oz enc raft , ▁Red ick ▁McK ee ▁and ▁George ▁W . ▁Bar bour , ▁to ▁study ▁the ▁California ▁situation ▁and ▁"... neg oti ate ▁treat ies ▁with ▁the ▁various ▁Indian ▁tribes ▁of ▁California ." ▁Tre aty ▁negoti ations ▁en su ed ▁during ▁the ▁period ▁between ▁March ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 1 8 5 1 ▁and ▁January ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 8 5 2 , ▁during ▁which ▁the ▁Commission ▁interact ed ▁with ▁ 4 0 2 ▁Indian ▁chief s ▁and ▁head men ▁( re present ing ▁approximately ▁one - third ▁to ▁one - half ▁of ▁the ▁California ▁tribes ) ▁and ▁entered ▁into ▁eigh teen ▁treat ies . ▁ ▁California ▁Senator ▁William ▁M . ▁G win ' s ▁Act ▁of ▁March ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 8 5 1 ▁created ▁the ▁Public ▁Land ▁Commission , ▁whose ▁purpose ▁was ▁to ▁determine ▁the ▁valid ity ▁of ▁Spanish ▁and ▁Mexican ▁land ▁gr ants ▁in ▁California . ▁On ▁February ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 1 8 5 3 ▁Arch bishop ▁J . S . ▁Ale many ▁file d ▁pet itions ▁for ▁the ▁return ▁of ▁all ▁former ▁mission ▁lands ▁in ▁the ▁state . ▁O wn ership ▁of ▁▁ ▁( ess entially ▁exact ▁area ▁of ▁land ▁occupied ▁by ▁the ▁original ▁mission ▁buildings , ▁c em eter ies , ▁and ▁gard ens ) ▁was ▁subsequently ▁convey ed ▁to ▁the ▁Church , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁C añ ada ▁de ▁los ▁P inos ▁( or ▁College ▁Ran cho ) ▁in ▁Santa ▁Barbara ▁County ▁compr ising ▁, ▁and ▁La ▁Lag una ▁in