Cupeno

The Cupeno Native American people historically occupied the valley of San Jose de Valle and the mountainous region around the headwaters of the San Luis Rey River in today’s northern San Diego County, California. Despite the areas limited geographic size, it historically provided the indigenous peoples of the area ample resources. The Spanish made up the name Cupeno by adding the suffix –eno to Cupa, the Native American tribe’s principal village’s name. Early sources also refer to the Cupeno Native American people as the Agua Caliente, meaning “hot water” in Spanish because of the hot springs at Cupa. Traditionally the Cupeno lived in two permanent, politically independent villages: Cupa (now Warner’s Hot Springs) and Wilakalpa (now San Ysidro). Prior to Euroamerican contact, the Cupeno numbered around 500-750 individuals, and today’s population stands at approximately 373 individuals.

Name: Cupeno. Also known as the Agua Caliente.

Location: Near the headwaters of the San Luis Rey River, San Diego County, California.

Population: Between 500 and 750 individuals in the late 1700s; approximately 373 today.

Language Family: Uto-Aztecan, Takic branch, Cupan language.

First Contact by Euroamericans: 1795.

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