Culture - Pauma Tribe Community

The Cultural and Traditional Wealth of the Luiseño Before European Contact

Prior to European contact, conservative estimates say that the Luiseño population reached 15,000. Major villages and gathering sites stretched from the Peninsular Ranges to the Pacific Ocean. The abundance of wildlife and plants on the land and in the water allowed the Luiseño to maintain a relatively sedentary lifestyle in the mild climate of Southern California.

The Luiseño people enjoyed life in a land rich with diverse plants and animals. Our people have been described as hunters and gatherers.

The men hunted deer, antelope, rabbits, wood rats, ducks, quail, seafood and various insects. Hunters used bows and arrows, spear throwers, rabbit sticks, traps, nets, clubs and slings to catch game. Fishermen and traders used dugout canoes in the ocean and tule reed boats or rafts in the rivers and lakes. Family groups had specific hunting and gathering areas in the mountains and along the coast. Individuals from outside these groups only crossed the boundaries of these areas upon permission.

Women gathered seeds, roots, wild berries, acorns, wild grapes, strawberries, wild onions and prickly pear in finely woven baskets. The Pauma and other Luiseño peoples are world renown for their expertise in coiled baskets made from the flora of the region.

At the heart of our traditional foods is wìiwish, a tasty ground acorn mush and healthy food staple rich in protein.

Evidence of acorn and seed processing and shellfish use dominates ancient sites throughout the Luiseño territory. The most visible evidence is the bedrock milling stone mortars used for processing seeds like acorns. These bedrock mortars sites are located throughout our region.

The traditional territory of the Luiseño people extends along the coast, from the north near San Juan Capistrano, south to the Encinitas/Carlsbad area and east to the valleys of the coastal mountains and Mt. Palomar. Today this area is in northern San Diego, Riverside and Orange counties.

Customs & Traditions

The Pauma people have a complex history of customs and traditions that have allowed us to thrive in our Aboriginal lands since time immemorial.

Contrary to some historical accounts, a civilization was not brought to us, it existed in our communities generations before European contact.

Traditionally, the Pauma people lived in small villages located near freshwater sources scattered throughout our territory. Each house or kitchen was built with willow, cassava and tulle. These structures were dome-shaped with a small smoke hole at the top and the ground dug two to three feet into the earth. The project served to insulate the hut, keeping it warm in winter and cool in summer. Outside each of the houses, a large fabric basket was also kept to store acorns, the traditional food of our people.

The Pauma people cooked food in a variety of ways. Food was often cooked in clay pots over a fire or in baskets with hot stones; it was also sometimes wrapped in clay or leaves and placed over hot coals or buried. Meats were roasted over hot coals or stones and mortars and pestles were used to grind and crush the food. The roots were harvested with digging sticks and the horns were used to pull loose objects. The needles were made from bird bones and cactus spines. Rock chips were used as scrapers. Elaborate sand paintings were made for special ceremonies.

Basketry remains a fine art among the Luiseño people. Pictograms that still speak to us of the past are being preserved in local locations. Traditionally, young children spend much of their time playing, swimming, learning to make and throw rabbit sticks, and to weave baskets. When boys and girls reached adolescence, they participated in initiation ceremonies to learn the customs and respectful behaviors needed to lead a good life.

The Luiseño people share a long history of religious customs and practices. Traditionally, religious activities have been led by community and spiritual leaders. Specific songs and dances, except sacred ones, were performed only by a chosen few. Flutes, rattles, whistles and drumsticks were used to make music that accompanied prayers, dancing and singing. The speeches of our people gave meaning to their lives and instilled in them a moral conscience and respect for nature.

European contact with the Luiseño people was limited until the mid-18th century. Spain distributed the system shipped across California for the purpose of institutionalizing the native peoples and claiming the geographic region. Mission San Luis Rey was built in 1798 and brought many changes to the way of life of the Luiseño people. Our language, way of life and culture began to crumble. died Many diseases brought by the missionaries. The name “Luiseño” was given to the people by the Spaniards due to their proximity to the mission. One of the names we use for ourselves is 'atàaxum, which in our language means people or human beings.

Today, the tribal members and families of the Pauma community continue to uphold many of our Luiseño traditions

Storytelling

Preserving Cultural Tradition

Cultural traditions and archaeological evidence indicate that Shoshonean groups migrated to Southern California between 5000 and 8000 years ago due to severe altithermals. In the Luiseño oral tradition our

Aa’alvikat, in Luiseño, means storyteller and this was the name chosen by the Elders for our tribal library. In our oral creation story, Wiyot, the Creator God, uses his illness and ultimately his death to share his knowledge (ayelkwi) with his children. Through song, story and the literary word the library becomes a focal point for continuing the story of the Pauma People.

In 2005, the Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to implement an automated library catalog, establish an archive of important tribal material and increase the number of library programs. An archive room was established to house original Luiseño/Pauma materials. This special collection of documents pertaining to land use, water rights, archeology, culture, and history were inventoried and digitized during the project. Current programs such as multimedia and Internet classes continue, and new collaborative programs, including health awareness, personal finance and special children’s programs are being developed.

Luiseño Language

A Source of Progress

The Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians is one of six Luiseño groups living in Mid-Southern California. The Luiseño, or Puyumkowitchum, (Western People) are characterized as a Uto-Aztecan language-speaking group. It is believed that the ancestors of the Luiseño originally came from present day Nevada. The Uto-Aztecan language that Luiseño people spoke is similar to the Shoshone language of that region. Unfortunately, all fluent Luiseño speakers in the Pauma community have passed on. It is critical to our tribe to revitalize our language. Some of our revitalization efforts include assisting tribal speakers in improving their skills in speaking and teaching the language so that new speakers are continually evolving.

The Pauma band works with many partners to promote Luiseño language revitalization and has established partnerships with First Voices, the Indigenous Language Institute , and Palomar College. Our revitalization efforts also include the use of online resources and website technology training. Our partnership with Palomar College delivers hands on online language courses that have been successfully used by many of our tribal members. Future plans include the development of a radio station that will use the Luiseño language for public service announcements and language development.

Click below for a demonstration from Annabelle Dixon, one of our youngest Luiseño language students. Can you guess the name of the song?

Meet School First Voices

Charitable Giving Program

Our culture

Pitching in to help each others during times of need has been a long standing tradition of the tribe. On October 23, 2007 the Pauma band and its neighbors became victims of the devastating Poomacha fire. The fire started at the La Jolla reservation near Palomar Mountain and burned more than 50,000 acres and 60 structures within the community. The La Jolla band, a non gaming tribe, has very limited financial resources.

They rely heavily on revenue earned from a campground and funds received through a revenue-sharing agreement set up for California non gaming tribes. Pauma also experienced damage as the fire burned over 5,300 acres on our reservation. In November 2007, the Pauma band together with Casino Pauma held a Thanksgiving dinner for La Jolla tribal members. We donated thirty-two gift cards, each in the amount of $2,000, to each of the La Jolla tribal families affected by the fires. In the spirit of our longstanding tradition for giving to and helping those in need, Pauma tribal elder Lorena Dixon asked that instead of receiving gifts for the celebration of her 85th birthday, that gift cards be purchased and donated to La Jolla families fire victims. An additional $2,000 plus was raised and donated to the La Jolla families per Ms. Dixon’s request.