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Thousands of years before Spanish, English, and Russian exploration, what is now known as California was home to a diverse landscape of native people and tribes (Doak and Reséndez, 2006). The mid-1500s and forwards characterized the time of colonization for the European and Spanish in the North Americas (p.14). California experienced the displacement, exploitation, and disruption of the culture of its native people through commercial and religious exploitation (p.16). When Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821, California became a territory of Mexico.