Koyoongkawi

In the northern Sacramento Valley, the Mechoopda lived among grasslands, oak stands and the creeks flowing down from the Sierra foothills. Their language included the Koyoongkawi dialect, related to that of neighboring Maidu communities. The village of Mechoopda stood on Little Butte Creek, while a summer camp lay beside Big Chico Creek. People moved between permanent villages and summer camps to hunt, fish and gather food in the valley and its surrounding country.