Survival comes in many, many different forms, but no matter what survivalist story you are talking about, three elements are common.

The first is resiliency. The second is adaptability. The third is innovation. The fourth is opportunism.

No matter what the survival story, those three elements are critical and often spell the difference between surviving or faring much worse.

That is particularly true when the topic is the Native Americans of California.

From the Spanish through present day, California's Native Americans embody the story of survival and of embracing those four elements of survival.

They have withstood hostile settlers, disease, irrational fear, being betrayed by “friends” and being treated as second class citizens, yet still are here with us.

Through it all, they have seized on multiple opportunities and innovated for centuries to ensure their survival; see how on the next page.

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