Who Are the Serrano?
The Serrano are an indigenous people of Southern California's interior mountains, traditionally inhabiting the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountain ranges and adjacent Mojave Desert margins. The name "Serrano" (Spanish for "highlander" or "mountain dweller") was given by Spanish colonizers; the people call themselves Maarenga'yam ("people from the mountains"). They speak Serrano, a Takic language of the Uto-Aztecan family, related to Cahuilla and other Southern California indigenous languages. Before contact, the Serrano numbered perhaps 1,500-2,500 people. Today, Serrano descendants are enrolled primarily in the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and Morongo Band of Mission Indians, with the San Manuel Band having approximately 400 enrolled members.
Mountain Dwellers
Traditional Serrano territory centered on the San Bernardino Mountains, rising to over 11,000 feet, with extensions into the adjacent Mojave Desert. This highland adaptation distinguished the Serrano from neighboring valley and desert peoples. Mountain villages occupied elevations where acorns, piñon nuts, and game were abundant. Seasonal movement followed resources: higher elevations in summer for piñon nuts and hunting; lower elevations and desert margins in winter. Acorns from black oaks were the dietary staple, processed using granite mortars visible throughout the traditional territory. Deer, rabbits, and mountain sheep provided meat. Trade networks connected the Serrano with coastal and desert peoples, exchanging mountain resources for marine shells and desert products.
Colonial Impacts
The Serrano's mountain homeland initially provided some protection from Spanish colonization, as missions were built in the coastal lowlands. However, some Serrano were incorporated into Mission San Gabriel. After secularization, American conquest brought more devastating impacts. The San Bernardino Valley was settled rapidly; ranches and Mormon colonists took valley lands. The Serrano were pushed into increasingly marginal territories. By the late 19th century, the Serrano population had crashed, and survivors were scattered across the region. Small reservations eventually established at San Manuel and Morongo preserved community, but the Serrano became one of Southern California's smallest indigenous groups.
Contemporary Serrano
Modern Serrano identity is centered primarily in the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, which has achieved remarkable economic success through the San Manuel Casino. Gaming revenues have transformed the tribe from poverty to prosperity, funding education, health care, cultural programs, and substantial philanthropy. The San Manuel Band has become one of California's wealthiest tribes and a major regional philanthropic force, supporting universities, hospitals, and community organizations. Cultural revitalization includes Serrano language preservation—the language is critically endangered with very few speakers—and documentation of traditional knowledge. The Serrano represent both the near-destruction of a small California people and the possibilities for recovery through economic self-determination.
References
- Benedict, R. (1924). A Brief Sketch of Serrano Culture
- Bean, L. J. & Smith, C. R. (1978). Serrano. In Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 8
- Kroeber, A. L. (1925). Handbook of the Indians of California