Saklan Rebellion

The Saklan Indians were based in central Contra Costa County and the Lafayette area.

The region formerly had abundant springs and marshes that supported large villages and allowed them to live at much higher population densities than most other places in North America.

“Many good creeks, with numerous villages and many gentle, peaceful Indians.”

— Father Juan Crespi in 1772, very early European intrusion

However, by 1795 most of them had been rounded up and moved to Mission Dolores.

In April of 1795 a group of Saklans left the Mission on a sanctioned vacation to their homeland but did not return when they were supposed to.

They had gone with other tribal natives to a big dance in Napa.

A posse from the Mission arrived April 29 to retrieve them.

The fugitive Saklan men and their allies emerged from the dark of the dance house with such force that they broke down its walls.

Armed with bows and arrows they attacked the posse, killing 7 of them.

Governor Borica in Monterey reacted with alarm and ordered the Mission guard on alert, but they were not strong enough to go attack the Saklans.

Meanwhile many other Indians fled the Mission.

Not a single tribal couple appeared at the Mission for baptism for the next five years.

In July 1797 Pedro Amador was ordered to gather his forces and attack the Saklan village of Jussent in Lafayette.

Seven Saklans were killed and 30 more brought under control.

Amador described them as very haughty Indians.

Our researcher Robert Fellows writes:

It would be interesting get a geologist to review the Saklan Lafayette sites to see which would be like likeliest to have had the wells mentioned in the Jussent battle description.

Several villages were scattered throughout the Lamorinda area with a population of 70-200 people in each.