Round Valley Settler Massacres of 1856–1859
| Round Valley Settler Massacres | |
|---|---|
| Part of the California genocide | |
| Location | Round Valley, California |
| Date | 1856–1859 |
Attack type | Genocidal massacre, ethnic cleansing, kidnapping, slavery, mass rape |
| Deaths | 1,000+ |
| Victims | Yuki people |
| Perpetrators | White settlers and private militias |
| Motive | Dispossession of Indians from their land, pursuit of Indian bounties and indentured servants |
The Round Valley Settler Massacres of 1856–1859 were a series of massacres committed by early white settlers of California with cooperation and funding from the government of California and the support of prominent Californians against the Yuki people of Round Valley, Mendocino County, California. More than 1,000 Yuki are estimated to have been killed; many others were enslaved and only 300 survived. The intent of the massacres was to exterminate the Yuki and gain control of the land they inhabited. U.S. Army soldiers deployed to the valley stopped further killings. In 1862, the California legislature revoked a law which permitted the kidnapping and enslavement of Native Americans in the state.