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Documentary Chronicles History, Culture Of San Diego's 'First People'

Traditional Kumeyaay territory stretches from San Diego's coast to the desert. Frank Salazar, a member of the Campo Band of Kumeyaay Indians said Kumeyaay territory had the most diverse geography of any other tribe in the United States.
First People, Kumeyaay
Traditional Kumeyaay territory stretches from San Diego's coast to the desert. Frank Salazar, a member of the Campo Band of Kumeyaay Indians said Kumeyaay territory had the most diverse geography of any other tribe in the United States.
Documentary Chronicles History, Culture Of San Diego’s ‘First People’
Documentary Chronicles History, Culture Of San Diego's 'First People'
GUESTS:Kumeyaay Native speaker Stan Rodriguez, is a Kumeyaay bird singer from the Santa Ysabel reservation, he plays a can rattle and sings Ipai and Diegueño Yuman songs. John Eagle Spirit Elliott is a member of the Manzanita Band of Kumeyaay Indians.

The image of the American Indian is usually on horseback, perhaps hunting buffalo on the Great Plains. The image of modern-day Native Americans in San Diego is often linked to the county's popular and profitable casinos.

But there's a central truth to the Native American culture in this part of the world that both stereotypes ignore: For thousands of years, the Kumeyaay lived in a vast nation north and south of the border, from the desert to the coast.

The documentary "First People - Kumeyaay," shows how San Diego's Native Americans are reclaiming their traditions.