Kumeyaay
The Kumeyaay, also known as Tipai-Ipai, are a group of Indigenous people located along the coastal regions of Baja California and California's border. Comprised of two semi-nomadic bands, the Tipai and Ipai, they are organized into thirty localized patrilineal clans. Historically, the Kumeyaay experienced significant changes from 1769 to 1821 due to the influence of Spanish missionaries, initially resisting but later adapting to mission life. Their land was impacted by the secularization of Spanish missions in 1834, though many Indigenous members were treated unfairly and worked as laborers. Today, the Kumeyaay reside on thirteen federally recognized reservations in San Diego County and maintain aspects of their traditional culture, including language, art, and spiritual practices. While some have adopted Roman Catholicism, others continue to uphold their Indigenous beliefs. In the modern era, various Kumeyaay bands engage in economic development through businesses, including casinos, and participate in environmental initiatives aimed at preserving their native habitats.
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Kumeyaay
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: California
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Yuman
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Coastal area of the west Baja and California border
- POPULATION SIZE: 4,250 (2016 Smithsonian Institution Folklife Festival)
The Kumeyaay (sometimes spelled Kamia) people comprise the Tipai and Ipai, two semi-nomadic, related but autonomous bands with thirty exogamous, localized patrilineal clans. Historically, the Ipai controlled the land in the north, and the Tipais controlled the south, but springs were always available to anyone. The Kumeyaay, also sometimes called the Tipai-Ipai, belonged to the distinctive Indigenous culture of California.
The Kumeyaay were greatly influenced from 1769 to 1821 by Spanish Franciscan and Dominican missionaries. Initially, they resisted conversion and missionization, but by 1779, many had adapted to mission life. (One now-obsolete name for the nation, Diegueños, comes from the Spanish system of renaming Indigenous nations after their local missions; in this case, Mission San Diego de Alcalá.) In 1834, Mexico secularized all Spanish missions, with half the land going to Indigenous groups; this policy failed, however, as the nation members were treated as serfs. In 1875, the first Tipai-Ipai reservation was established. Many Indigenous people continued to labor in mines and on ranches or relocated to urban settings.
In the twenty-first century, Kumeyaay lived on thirteen federally recognized reservations in San Diego County and four bands in Baja California. Some retained Roman Catholicism as their faith, but others maintained traditional spiritual practices and beliefs. Many aspects of traditional Indigenous Kumeyaay life continued to be pursued, including language, art, ceremonies, songs, and spiritual practices. Several Kumeyaay bands operated casinos, as well as additional businesses, on their reservation lands. Environmental programs in which the Kumeyaay participated included the Kumeyaay Wind Project on the Campo Indian Reservation, which provided a renewable energy source, and the Campo Environmental Protection Agency, which worked to protect native habitats and wildlife.
Bibliography
"About Us." Campo Environmental Protection Agency, www.campoepa.com/about‗us. Accessed 28 Oct. 2024.
Bacich, Damian. "Native Americans of Southern California: the Kumeyaay." California Frontier Project, www.californiafrontier.net/the-kumeyaay. Accessed 28 Oct. 2024.
Bakken, Gordon Morris, et al. "Kumeyaay (Diegueño, I'ipay, and Tipai)." Encyclopedia of Immigration and Migration in the American West, vol. 1, 2006, pp. 367–372. Sage Knowledge, doi.org/10.4135/9781412952439. Accessed 28 Oct. 2024.
Hough, Elisa. "The Kumeyaay Communities of California." Smithsonian Institution Festival Blog, 26 Aug. 2016. festival.si.edu/blog/2016/the-kumeyaay-communities-of-california/. Accessed 28 Oct. 2024.
"Kumeyaay History." Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, viejasbandofkumeyaay.org/viejas-community/kumeyaay-history. Accessed 28 Oct. 2024.
"Kumeyaay History." Kumeyaay, www.kumeyaay.com/kumeyaay-history.html. Accessed 28 Oct. 2024.
"Kumeyaay: Native Californians/Iipai-Tipai." Museum of Us, museumofus.org/exhibits/kumeyaay-native-californians-iipai-tipai. Accessed 28 Oct. 2024.
Pritzker, Barry M. A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples. Oxford UP, 2000.