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The Valley California Territory Is Once Inhabited By The Paiutes People ( An Indigenous Native American Group )

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The Owen Valley California territory was once inhabited by the Paiutes people (an indigenous Native American group). When the Unites States acquired the California territory, expeditions were led across the state, and it was discovered by the white man that Owen Valley was a land of value. Government action (e.g. the Preemption and Homestead acts; government subsidies) encouraged western migration and expansion leading to the claim of most of the Owens Valley land. Similar to the guise of gentrification, the white man wanted to take primary control of the area for the sake of “a need for development”. The powerful Americans undermined the use values of the Paiute people, and threatened their quality of life and well-being. The Paiutes resisted unsuccessfully (they were no match for the powerful United States army assisting the white settlers), and through the familiar tactics of deception, coercion, force, and violence, the Paiute people were forced from their land, and the ones who remained were stratified, and forced to endure subpar living conditions and work standards. The tides shifted years later when a new, more powerful group found interest in the natural resources of the Owen Valley territory. At the time, Los Angeles, California was a growing metropolis, and of major capitalistic interest to California (with significant ties to the political leaders of the United States as high up as the president). With the population of Los Angeles out growing its water supply,
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