Between 1850 and 1860 , the state of California paid around 1.5 million dollars ( some $ 250,000 of which was reimbursed by the federal government ) to hire " militias " whose purpose was to protect settlers from the indigenous populations . These " private military forays " were involved in several of the above-mentioned massacres , and sometimes participated in the " wanton killing " of Native peoples . The first governor of California , Peter Burnett , openly called for the extermination of the Indian tribes , and in reference to the violence against California 's Native population , he said , " That a war of extermination will continue to be waged between the two races until the Indian race becomes extinct , must be expected . While we can not anticipate the result with but painful regret , the inevitable destiny of the race is beyond the power and wisdom of man to avert . " As a result , the rise of modern California equalled great tragedy and hardship for the native inhabitants . Several scholars , including Benjamin Madley and Ed Castillo , have described the actions of the California government as a genocide
genocide
California Genocide
History of California