Our Homeland
Key Terms
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Chaparral
An area populated by shrubs that is dry in the summer and rainy in the winter.
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Shawii
A Kumeyaay word for food made from ground acorns. Acorns are the seeds of the oak tree.
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Wetland
Land covered mostly with water, with occasional marshy and soggy areas.
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Kuseyaay
A Kumeyaay name for people in their community who were specialists in particular areas. They offered advice and guidance to the people on many matters related to the environment, including where to build rock drop structures.
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Biodiversity
The number and variety of species of plant and animal life within a region.
Explore: Kumeyaay Environmental Management
Prior to European arrival, the Kumeyaay managed the lands around them. They used several techniques that kept the environment healthy and productive. Roll over the highlighted spots to learn more.
Prior to European arrival, the Kumeyaay managed the lands around them. They used several techniques that kept the environment healthy and productive. Roll over or touch the highlighted spots to learn more.
The Kumeyaay knew how to harvest so that plants grew stronger and more prolifically. They never took all they found, and they never harvested when it interrupted a plant's reproduction cycle.
The Kumeyaay harvested grain. After harvest, they threw seeds from the grain back into the field then lit it on fire. The fire cleared out the dead plants and helped the new seeds germinate.
The Kumeyaay placed groups of large rocks into streams. The structures kept soil from washing out with rains, allowed many kinds of plants to grow, kept fresh water on the surface, and attracted wildlife.
The Kumeyaay also set fire to oak forests. The fire did not kill the big trees, but removed unwanted brush, dead leaves, and insects. It created healthier soil for new oak trees and good acorn crops.
In wetland areas, the Kumeyaay planted the seeds of different kinds of plants they knew grew well in those conditions. Wetlands plants were used as foods, medicines, and materials for making other things.
Try These Questions
That is correct!
Because this pair of images shows fire (which many chaparral plants benefit from) and a landscape dominated by shrubs and brush, it represents the chaparral best.
That is correct!
The Kumeyaay had their own language which they all spoke. But the Kuseyaay did advise their people on living in the natural world.
That is correct!
The Kumeyaay knew their environment very well. They used these and many other plants to meet their food, clothing, and shelter needs.
Story Project Planner
Choose Images for Story Project
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Image 1 of 12
Toggle Favorite Oak trees are an important part of the c...Oak trees are an important part of the chaparral environment that dominates Campo Kumeyaay homelands. Oaks grow best in valleys where enough water is available. 2010
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Image 2 of 12
Toggle Favorite "There are hundreds of oak trees that go...Michael Connolly, environmental consultant and former tribal councilman
"There are hundreds of oak trees that go up through the valleys. And these provided one of our staples, which was the acorn."
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Image 3 of 12
Toggle Favorite Oak trees have long been an important so...Oak trees have long been an important source of food for the Kumeyaay. The acorns, or seeds of the oak tree, are used to produce a food that the Kumeyaay call shawii. 2010
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Image 4 of 12
Toggle Favorite "When we'd go pick acorns, they would sa...Paul Cuero, Jr., singer and tribal councilman
"When we'd go pick acorns, they would say, 'You have to leave enough for the squirrels and the other animals.'"
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Image 5 of 12
Toggle Favorite In the semi-arid chaparral environment o...In the semi-arid chaparral environment of Kumeyaay homelands, wetland areas are most often found in the valleys where small creeks run and the water table is close to the surface. 2010
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Image 6 of 12
Toggle Favorite "And then when you get into the very low...
Michael Connolly, environmental consultant and former tribal councilman
"And then when you get into the very lowest parts of the valleys, you encounter the wetland areas. And the wetlands were a big source of medicinal plants and foods.""
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Image 7 of 12
Toggle Favorite Coyote is one of many wildlife species t...Coyote is one of many wildlife species that frequent the wetlands environment of the Kumeyaay homelands. 2007
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Image 8 of 12
Toggle Favorite "All the wildlife that comes in is reall...
Michael Connolly, environmental consultant and former tribal councilman
"All the wildlife that comes in is really amazing."
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Image 9 of 12
Toggle Favorite The homelands of the Kumeyaay are semi-a...The homelands of the Kumeyaay are semi-arid, but they traditionally supported the Kumeyaay people with abundant plant and animal life. 2010
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Image 10 of 12
Toggle Favorite "Because we live in a area that we don't...
Paul Cuero, Jr., singer and tribal councilman
"Because we live in a area that we don't get much water, we had to come up with techniques of, ways of, storing water, because in ancient times, we didn't have ways of digging with drills like we do today for water."
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Image 11 of 12
Toggle Favorite The Kumeyaay knew how to manage the land...The Kumeyaay knew how to manage the land so that it would continue to provide for the people. Specialists known as Kuseyaay advised about techniques such as controlled burning, used to make the environment healthier. 2010
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Image 12 of 12
Toggle Favorite "And these Kuseyaay would offer their ad...
Michael Connolly, environmental consultant and former tribal councilman
"And these Kuseyaay would offer their advice, and they would tell the shmulqs when it was time to move to another area, or when it was time to burn an area, or when it was time to harvest different plants. . . . They were astronomers, and they understood the constellations, and they knew the seasons."
Take Notes for Story Project
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.
