KUMEYAAY INDIANS IN MEXICO

KUMEYAAY WERE KNOWN AS YUMAN SPEAKERS IN MEXICO AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND ARE OF HOKAN LANGUAGE FAMILY. IN MEXICO THEY ARE KNOWN AS KUMIAI. ABOUT 300 PEOPLE SPEAK THE LANGUAGE. THESE PEOPLE HAVE OCCUPIED THEIR TERRITORY FOR OVER 12,000 YEARS AGO OR 600 GENERATIONS!

IN 1542 THE FIRST ANGLO EXPLORER SALIED INTO SAN DIEGO WHO WAS FROM PORTUGAL. THERE MISSION IS TO WELCOME VISITORS AND ALL TRIBES AND PROVIDE A CASUAL VILLAGE ENVIRONMENT. THEY WANT TO SHARE THEIR CREATIVE WORK AND NETWORK WITH EACH OTHER. THEY WANT TO ENCOURAGE AND EXCITE THE CREATIVE SPIRITS OF ALL NATIVE AMERICANS. TO PRESERVE AND BUILD UPON THE CULTURAL WORKS OF OUR GRANDPARENTS.

THE SAN DIEGUITO PALEO INDIAN DATE BACK 10,000 B.C. DIFFERENT GROUPS EVOLVED AS THE ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURE DIVERSIFIED. THE SOUTHERN SAN DIEGUITO ARE DIRECT ANCESTORS OF SYCUAN BANDS. THEY WERE A WORLD OF ASTRONOMERS, HORTICULTURALISTS, HEALERS, SCIENTISTS, AND STORYTELLERS.

THE FIRST SETTLED VILLAGE WAS IN OLD TOWN SAN DIEGO. SPANISH EXPLORERS ARRIVED IN 1776, WHEN THE KUMEYAAY HAD 150,000 FOLKS. THEY LIVED OFF THE LAND AND HAD FOLLOWED THEIR TRIBAL CULTURE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. BY 1798 THE SPANISH MISSIONS HAD EXPANDED HERE AND THEIR MILITARY HAD CAUSED CONTINUAL FRICTION AND BLOODY MURDEROUS FIGHTINGTHAT CONTINUED UNTIL 1821. BY 1822 THE KUMEYAAY HAD LOST ALL OF THEIR COASTAL TRIBALLANDS TO THE SPANISH. SPANISH WERE DEFEATED BY THE MEXICANS AND SAN DIEGO CAME UNDER MEXICAN RULE HISTORICALLY.

IN 1846 THE U.S. GOVERNMENT DECLARED WAR AGAINST MEXICO AND IN 1848 THE TREATY OF GUADELUPE HILDAGO WAS SIGNED WHICH ENDED THE MEXICAN WAR. IT ESTABLISHED THE US - MEXICAN BORDER DIVIDING CALIFORNIA AND MEXICO/ ONLY 1000 KUMEYAAY SURVIVED IN SAN DIEGO.

THE FINAL PERIOD OF PREHISTORIC OCCUPATION WAS A HUNTING/GATHERING ECONOMY WITH USE OF ACORNS IN MOUNTAINS, AND MESQUITE BEANS IN DESERTS. THEY HAD A LIMITED US OF AGRICULTURE. THE KUMEYAAY WERE HUNTERS AND GATHERES AND FISHERS. THEY HUNTED DEER, MOUNTAIN SHEEP, AND ANTELOPE. THEY COLLECTED SMALLER MAMMALS - RABBITS, SQUIRRELS, WOODRATS, PIGEONS, DOVES, LARKS, ROBINS, QUAIL AND OTHER BIRDS. THEY ALSO CONSUMED SEAFOOD - CLAMS, ABALONE, SCALLOPS STARFISH, OCTOPUS, AND OTHER MARINE ANIMALS. THE FISH WERE CAUGHT WITH SHELL HOOKS.

THEY MADE BOOTS OF REEDS AND WOOD. THEY PROCURED FISH USING THESE BOATS. THEY PROCURED EDIBLE SEEDS, NUTS,BEANS, FRUITS, AND OTHER PLANTS AND ACORNS - VERY MUCH A STAPLE. THEY PROBABLY PROVIDED 50% OF THEIR DIET. THE AGAVE, PINE NUTS AND MESQUITE BEANS WERE POPULAR. THEY ATE MESQUITE BLOSSOMS IN JUNE, SEEDS P[ODS IN JULY AND IT PROVIDED A LARGE QUANTITY OF FOOD YEAR AFTER YEAR. THEY ALSO ATE YUCCA, WILD PLUM, APRICOT, GRASSES, SAGE SEEDS, GOOSEFOOT BEAVERTAIL CACTUS, MANZANITA, TOYON BERRIES, MANZANITA, TOYON BERRIES, HOLY LEAF CHERRIES. THEY USED OAK AND MANZANITA FOR FIREWOOD. THEY USED PLANTS FOR MEDICINALS. BLANKETS WERE MADE FROM RABBIT SKINS. SHOES AND SANDALS WERE MADE BY HAND. THEY MADE BASKETS FROM BASKET WEED, BUNCH OR DEER GRASS, WILLOW, JUNCAS. CERAMICS WERE USED FOR FOOD PREP, STORAGE AND TRANSPORTING FOOD. THEY MADE BAGS USING AGAVE FIBERS. THEY USED GOURDS FOR DISHES AND FOR STORING STUFFING. THEIR SEASONAL ROUND OF GATHERING WAS BASED ON THE AVAILABILITY OF RIPE AND AVAILABLE ANIMALS. EACH VILLAGE HAD A DANCE AVAILABLE AND A SWEATHOUSE AND GRANERY. THEIR SUMMER HOUSE WAS A WIND BREAK OR A CAVE.

BY THE TIME OF EUROPEAN CONTACT A SHIFT IN KUMAYAAY SUBSISTENCE INCLUDED SOME AGRICULTURAL AND IRRIGATION TECHNIQUES BY THE 1800'S. WOMEN TYPICALLY GATHERED 70% OF THE DIET. THEY SHARED MEAT AMONG THEIR VILLAGE. IT REINFORCES SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS OF A GROUP. THEY TRADED RESOURCES FOR OBSIDIAN WITH THEIR TRIBE AND OUTSIDE THEIR TRIBE.

THE KUMEYAAY HAVE A RICH SPIRITUAL LIFE. THEY BELIEVE IN ANIMISM THAT SERVES TO TO REDUCE ANXIETY BY EXPLAINING THE UNKNOWN AND MAKING IT UNDERSTANDABLE. THEY MAKE IT A COMFORT IN TIMES OF CRISIS AND ENHANCING THE LEARNING OF ORAL TRADITIONS. HUNTERS AND GATHERS ARE PART OF NATURE. NOT SUPERIOR TO IT. ANIMALS ARE IMPORTANT IN MYTHOLOGY AND THEY BELIEVE IN SPIRIT BEINGS THAT ANIMATE NATURE.

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