Before the arrival of Europeans, the Payómkawichum understood their place in their world. The stories of how the world was created have been passed down for generations, and these stories contain rules for proper behavior and the consequences of breaking those rules. Our society was organized to ensure that everyone had food and shelter, and everyone was raised to know what was expected of him or her. We developed a variety of technologies, such as stone-tool manufacture, basket weaving, and pottery making, and our surplus goods were distributed along Southern California’s extensive trade routes. Over millennia, we came to understand the importance of natural cycles and learned how to manage our resources. Through periods of plenty, scarcity and adversity, we have governed ourselves and cared for our lands. These artifacts prove that we have a long history and a rich culture that existed before the arrival of the Spanish Missionaries. Bedrock mortars, stone tools, pottery, and rock art are still found in Riverside and San Diego Counties. Evidence of our presence before the arrival of Europeans survives throughout the valley. We call ourselves Payómkawichum (the People of the West), and we are made up of seven bands: Pechanga, Pauma, Pala, Rincon, San Luis Rey, La Jolla, and Soboba.

Groups of people now known as Luiseño Indians have inhabited the Temecula Valley for thousands of years. Teméeku was the place where the world as we know it came to be: events that took place here determined how some people became plants and animals, how people dealt with sickness and death, why some things could be eaten yet others could not, and all the other details of life in native California. Life on earth began in this valley at ‘Éxva Teméeku, the birthplace of the Káamalam (First Children). The Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians has called the Temecula valley home for more than 10,000 years.

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