Kumeyaay Native Americans

The Kumeyaay Native Americans were a Yuman speaking indigenous people who inhabited southern California and northern Baja California. Their territory historically extended from the San Luis Rey River in the north to Todos Santos Bay in the south, and inland to the banks of New River, west of the Colorado River. The Kumeyaay traded and exchanged with their neighbors, the Luiseno and the Cahuilla. Prior to Euroamerican contact it is estimated that 3,000 and 26,000 Kumeyaay inhabited the region; today close to 3,249 are estimated to be living in Mexico and the US.

Name: Kumeyaay, the name preferred today. Other names have included Diegueno, Tipai, Ipai, and Kamia.

Location: Southern California and Northern Baja California.

Population: Estimates range between 3,000 and 26,000 prior to Euroamerican contact; today it is estimated that there are around 3,249 living in the US and Mexico.

Language Family: Yuman.

First Contact by Euroamericans: In 1769 Gaspar de Portillo’s expedition entered Kumeyaay territory; Junipero Serra founded Mission San Diego.

Current Tribal Status: In 1875 the first Kumeyaay reservation is founded. Currently they are actively involved in managing their traditional resources and revitalizing their culture.

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