missionary to be interred in its cemetery among over 2,000 other mission inhabitants, mainly Tongva-Gabrielino Indians, buried there.
Ethnographic studies
Boscana's first ethnographicEthnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
contribution resulted from an 1812 questionnaire sent by the Spanish government
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
to the missionaries of Alta California (Geiger). The task of preparing a response on behalf of Mission San Juan Capistrano of the Juaneño may have stimulated the missionary's latent interest in the native culture. While at San Juan Capistrano, Boscana composed two versions of a detailed ethnographic sketch of the Acagchemem
Juaneño
The Juaneño or Acagchemem are a Native American group from Southern California. The Juaneño lived in what is now part of Orange and San Diego Counties and received their Spanish name from the priests of the California mission chain due to their proximity to Mission San Juan Capistrano...
(Juaneño) Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, who were primarily speakers of a dialect of the Luiseño language
Luiseño language
The Luiseño language is an Uto-Aztecan language of California spoken by the Luiseño, a Native American people who at the time of the first contacts with the Spanish in the 16th century inhabited the coastal area of southern California, ranging 50 miles from the southern part of Los Angeles County,...
but probably also included Tongva language
Tongva language
-Collected by C. Hart Merriam :Numbers# Po-koo /bo'kʰøː/# Wěh-hā /ʋɛj'χɒː/# Pah-hā /pa'χɒː/# Wah-chah /ʋa'ʃɒχ/# Mah-har /ma'χɒʁ/# Pah-vah-hā /pa'va'χɒː/# Wah-chah-kav-e-ah /ʋa'ʃa'kʰav̥eʲa/...
(Gabrieliño) speakers from the north. One version of Boscana's manuscript, "Chinigchinich; a Historical Account of the Origin, Customs, and Traditions of the Indians at the Missionary Establishment of St. Juan Capistrano, Alta California Called The Acagchemem Nation,", was translated by Alfred Robinson and published in 1846 as an appendix to his book "Life in California". Robinson was apparently responsible for giving the title "Chinigchinix (Chinigchinich)
Chinigchinix
Chingichngish is the name of an important figure in the mythology of the Payomkowishum , Tongva , and Acjachemem Native Americans of coastal Southern California.-Character:This character was first mentioned in a description of the beliefs of the native...
" to Boscana's work. An edition of this version with extensive annotations by the anthropologist and linguist John Peabody Harrington
John Peabody Harrington
John Peabody Harrington was an American linguist and ethnologist and a specialist in the native peoples of California. Harrington is noted for the massive volume of his documentary output, most of which has remained unpublished: the shelf space in the Library of Congress dedicated to his work...
was published in 1933.
The following year, Harrington published a translation of another, variant version of Boscana's account, newly discovered in France and entitled "Relación histórica de la creencia, usos, costumbres, y extravagancias de los indios de esta Misión de San Juan Capistrano llamada la nación Acagchemem" (Harrington 1934). The second version was subsequently also published in its original Spanish by 'Reichlen and Reichlen' in 1971. It seems to have been an earlier draft of the manuscript published by Robinson, but it contains some material not included in the later version. Portions of a still earlier draft made by Boscana, with some additional ethnographic information, have also recently been discovered by Johnson in 2006.