Description
The Mono are a Native American people who traditionally live in the central Sierra Nevada, the Eastern Sierra, the Mono Basin, and adjacent areas of the Great Basin. They are often grouped under the historical label "Paiute" together with the Northern Paiute and Southern Paiute – but these three groups, although related within the Numic group of Uto-Aztecan languages, do not form a single, unique, unified group of Great Basin tribes. The arrival of non-Natives in the San Joaquin Valley, as early as the 1810s, thoroughly disrupted aboriginal life there, as these incursions pushed Native peoples further into the foothills and mountains, in order to flee from the kidnapping, violence, and disease which decimated their populations.
Language
The Mono speak the Mono language, which together with the Northern Paiute language forms the Western Numic branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family.
Culture
Mono social organization consisted of small villages of as many as 50 to 75 people, organized in patrilineal families and ranging over loosely defined hunting areas. Although the power of the chief was far from absolute, his consent was required for all major religious or warlike undertakings; his greatest responsibilities were the settlement of disputes and the sanctioning of punishment. Some Mono still practice traditional trade, basket making, beadwork, fishing, hunting, acorn gathering, cooking, healing and games. Today, individual communities are governed by a tribal council. While the traditional Mono language is declining, some still speak this language.