Who Are We?

The Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians and our ancestors have lived in the Pauma Valley and surrounding area since time immemorial. Our ancestors are buried here, we raise our children here, and this is where our future generations will continue to live and prosper.

Officially established in 1893, today our nearly 6000-acre reservation encompasses only a small portion of our peoples’ traditional territory, which expands into Northern San Diego, Riverside and Orange Counties.

As is the case with all Native Americans; Euro-American contact, interaction and forced assimilation during the past two centuries brought immense changes to our land, people and way of life. Like our ancestors, we rely on the strength of our culture and our community to face the challenges of today and tomorrow. Triumphantly, we are still here, not merely surviving, but thriving in the same homeland of our ancestors.

Our Tribal Seal

This original seal was designed for the Pauma tribe by tribal member Pat Celli Baker. It features Mt. Palomar in the background, the forest, citrus and avocado trees and the desert floor.

The diamond shape represents the four corners of the earth, or the four directions, north, south, east and west. The Pauma people look to the four directions for spiritual guidance.

The electrical charges incorporated into the seal show that we are small but we are mighty.

The Tribal Seal includes our official designation as the “Pauma/Yuima Band of Luiseño Indians.” The tribe recently dropped the reference to “Yuima” in order to simplify our designation, although “Yuima” remains in the Tribal Seal.