Office RPYA
- Oct 9, 2023
- 4 min read

Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a time of celebration, education, and honoring the original inhabitants of the land. Today RPYA would like to take this opportunity to talk about the history of the Inland Empire, specifically about the various indigenous groups this area is home to.

Many of today’s ethnic minorities were given names meant to separate people into territories taken by Spanish colonies, which was shaped by the integration of newly built missions. If not that, then some peoples were identified by a name inspired by their inhabited terrain. For example the Serrano people were given this name by the Spanish because they live in the mountains, with “Serrano” being the spanish word for “Highlander.”

Another thing to keep in mind is that, while we recognize these groups as separate, the groups we are discussing today share a lot of commonalities culturally and linguistically. The Serran, Tongva, and Cahuilla languages all form part of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Many languages from this family extend into the central and southern parts of Mexico as we know it today. Serran, the extinct Kitanemuk language (aka Serran proper), Tongva, and many more. The Uto-Aztecan groups are predominantly divided into northern and southern subgroups, with the southern groups going deeper into the Mexico we know today.

It is important to note that this article will be focusing primarily on the names and locations of Native peoples as they relate to the Inland Empire. There are books worth of knowledge for these individual groups, their land, their culture, and the obstacles they faced back then, and today. We strongly recommend that you explore the sources listed below to learn about these groups in their own words and perspective.

The Serrano (Cuahajai)

The Serrano inhabited the San Bernardino mountains, and their population stretched as far east as the Mojave River region. Given the wide reach of their community, the Serrano people were often separated by the region they lived in, namely the Desert Serrano and Mountain Serrano. This categorization is due to the Spanish not understanding that some groups were not strictly nomadic, but had seasonal movement. This was due to the unique mix of hunter/gatherer and agrarian societies in the area. Some places also lent itself to both needs, allowing for more permanent settlements, such as in Morongo Valley, where the water melt from the San Gorgonio collects. The regional categorization can be seen in the use of these autonyms: Taaqtam (people), Maarrênga’yam (people of Morongo), Yuhaaviatam (people of the pines).

The Luiseño (Payómkawichum)

The Luiseño inhabited predominantly coastal areas in Southern California, about fifty (50) miles from modern day L.A. County. Their autonym, Payómkawichum (sometimes spelled Payómkowishum), means “the people of the west.” While their current title, the Luiseño, was given to them by the San Luis Rey mission established in their territory in 1798.

The Tongva

The Tongva inhabited the entire Los Angeles basin and the islands of Santa Catalina, San Nicholas, San Clemente, and Santa Barbara. They have ancestral roots as far as the San Bernardino mountains. The Tongva also go by separate names, divided by the missions they were forced to build and serve. Those living in the jurisdiction of Misión de San Gabriel Arcángel, received the name of Gabrieleño. While the others, the Fernandeño, had names derived from the Spanish mission built on their land, Mission San Fernando Rey de España.

The Cahuilla

The traditional territory of the Cahuilla covers a large area in Riverside and San Diego counties, including the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains.This population can be divided into three groups based on the geographical region they lived in: Desert Cahuilla, Mountain Cahuilla and Western (San Gorgonio Pass) Cahuilla. All three spoke the Cahuilla language, which is a Takic division of the Uto-Aztecan language groups. The name Cahuilla itself has been translated to mean “The Master” or “The Powerful One”. Today there are a total of 9 Cahuilla nations.

The Inland Empire alone holds 13 different federally recognized tribes: