Our Future
Key Terms
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Ecosystem
The relationships between the plants, animals, and physical conditions of a specific area.
Explore: Campo EPA and the Measure of Success
This creek was badly affected by years of cattle grazing. There was no water on the surface. The soil and decomposed bedrock were dry. The only permanent water was underground, in bedrock fractures.
Now there is water on the surface in the stream bed, and the layers below the surface are also saturated with water. Campo EPA's restoration helped raise the water table by nearly 20 feet.
Try These Questions
That is correct!
The Campo Kumeyaay people take care of their land because they believe it’s their responsibility, not because local laws require that they do so.
That is correct!
Living in harmony with the environment includes all these actions: eating the foods that nature provides, choosing sustainable plants, and using native plants to repair environmental damage.
That is correct!
The Campo Kumeyaay people have long had a close and respectful relationship with their environment, as reflected in all three of these statements.
Story Project Planner
Choose Images for Story Project
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Image 1 of 10
Toggle Favorite "You can see that the tribal people are ...Monique LaChappa, tribal chairwoman
"You can see that the tribal people are still caretakers of the earth, and it comes from our heart."
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Image 2 of 10
Toggle Favorite By learning Kumeyaay dances and other cu...By learning Kumeyaay dances and other cultural traditions, Campo Kumeyaay children also learn the value of protecting and preserving the environment that has sustained their people for thousands of years. ca. 2003
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Image 3 of 10
Toggle Favorite "I mean, there is a limit, and if we do ...Stan Rodriguez, Kumeyaay language instructor
"I mean, there is a limit, and if we do not take care of our resources, if we do not take care of these things, if we are not—if we do not live in harmony, then we're going to destroy it. If we destroy it, we're going to destroy ourselves."
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Image 4 of 10
Toggle Favorite This Desert Cottontail rabbit needs a he...This Desert Cottontail rabbit needs a healthy environment to survive. The restoration work of the Campo Kumeyaay Nation supports wetlands life, from the smallest microorganisms to the biggest animals and plants found in the area. 2009
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Image 5 of 10
Toggle Favorite "There are many people and many organiza...Michael Connolly, environmental consultant and former tribal councilman
"There are many people and many organizations that want to work with us to try to preserve the ecosystems in many of these valleys. And I think that's something that is a benefit, not only to our people, but to all people."
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Image 6 of 10
Toggle Favorite Oak trees can live to be hundreds of yea...Oak trees can live to be hundreds of years old. Some of them are so massive they create their own micro-environment. Oak trees are an important part of the healthy environment being restored in the Campo Kumeyaay Nation. 2009
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Image 7 of 10
Toggle Favorite "My uncle used to say, 'The land is the ...Paul Cuero, Jr., singer and tribal councilman
"My uncle used to say, 'The land is the law. If you don't have water, you can't live. If you don't have the vegetation that we use, if we don't have our oak trees, the acorns . . . we can't survive.' So if we don't take care of those very things, we're not taking care of ourselves."
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Image 8 of 10
Toggle Favorite In Kumeyaay culture, water is sacred. It...In Kumeyaay culture, water is sacred. It supports and maintains life and has to be treated with respect. This restored wetland on the Campo reservation is an expression of the cultural importance that water has to the Kumeyaay people. 2009
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Image 9 of 10
Toggle Favorite "But in all these things, all things tha...
Stan Rodriguez, Kumeyaay language instructor
"But in all these things, all things that we talk about, water is a very sacred thing, and when we say [Kumeyaay phrase], we take care of that water. We watch over it. We hold it with respect. It's something that not only keeps us alive physically, also spiritually. It's a very sacred thing."
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Image 10 of 10
Toggle Favorite The Kumeyaay language and culture has al...The Kumeyaay language and culture has always been closely tied to caring for the land around them. In addition to their environmental efforts, the Kumeyaay people are working hard to preserve their language in classes such as this one. 2010
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Take notes and save images to help answer these questions. Your images and notes will be saved to the Story Project where you can use them to create your own slideshow.
