Navjeeth

**Mission Santa Cruz **


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Created by: Navjeeth Pillai

=== **Mission location ** ===

Mission Santa Cruz is located around the San Lorenzo River. The area was considered suitable for the mission because it was beautiful and lush. There were many Ohlone Indians who lived near the area. There were good pastures and forests nearby.

**Founding of the mission **

 Fray Lasuen founded Mission Santa Cruz on August 28,1971.

**Building of the mission ** The Ohlone Indians built the temporary buildings first, but the first rainy season in 1791 caused the San Lorenzo River to flood. The padres decided to rebuild the mission buildings higher up the hill to avoid getting them damaged further by the flood. On February 27, 1793, the Indians started building a new church. The foundation was built out of stone and walls out of adobe bricks made from a mixture of water, mud, and straw. The walls were five-feet-thick. It took one year to finish building the church and was 112 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 25 feet high. The other buildings of the mission, including a gristmill, weaving room, and a two-story granary were built later around a central patio in the shape of a quadrangle. Only one of the original thirty-two mission buildings still stands today, which was used as native family housing, called "The Home for New Citizens." and its original seventeen rooms were homes for only the natives that had high status due to the quality work they produced.

**Life at the mission ** The Friars, Padres and the Yokut and Ohlone Indians lived at the mission. The Native American males worked as farmers, builders, and blacksmiths. They also worked at making leather goods and tools. The women prepared food, made soap and candles. They also did spinning thread,weaving cloth and sewing.The friars made sure that these neophytes were doing their work and also taught the children religion. The Native Americans played games like the stick game and tossing rings during their free time. They ate Atole, a soup made of barley and other grains for breakfast and for dinner and ate Pazole, a soup made of peas and beans for lunch.

**Indians at the mission **

The Yokut and the Ohlone Indians lived at the mission. The Mission had a very strict schedule signaled by the ringing of the Mission bells. Each day started around sunrise with morning prayers. After the prayer, they were served breakfast. After that everyone went to work. At noon, every one gathered for lunch and after a short period of break called siesta, returned to their work for another two to four hours. After dinner, they were allowed to rest till bedtime. Women went to bed by 8pm and men by 9pm. The original houses of the native Indians were dome shaped made of willow branches. They wove branches through the sides to create walls and made a small hole in the roof to allow the smoke to escape. The houses were 6 to 20 feet wide and lasted only for one season. The Europeans wanted the Indians to work at the mission and follow the strict schedule. They did not want them to be influenced by the outside people and made sure that they did not run away. They were not allowed to practice their own religion and leave the mission without permission. The women were locked in the quarters at night and men were beaten and put in leg irons if they did not do their work. The Indians had to give up their freedom, culture, religion and way of life.

**Mission today ** The original Santa Cruz mission church was destroyed in the 1857 earthquake and a smaller version of the church built later still exists today. Attached to the church is one of the original thirty two mission buildings. This building is used as the head quarters of the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park and has a museum inside to teach people about mission life. Santa Cruz means Sacred Cross. The name was given by the Spanish explorer, Gaspar de Portola who called the San Lorenzo River, St. Lawrence and the land Santa Cruz.

**<span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bibliography **
 * 1) Mission Santa Cruz by Kim Ostrow
 * 2) The California Missions by Paul C. Johnson
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">http://www.athanasius.com/camission/cruz.htm
 * 4) http://library.thinkquest.org/13386/allnativeinfo/newhistory.html
 * 5) http://californias-missions.org/individual/mission_santa_cruz.htm

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">**<span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Questions **
 * 1) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What is the nickname of Santa Cruz?
 * 2) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What native tribes lived at the mission?
 * 3) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What did the natives eat?