The Tataviam – the indigenous peoples of the Santa Clarita Valley – are among the least known of the California Indian groups. Little of their tribal history and unique language survived the mission period.

By sifting through Spanish mission archives and records of early-20th-century anthropologists, Dr. John Johnson retrieved rare pieces of information that shed light on this enigmatic tribe and its descendants.

Dr. Johnson will share these findings in a lecture titled “The Mysterious Tataviam: Original Inhabitants of Camulos” at the Rancho Camulos Museum on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Dr. Johnson has served as Curator of Anthropology at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History since 1986. He obtained his Ph.D. in anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and teaches an annual course on California Indians at UCSB. Dr. Johnson has published more than 80 studies about Southern California Indians.

The event is free. A reception will follow in the museum’s new Visitor’s Center. Donations are apprciated. Reservations are recommended; RSVP by calling 805-521-1501.

Rancho Camulos Museum is located 10 miles west of Valencia on scenic Highway 126.