“MIIYU” = Hello AND WELCOME TO THE PAUMA WEBSITE

The Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians and our ancestors have lived in the Pauma Valley and surrounding area since time immemorial. Our ancestors are buried here, we raise our children here, and this is where our future generations will continue to live and prosper.

Officially established in 1893, today our nearly 6000-acre reservation encompasses only a small portion of our peoples’ traditional territory, which expands into Northern San Diego, Riverside and Orange Counties.

As is the case with all Native Americans; Euro-American contact, interaction and forced assimilation during the past two centuries brought immense changes to our land, people and way of life. Like our ancestors, we rely on the strength of our culture and our community to face the challenges of today and tomorrow. Triumphantly, we are still here, not merely surviving, but thriving in the same homeland of our ancestors.

The Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians, historically known as the Pauma-Yuima Band of Mission Indians, is one of six federally recognized Indian tribes in the mid-southern California area who share Luiseño tribal affiliation, language, and traditions.

During the 1970s era of American Indian activism, the Luiseño people, like other tribes throughout California and across the country, experienced a resurgence of community and cultural pride.

Despite the near loss of many of our traditions, if you listen carefully you will still hear our Luiseño language being spoken, our stories being handed down from elder to child, and our prayers and songs echoing on the winds of the Pauma Valley.

As the first people of Pauma Valley, we have relied on our inherent tribal sovereignty and self-determination to carry us through the many changes we have endured.

The Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians strives to preserve and strengthen tribal sovereignty and self-determination through the promotion, protection and advancement of the cultural, political and economic well-being of the Pauma people. As the first people of the Pauma Valley, we seek to enrich and advance the lives of our citizens and future generations through a healthy, educated and close-knit community.