Was there a Digger Native American Tribe? And did the tribe change there name to Chukchansi?

Question

Were not sure if theres a tribe named the Digger tribe, but we heard there was, and also heard that they changed there tribe name to Chukchansi.

Answer 1

Most of the Indian tribes called themselves something like "The People" or "Us" in their language. Most of the names they got stuck with were derogatory; "Flat Heat", "Blackfeet", etc.

Sometimes the Europeans asked a neighboring tribe who lived over the hill. They usually got a derogatory answer; sometimes "The Enemy", sometimes a comment on what they ate. Ask a Brit who lives across the channel, he may say "The frog eaters" or just "The frogs". We used to call Germans "krauts" for the same reason.

It is as if the tribe we know as the "Irish" was called the "Drunkards", the tribe we know as the Scots were called "Canny tightwads", or the tribe we know as "Italians" were called "Lazy and stupid, but good cooks".

Learn more:
http://www.chukchansi.net/
http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1471983

Answer 2

No Digger was the name Given to Chukchansi and many other Native Americans Tribes that once lived in CA!!! That's what the White Men called them!!! I'll Stop here before I say something I shouldn't!!!!

Hokahe Brother

Answer 3

Such Indian Nations living in California at the advent of the white arrivals were called "Digger" Indians because they had to forage the desert for their meager food of roots and other type sources.

The whites called them 'diggers' because of that and it stuck.

Answer 4

THIS IS NOT A GENEAOGICAL QUESTION!!!