I'm On A Mission
California was originally inhabited by what we now call Native Americans. In 1542 the Spaniard Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo (Ka-bree-o) landed in the bay of San Diego. He christened the area Alta California. In 1769 Spanish Father Junipero Sierra established what would be the first of 21 missions heading up the coast of California with the objective of evangelizing the natives. In their earnest attempt to impart their religious beliefs on another people, they tried to strip them of their culture and "civilize" them. Many natives died from disease and poor living conditions. Treatment could be very harsh. Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá- 1st Our children learn about the mission system in 4th grade. It was always my favorite year of the kids schooling because each child learns state history and does a report or a replica of the mission of their choice. We would pack up the family and go to see a few and let them pick which would be their focus. The surviving missions a...
