Native Peoples One of the most tragic aspects about the California Missions was how they were essentially slave systems used to destroy and convert the native peoples of California. Originally, the natives and the Franciscans were quite friendly (most likely due to the allure of new technology/goods), but things quickly soured as time went on. Oftentimes, natives were baptized without fully understanding the consequences of such a religious act. Once baptized they were essentially laborers under the Church, and if they left the Mission they were hunted down as runaways. Natives were carefully guarded while on the Mission and not allowed to leave for any reason. Use of physical punishment was prevalent, and diseases unknown to the California peoples took a heavy toll.