…from the ocean…
The Kumeyaay homeland includes the coast of modern-day San Diego County and Baja California, and today the KDLC honors this by protecting submerged sites, identifying traditional gathering areas, and participating in the management of Marine Protected Areas on the California coast.
Submerged sites exist all along California’s coast, reminding us how the sea level has changed over the last 10,000 years. These underwater prehistoric sites show traces of the Kumeyaay past along the coast. Today, the KDLC works to protect them by working with tribal partners, government agencies, and non-profit organizations on the coast to protect our sites and educate the public about the importance of protecting the Kumeyaay way.
The KDLC also participates in local meetings regarding the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Southern California, and partners with local groups in order to alert them to tribal coastal issues, from historical use to cultural resource protection. These groups include the Southern California Tribal Chairman’s Association, the San Diego County MPA Community Collaborative, and the Western Alliance for Nature.
…to the mountains…
Three of the KDLC’s properties are near the mountains that compose the geographic center of Kumeyaay territory. Trading routes crossed the mountains, connecting Kumeyaay villages north, south, east, and west.
Our Sloan Canyon parcel is located along the Sweetwater River adjacent to the Sycuan Reservation and the surrounding mountains of the Dehesa Valley. Ideal habitat for many plants and animals, Sloan Canyon is central to the traditional ecological knowledge and scientific studies that the KDLC organizes and conducts. Additionally, Sloan Canyon is the site for our Learning Landscapes program.
One of the largest continuously-habited village sites, Ah-Ha’ Kwe-Ah-Mac’, is located near our Mosler Property. Ah-Ha’ Kwe-Ah-Mac’ was also never under control of the missions, and today is located within Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, which is one of the KDLC’s many partners. Today, the Mosler property is managed as preserved open space, and the KDLC is planning educational programming to take place on the property.
Sacred Mountain Ranch faces west to the sacred mountain Kuuchamaa, and to the east faces the vast Colorado Desert. Blessed by the powerful kuseyaay (religious leader) Kuuchamaa, this mountain is a place of healing for all Native American peoples. The KDLC plans to continue this healing through planning healing programs on the property.
…and the desert…
The Kumeyaay travelled extensively across what is known today as the Colorado Desert, located in between the Colorado River and the Laguna Mountains. Trails and village sites show how Kumeyaay used the territory. Today, the KDLC partners with the Back Country Land Trust, a contemporary land trust non-profit, to protect cultural resources on their Long Potrero property, which is located only a short distance away from our Sacred Mountain Ranch. The KDLC actively participates in planning for the desert region, particularly through an active partnership with the Colorado Desert District of California State Parks. Through collaborating on cultural programming and preservation with State Parks, the KDLC hopes to preserve sacred and historic sites well into the future.
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