The Kumeyaay, considered the first national Indigenous people of California, are a well-known tribe who inhabit both sides of the Baja California border, extending into Mexico. Their name translates to “Those who face the water from a cliff,” with meyaay meaning “steep” or “cliff.” The Kumeyaay culture traces its origins to the coastal area of Kulaaxuuy (La Jolla), meaning “Land of Holes,” a reference to the sea caves beneath the trail that stretch to the desert. This region, considered sacred, includes the Matlahuayl State Marine Reserve and the San Diego-Scripps Coastal Marine Conservation Area, where the cliffside ocean views continue to be a powerful cultural and spiritual symbol.

Historically known as the Diegueños by the Spanish, the Kumeyaay—also referred to as ‘Iipay-Tiipay in the U.S. and Kumiai in Mexico—speak three closely related languages: ‘Iipay, Tiipay, and Kamia, all part of the Yuman-Cochimì language family. Their traditional homelands were shaped by the San Diego River: the ‘Iipay lived to the north, in areas like Escondido and Lake Henshaw; the Tiipay to the south, in the Laguna Mountains and towns such as Ensenada and Tecate; and the Kamia to the east, near Mexicali and the Salton Sea.