Water, however, was to be shared with everyone, and needy people could ask for food that had been stored.Ĭlans would also have a chief or Kwaaypaay, who had an assistant. Different clans could have their own property, and had the right to punish thieves and trespassers. Each band or clan had its own particular territory. Most Kumeyaay would stay together in bands or clans based on family relationships or lineages. When the family moved, or if someone died in the house, they usually burned it. They would have rocks around the base to keep out wind and small animals. They called these houses ‘ewaa, and they usually had a hole in the top to let smoke out. They covered them with leaves from willow, tule or other plants. The would build domed houses with a frame made from branches. Often Kumeyaay groups would have two main camps, one for summer and one for winter. This was a place where they could find shelter from the wind and weather. When a clan or a group of families settled in one place for a while, they would set up an encampment. Kumeyaay HousingĪ Kumeyaay house photographed by Edward Curtis, ca. The moisture in this region comes mainly from storms off of the Pacific Ocean. Nevertheless, for the most part, Kumeyaay territory has hot, dry summers and mild, cool winters. Over the centuries, they people have had to adapt to a climate that varies from the moderate temperatures of the Pacific coast to the heat of the inland valleys. ClimateĪlthough much of the Kumeyaay territory is desert-like, there are also woodlands and forests of Oak, Sycamore and Willow trees. The desert areas are instead more difficult and inhospitable. The coastal and central areas are the most fertile and traditionally provided most of the food for the Kumeyaay. On either side of the border, Kumeyaay territory has flat and sloping coastal areas to the west, hills and mountains in the center, and mostly flat deserts in the east. Today Kumeyaay people live on both sides of the Mexico-U.S. Alta California became part of the United States and Baja California remained with Mexico. After the U.S.-Mexico War, this territory was split in two. The territory originally extended from the Pacific Ocean to the Sonoran Desert and the Colorado River. The Kumeyaay’s traditional territory is the extreme south of the state of California, including San Diego and Imperial Counties, and northern Baja California.
The Kumeyaay’s traditional territory spans both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. This will make it easier to pass on to descendants. In recent years, though, Kumeyaay speakers have been working with linguists to create a writing system to record the language. Today there are few speakers of the original Kumeyaay language left. After the incorporation of Alta California into the U.S., Kumeyaay north of the border adopted English as the dominant language. California and all the way into Arizona.ĭuring the Spanish and Mexican periods, the Kumeyaay learned to speak Spanish. This family of languages extends from Baja California into southern U.S. The Kumeyaay language belongs to the family of what linguists call Yuman languages. It is now the most common name, though some native people and groups still do not choose to use it. Over time, people began to call themselves Kumeyaay more and more frequently. They chose the names Ipai and Tipai because they referred to the two main Kumeyaay languages. In the 1950’s, anthropologists started using other names to for the Diegueños. They also used this name for people who lived in the territory of the mission, but who never joined it or became Christians. The Spanish therefore referred to them as Sandiegueños or Diegueños. The name Kumeyaay (or Kamia) originally to referred to people in the south of the territory.Īfter the Spanish arrived in the 18 th century, many Kumeyaay from different clans came to be associated with Mission San Diego de Alcalá. In times past, because the Kumeyaay were spread over such a large territory that they simply identified themselves with their individual clan or family. 16 Getting to Know Kumeyaay Culture Today.
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